St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1907-02-15
Mr.. THORMOYKE
Gives a Detailed Story Of His
Official Career.

|
perused by the reader, of great
value.
Nearly every day the questions
are asked of me, "What has become
of all the money paid into the city
treasury Why is it that when
$4,000 for license alone was paid
to you there is now no money with
which to pay legitimate debtsl"
When the reasons are explained in
a brief manner a disdainful smile
creeps over the face of the ques-
toner, and he turns away fully
convinced that there is a vein of
this much reputed graft running
through the entire story.
II certainly does seem odd that
with the income shown on the
books of the city there should be
now the condition existing which
precludes the possibility Of settling
claims constantly being made by a
city that is growing at rapid rate.
Had the present administration
commenced business with a clean
slate, with no debts long created
crying for immediate settlement,
there would have been a handsome
surplus at this time, and every sal
AIRY, every improvement, every
claim would have been promptly
settled.
But IL was not such a condition
that confronted the present admin
istration. There were old claims
against the City of st. Johns,
backed up by warrants legally
issued, TO the amount of SII72.I2;
these warrants were drawing inter
est aud II was the general desire OF
those concerned TO take up these
warrants as rapidly as possible,
stop the interest. and wipe out the
debt. OF that SIi22.I2 there has
been paid by this administration a
total of ss75L4i (besides the
accrued INTEREST," leaving balance
of sf5oo.6S yet unpaid
This report is authentic, as the
entire matter was properly exported |
by an efficient accountant aud can
he sworn to, IL necessary.
l, might be well to suggest righ,
here that IL the reader labors under
the impression that city OF 1000
people can be governed aud
handled as chcaply as a town of
100 (the size Of ~. Johns in i9oo)
any farther pursuit Of this article
will be useless. For, despite the
OF any sort OF govern
men,, unless the people take suili.
rient interest to investigate and
all matters, that same
may be wrongly aud
accused by the masses:
md when once the mind is biased
much proof must he submitted
before a change is wrought.
Almost the first thing | did upon
aking possession OF this office,
April 7, 1900, was To draw war.
ants ior the salaries OF mos, of the
,iiiccrs whose terms expired about
hat time. Those that drew
made total of s6S5; while already
here had been issued through the ,
assistance Of the justice court war.
ants To the amount of SI5II.6S. 1
About the next thing that did ,
vas To draw warrant (No. 274) I
or xISI7.So as first payment {
lpon the site for a city hall. frac- I
ional block (one) James Johns |
\ddition, OF this amount $500 ,
vas principal, and $3.50 interest g
Ipon the purchase price of $500. 4
On August y, 1900, | drew war \
ant No. 1891 in favor OF the ST. :
ohns Water Company for s37S; 5
his was for rent of the fire hy- a
rants as far back as February )
9oS. The taxes upon the city a
amounting TO S2s, IS were !,
aid in June, aud during the year y
I 30. 90 for charity. !,
The fire bell cost the city SIS2.- h
o, the ST. Johns Lumber Co. do n
ating the lumber for the tower, @
ose and sundries for the fire
apartment amounted to s+IS.os. n
The cost in the circuit court n
egarding the injunction in the @
iayes street matter amounted to a
SLSs, which was paid. A disin- /,
'e,ing apparatus, together with 5,
'ock OF the best formaldehyde, n
as been bought for SSI,a -, includ- Q,
X transportation charges, SI67.- Il
, has been paid by the city for the OF
pair OF the streets, (some lumber G,
Ills not yet paid,) sewer improve =
Ients for the fractional city block h,
mounted to so, SO, chairs for coun- N
] chamber S2S,7S, freproof docu- 50
ent file, and bonding lien docket h,
loSIS, The election expenses
mounted to s5o.5S, 50
The printing bills allowed were b,
follows; Warrants No. los, No
'Io,9S; No. 40, for legal work, No
,S.9S; No. III, job work, $7s.2s; 81,
o, aa7, job work this year, 500; pi
o, 1887, calls for bids on bond, 1a
dinanees and the like, s73; No, IN
W, printing for the board of In
'alth, sI7,Ia; making a total for ha
c almost two years allowed of m
+7927, IN
Warrants were issued to the city ar
gineer, w, w. Goodrich, for sb
lscellaneous work as follows: No.
3, examining lower building $40;