East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-07-25
Decision Which Removes
Bruin Affects At Least Half
the City's Employees.
ALL CONCEDE THE JOKE
Is NOT UPON MAYOR LANE.
There Is Great Scurrying for Cover
and Hustling to Protect Jobs
Greatest Political Opportunity Ever
Put Before Mayor of Portland
Believed Lane VIII Reappoint Bru-
in, (for 80 Days. Giving Him OPP
portunity to Take Examination for
Permanency.

The municipal machinery of Port
land has ben thrown into turmoil by
the decision of Judge Frazier, remov-
ing Captain Patrick Bruin, of the city
detective force, on the ground that he
had not taken the civil service exam
ination according to law.
At least half of the city employees,
some of them among the most capa-
Bile and Trustworthy will be affected
by the decision, and there is now a
wholesale hurrying to cover, in order
to protect jobs and secure reappoint-
mepts under proper conditions.
The Evening Telegram describes the
situation in Portland as follows:
Judge FraZer's decision yesterday,
declaring the appointment of Patrick
Bruin as captain of police illegal in
the custer proceedings brought
against the officer by Oskar F. Isak-
son, has thrown the different city de-
partments into n condition bordering
on panic.
At least half of the employees of the
city are affected. Not a department
has escaped. and among the worried
ones are many men holding RESPONSE
BILE positions. and II they are ousted
1t will be a difficult matter to fill
their positions. The fire department,
water department, street cleaning and
sprinkling department city engineer
ing department, city auditors depart
ment. will all lose a large number of
men if the mayor starts out to WELD
the big snickersnee which the courts
ruling put in his hands.
Mayor Lane was reticent when ask
ed if he intended making a wholesale
attack on the employees of the city af-
fected by the ruling of the court. He
only smiled and remarked:
"Just wait and see. I have not yet
secured a list OF names of the en-
ployes affected"
Isakson Is Hit, Too.
Oskar F. Isakson was also appoint
ed illegally, as notice OF his original
examination was not posted the re-
Quired time. His appeal on his dis
missal from the department for as
saulting petty officers of the warships
while in the harbor will come up for
hearing tomorrow, but in view of the
fact that he brought the custer pro-
ceedings, which has precipitated the
present turmoil, he may not be per-
mitted a hearing He declared this
morning that he was sorry the case
had been decided on this point.
May Retain Bruin.
It is anticipated that Bruin will be
retained as captain of police. All
that would be necessary would be for
the police commission to appoint him
temporarily to the position because a
vacancy exists, and there is no elig1-
BILE list. Then an examination could
be called and he could take it. and II
he succeeded in passing would be on
the list for reappointment.
Judge Frazer granted 10 days time
this morning to Captain Bruin in
which % apply for n new trial or for
a rehearing in his case, but 1t has not
been decided by his attorneys wheth-
er q new trial will be demanded nor
an appeal taken, as they believe the
easiest way out of IT is for the mayor
to appoint Bruin temporarily for 80
days and in the meantime he can
take another examination.
"For q mayor who likes justice and
who is fond of joke, this decision OF
Judge Frazer's is one Of the greatest
opportunities that has ever come to
a mayor of Portland" said city Of
fetal who is a close friend of Mayor
Lane. this morning.
"Judgc Frazer has taken Captain
Bruir from the mayor, but has plac-
ed @ sharp two-edged sword in his
hands to WELD as he pleases. No
doubt he will do 1t, and the result will
be that a large number of the en-
ploycs of the city will soon find them
selves without positions.