Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-06-28
MAYORS
GOOD
FRIENDS
Portland City Council Pre-
SentS the Mayor a Gift
With a String on 1t

With a String on II
Portland is nothing if not generous.
The city council opened it's purse
string, and this is what it did to Mayor
Williams, as farewell to the grand
old man. The story is told by the Tel
egram:
What the Mayor Said.
"I have just learned of the action
Of the councilmen in attempting TO
make the city pay for their personal
present to me- said Mayor Williams
at o'clock this afternoon, "and I do
not know what TO do. / had not the
least doubt they were acting in good
faith when they gave me the present.
Now they have placed me in an embar-
RAISING position, for IL I do not sign
the ordinance paying out Of the public
funds for my own present it will look
like slap at the councilmen, while,
IL 1 do sign It, It will look as though
had done my duty. do not know
what TO do. have not made up my
mind"
Members Of the council, in purchas-
ing farewell present for the mayor in
the form Of a punch bowl and cups,
planned TO use the city's money in Sc
eret for payment, thus closing their Of.
fetal services with an act which lays
them open TO the criticism Of the pub.
lie.
When the members Of the council
called Mayor Williams into private
room shortly before the council session
yesterday afternoon, and, with a pretty
speech, assured him Of their lasting
friendship, and, as token Of it, pre-.
sented him with an expensive gift,
there was nothing to show that the city
footed the bill. The mayor was deeply
affected with the evidence of kind.
ness Of his councilmen, but there was
no indication that they were giving
him something for which they did not
intend to pay ono cent The gift they
gave was not from these men alone,
but from the entire city.
Neither tho mayor nor people pres
ent at the meeting of the council, 9th.
er than the members themselves, knew
that the ordinance providing for the
payment Of $l09 to l.. c. Henrichsen,
and which pasesd the council without
"A dissenting vote, was for the payment
Of what was supposed to be a present
from the council TO the mayor of the
city. II provided for tho payment Of
$l00 to a local jeweler.
After the presentation OF the gift
yesterday afternoon, a reporter for the
Telegram asked for its price, and was
told by one Of the leading eouncilmen
that II cost $3.50. Then several mem
bers were asked directly IL the money
was to come from the city, or was to
be paid by the members of the council,
but all the answers were evasive. This
caused the SUSPICION that all was not
what il looked to be on the surface,
and further investigation was made to-
day.
1t was learned that L. @. Henrichsen
& Co. had sold the cut-glass punch bowl
to the eouncilmen, and those employed
in the jewelry store acknowledged that
the present had been obtained there,
but nothing regarding payment for it
would be told. Further questioning re-
suited simply in reference being made
to the city officials.
When the ordinance was looked up
II was plain that an effort was made
to hide the real use Of the money that
it appropriated. The ordinance is now
in the hands Of the mayor, and there
is a possibility that it will be left in
tho hands Of the new mayor, who will
probably veto it, and cause the members
of the old council to pay from their
own pockets the money spent by them