The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-17
THOMSON GIVEN LARGE SALARY
TO INDUCE HIM TO REMAIN
IN SEATTLE.
City Engineer Said to Weld a Big
Stick Over Queen City
CounciImen. q


Thompson, who was employed by Wal
la Walla to figure out some way to
give the residents of this city a better
water supply:
City Engineer Thomson is to get
a raise in salary next year. An ordi-
nance to that effect is already drafted
and is in the hands of the finance COM
mittee. Mr.. Thomson is the only en-
gineer in the United States that can
do the work here-or at least so he
thinks-and he has forced the coun-
cilmen to give him more money or he
will run away somewhere else and
work. Also he issued the ultimatum
some time ago that if the city did not
pay his expenses to Europe ne would
be real displeased' and would not play
in Seattle's back yard any more. He
would go to Portland, or Los Angeles.
or New York, or somewhere where he
would not have to speak to Seattle any
more for long, long time.
News of the way in which Mr.. Thorn
son has forced the councilmen into his
way of thinking regarding financial
matters has just leaked out. Hereto
fore the information has been held ex-
clusively by Mr.. Thomson and six of
the city fathers.
Some months ago, Mr.. Thomson Sc
cured an offer from Los Angeles to go
there as consulting engineer for the
city at a salary of $4,000 a year. Also
Portland made him an offer of a job
as city engineer at $4,000 a year. Incl
dentally a private corporation in the
vicinity of New York made him an
offer that beat either of these. These
at least are the statements Mr. Thorn
son holds over the heads of the city
dads just as Mr.. Roosevelt holds the
big stick over some diminutive coun-
tries near the equator. Thomson only
receives $4,000 a year here. He wants
more money and ne also had yearn-
ing to visit Europe and see what the
ancient cities of the old world did
with their garbage.
Frightened CounciImen AwfuIIy.
few weeks before the trip was
definitely decided upon there was
meeting of the civil service and salary
committee of the council. 1t was an
executive session and the dear public
were excluded. At the meeting Mr.
Thomson played his big trump card.
He told the frightened councilmen
of the offers he mad received from
other places. He told them that he
wanted to go abroad and carefully ex-
anime garbage plants and things like
that. He told them that he was aw-
fully valuable to the city of Seattle,
for without him there would be no one
to run the entire city government. He
UoAy AiIpA SooCo tLC COuIlClIllcu anu
then told them that he wanted a raise
in salary
Under the law, he could not be raised
at that time. He could only receive an
increase in salary after his term had
expired and he received notice Of his
reinstatement. He was asked if he
would consent to carry the burdens
of the city government for another
term providing he got mis- $4,000 here
after January, 1906. He said he would
upon one consideration.
Il want to go to Europe" said Mr..
Thomson. There is plenty of gar
bage there and a whole lot of garbage
plants. America has not nearly the
amount of diversified garbage as has
Europe. Therefore 1 would visit Eu-
rope.
Il think that it will cost $4,000 for me
to go. Now, if you will give me
raise in salary Of $140O a year and pay
my way to Europe, will consent to
stay with you a while longer and see
that Seattle don't go to pieces for want
of a guiding hand. 1t is up to you. I
throw this out as merely suggestion.
Go to it,
Before the meeting adjourned the
committee decided that Mr.. Thomson
must stay here. They appreciated the
fact that there were no other civil en-
gineers in the northwest. So they
voted to raise his salary. They also
agreed to pay his expenses to Europe.
So Mr. Thomson went.
Now the city engineer of Seattle is
gazing at plain American garbage
plants in the effete east. He will be
home soon and comes back with a
knowledge that in the safekeeping of
the chairman of the finance committee
is an ordinance giving him more salary.
Mr.. Thomson is very, very much in
demand. He often takes a week or so
off at big fee to help out Walla Walla
and other Washington cities on their
op1;poaripo prohIouos