Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-04-13
EUGENE REVOLVING.
CONTINUED from Page H.

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valuation and who are now notified
that they will hereafter be assessed
at a full cash value. The time has
come when the people want some
thing for their money. Since con-
ditions show so palpably that no
beneficial results have been had
from the already enormous sums Of
money spent by the city, the people
are wondering where the money
went that it brought so little return.
This demand to know where the
money is going has resulted in fore
/ ing a resolution through the city
council to expert the books. 1t has
/ been said that some of the newly
elected councilmen are to delay
qualifying for office until the books
are exported and a statement made
of the financial conditions. Whether
or not the people will be satisfied
with the showing of the citys ex-
penditures and will commend the
action of the administration remains
to be seen after the findings of the
experts.
The most important question to
be answered by the administration
before the public bar is the under
| taking to install an electric power
plant on the Mckenzie river east Of
Eugene. The project has been un-
derway for a long time, thousands
of dollars have been spent and the
plant is yet far from completion. The
estimated cost now appears to have
been far below what it will actually
cost to complete the plant and
serve the city with light and power.
Competent engineers estimate that
the city will have expended when
the plant is ready for operation not
less than 100000, to say nothing
of the enormous outlay for main
tenance, depreciation, etc. This
lighting scheme, conceived under
the present administration, was sup
posed to be installed for something
over 100000. 1t is now seen that
100000 will be nearer the actual
cost of installation alone. After
operation, the upkeep has to be
figured out and the wear and tear
on the machinery and wire lines. To
release the city from the payment of
some $1,000 per month to the local
fighting corporation, and-so it is
intimated-to give vent to some pet
ty vengeance, the opposition munici-
pal plant was proposed and put un-
derway. Under present conditions
the city gets a 24-hour service, has
no responsibility, and no mainten-
ance or depreciation to pay for.
When the new plant is once in
operation the city has in addition TO
the first cost of the power plant, the
maintenance thereof, which will
prove an item of considerable magni-
tude. The whole scheme is SO
chimerical that one heavy taxpayer
likens it to a man who wears a
$4,000 button on a ten cent shirt.
To save a city expense bill for
lighting and pumping water for city
mains of $1,000 per month the city
is expending about 100000, the
interest on which would pay the
present bills. Can the city afford TO
invest this enormous amount to save
paying $1,000 per month to a local
concern? That is a much mooted
question being asked.
The whole plan of operation has
been so questionable that opposition
would naturally be expected. When
the plan was first introduced 1t may
be said that there was some influence
felt from cooperative headquarters
but that is past history. The pres
ent management has taken no hand
in fostering opposition in any way
Yet, when the last election was held
the administration trumped up the
charge, for want of something BET
ter that the local corporation was
} fighting the administration.
In reality there was no issue. The
) administration dragged this mouldy
corpse from the mummery to give
} some semblance to the election. Tha'
: the people knew there was no reaI
issue is easily seen in the election re-
turns. Not even one-third of the
voters got out to vote and no one
cared very much who was elected
The "vindication" of the city ad'
, ministration showed its strength
when one of it's candidates was
J elected by three votes and another
by six, with less than half of the
wards voting. The election was OF
: little consequence in the light of the
: oncoming demand for explanation
from the administration.
J The "vindication" of the city ad'
mlnistration is also seen in the peo'
pie voting down the s150.000 bond
issue recently asked for by over
. !