The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-05-06
ECONOMY NEEDED,

1uty to the Public. ahd one OF Its du-
ties h 10 ean attention 60 extravaganza
lin the iAanagenent of city or county
afrairA These criticisms should not
be considered in the nature OF a
sroast," as they are not so intended.
The people OF Astoria are very sensi.
tive when something Is published that
reflects incidentally upon them, but
they read with feelings of mingled
pleasure and joy, criticism on any
or their neighbors. There is no doubt
bat both the city and county govern
ment are actuatsd by honest motives
inl the administration Of affairs and
grating 10 virtually an unknown guam
fsty In Astoria or Clatsop county. 1t
II, however. noticeable that all the
large bills presented to the city or
county usually come from people who
were once members of the tax pay
erg league. whose object was to re-
duce expenditures In city and county
affairs and create q system Of rigid
economy to the end that taxes might
be reduced and inducements offered to
intending settlers and investors to To-
cate in Astoria and Clatsop county.
The tar payers league did consider
able good In this direction during its
brief existence.
There is one item Of public expendi-
sure that The Astorian. and large
majority of tax payers protest against,
and that is the allowance by the
county court of $3.50 attorneys fees
TO Hon. George Noland for trying the
county court house case In the circuit
and supreme courts. While 1t may be
what 10 called In legal parlance, "a
reasonable attorneys fee" vet in the
opinion of a very large number Of tax
payers, Il was an exhorbitant fee, but
being presented, without a previous
contract, the county court had nothing
20 do but allow it, as in the event Of
a suit to collect from the county. every
attorney in the city would go on the
witness stand and hold up his right
hand and solemnly swear that 1t was
employed by the county to represent
the county and their bill was only $3.50,
but they don't belong to the Citizens
party. and are not familiar with that
brand of economy.
Here was case in which Clatsop
county was party, in fact, the only
party to the controversy, and they had
to employ attorneys on both sides
1t seems to a layman that $1,000 for at
torney fees in trying case Of thai
kind was cptrageously exhorbitant In
the opinion OF a large number inter-
eSted. it Is double the amount that
would have been charged a private in
dividual, who would have made con-
tract in advance so as to know just
what he would be compelled to pay.
and thereby determine whether II
would be a paying investment. We are
not criticizing Mr.. Noland or any at
torney. but the methods adopted in
contFacting indebtedness.
Ccnsi srable favorable sentiment
had been worked up In organizing
company Of local capitalists to fur
niah the money and complete the court
house. with a strong possibility OF
success, but the presentation of that
claim and It's allowance has caused a
cold shiver to run down the backs OF
intending good Samaritans, with the
result that they have got, what is
called by players of the great Ameri-
can game, cold feet" with the re-
suit that no effort win probably be
made to extricate the county out Of
the hole, and the $4,000 already ex-
pended on the foundation alone will
probably have to lie idle until such
a time as the tax payers of Clatsop
county feel it incumbent upon them to-
make change in the management of
county affairs AS to whether that time
will ever come is probably as proble-
matical as the iawning of the milleni-
um, but it will come some sweet day
bye and bye"
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT.
II. !