East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-11-08


Has DIR. James A. Best been using
his position as member OF the city
water commission for his own profit?
Has he been taking advantage of his
office to make the work on the grav-
ity water system yield him financial
returns? L. E. Button, member OF
the firm of jeffrey & Button who
have the contract for building the new
reservoirs of the gravity system and
the east end of the conduit, declares
emphatically that he has. and re-
counts the story of transactions
which makes it appear that the ply
sician-com missioner acted in a man
ner that Ill becomes a city official.
Mr. Button charges that DR.. Best
sent up four OF his own horses for
use on the reservoir work without in
vitation. later purchased and sent up
four more horses and demanded that
he be paid straight time" for their
use. though all other teamsters were
being paid by the amount Of their
haul The contractor declares the
commissioner held out promises OF
extension of time on the contract.
and. later, threatened him with pros
ecution for violating the eight-hour
law If he did not allow the straight
time" and also threatened TO make
him live up to the letter" OF the
contract
Mr.. Button declares he refused to
be a party to what he characterizes
as a petty graft" and dismissed the
then. he declares. he has received di-
rect and indirect threats of prosecu-
ton and of being made to live up to
the letter OF his contract. I expec;
to be made TO live up to the letter
of my contract" ne said in speaking
of the incident. "and there are two
inspectors on the job to see that
do. but / object to being subjected to
unnecessary annoyance simply be-
cause I would not stand for little
graft" >
Tells His story.
Street rumors to the effect that pr.
Best had sought to profit by his Of
flee through the Button contract have
been in circulation for some days past
and yesterday afternoon representa-
tive of the East Oregonian requested
Mr.. Button for the basis OF the re-
ports. The contractor declared he
was willing to tell what he knew.
shortly after | came here and
while was making preparations for
the commencement of operations. Or.
Best stopped me and asked me wheth-
er or not l had all of my teams.
TanliaH that Z ha - - a.
ed me that he would send two teams
to the job on the following morning
1t did not seem quite right to me az
that time for commissioner TO be
sending his own horses on the work.
but I entered no objection The
horses were good ones and gave in
strucuons that they should be re-
quired to do as much work as any
of the other teams
Some time later Dr Best purchas-
ed four more head of horses and sent
them up on the job | had been al
lowing them 50 cents yard Just as
was allowing the other teams. At
first there was some DELAY In getting
out the gravel and that cut down tho
hauling little Then DR. Best noti-
fled me that he would expect straight
tim" for his teams Of $3.50 a day FOR
a four horse team. / did not say
whether I would u- whether | would
not and evidently wishing 20 impress
his point upon me- he called me up
to his office few days later and
again notified me OF his expectations
In the matter OF payment telling mo
at the time that nobody hut ourselves
need to know OF tho arrangement
AT this time ! told him that hs
was doing himself an injustice ana
making things harder for me. Every
one OF my teamsters are sore at you
now. ! told him for they resent a
member OF the commission putting
his horses on the job when there are
regular teamsters waiting for work
| They watch me constantly % see that
do not favor your horses More
over I told him. that had heard a
good many criticisms OF hts action
and warned him that hc was hurting
| himself and doing himself an injus-