The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-09-28
An ANSWER TO CONE WHO
KNOWS"
WHO

The CHRONICLE has made as thorough
an investigation as time and circum-
stances would permit of the charge made
in the letter which appeared. in the Ore
gonian on the 25th inst, rejecting on the
management of the construction of the
state portage road at the Cascades, with
the following results: No disrated rail-
road man has ever been employed as a
superintendent or in any other position
none of the superintendents has ever
been discharged from former employ for
incompetency; one alone, a foreman,
was discharged from the service of the
Union, Pacific owing TO a change of man
agement, after having served the 0. r.
& n. Co., for six years, at salary of
$3.50 month. (His present salary is
$125 per month.) The time and money
'spent on land to which the state has
not as yet secured title" have been
wisely and necessarily spent. The right
of the state to take the land, under the
law of eminent domain, is absolute
The only thing about which there is any
uncertainty is the price and even that
may be settled outside the courts The
superintendent has fitted up no dwelling
for himself. His wife and family reside
in The Dalles and will continue to reside
here as he will when the work is finished
There have been no building and re-
bnilding lines of railroad and not a
yard built for which there is not use,
present or prospective. 1t is not known
that the purchasing officer received COM
missions and the prices at which certain
staple supplies, such as rails, lumber.
ties and other things were furnished, for
bids the susbicion. 1t is not true that
Zone officer and his relations were draw
ing $l6 day, the majority of the rela-
tions being boys of 10 and 16 years"
The only officer who employed any re-
lation on the works was the superintend-
ent who employed his step-son, boy of
l6 years, for IA days sand no more, as
water boy" at the same wages and no
more that other boys received for like
service, 1t is not true that s'25 per cent.
of the money expended has been wasted
in mistakes" That no mistakes were
made is not claimed but they were go in
that they cut no figure, and
the fact that the appropriation is suffi-
cient to complete the works is itself proof
that no serious mistakes could have been
made. 1t is not true that GO the salaries
paid are extravagant." We have spoken |
of that paid to Mr.. Hobart. Mr.. Walsh
tleman worked for ten years for the O. |
X. d n. Co., at a salary OF $3.50 and re-
signed of his own will, and has in his
possession the response that Mr.. Crocker
made to his letter of resignation, in
which that gentleman expresses regret
that the company should loose his SER
vices. Mr.. Farley receives $150a month.
the sum fixed ut his own request, when
the board of portage commissioners Of
fered TO pay HIM $3.50 month, which
would have been reasonably small sal
AIRY for the responsibility assumed.
Governor Pennoyer will bear witness to
any who chooses to enquire that Mr.. Far
ley refused the higher salary offered by
the board, on the ground that he had
not accepted the position to make money
out OF it, but to benefit the state and to
see that the appropriation was judic
iously and expeditionsly expended.
On the other hand it is known that
the name sent to the Oregonian, as the
authorof the article is, in his absence,
suspected by his own father to be a for
gerry, but. ii not, the writer is person
who was discharged from the works,
both by Mr.. Walsh and Mr.. Hobart.
Mr.. Farley never hired any einploye ex-
cept the two foreman, who assumed the
responsibility of hiring or discharging
all the men who worked under them.
The Sunday Welcome wants the legis-