East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-11-27

AANA"a't 4A many ways puI wafer
commissioners have known the defects +!
of our water system better than have
other people and those men have
striven earnestly during Il five years !
fight to obtain good. pure water foi
this city. They have desired TO secure !
a supply of water such as would pro
tect the health and happiness of the |
men and women and the children and
babies of Pendleton. In making their
fight for mountain water the water
commissioners have had the oppo-
istion of some tightwad citizens who
think more of dollars than of human
lives. They have had the opposition
of crafty lawyers and of certain 9TH !
ers who have fought gravity water for
reasons that have never been clearly
explained They have had the op-
pos tion ot the electric company which
now pumps the city water and gets
S35O0 year for that work. In that
fight our water commissioners have
had to stand for every variety of abuse.
Misrepresentation and yillificauon-
But they have gone through the fight
untarnished and their good work has
not been questioned by any RESPONSE
BILE person. 1t is well known that the
work on the new system is being done
well and that the contracts let have
been at reasonable prices. There is
not an iota of evidence that the board
has committed a single dishonest act
at any time. But there is good evil
dence from impartial business men
to the effect the work is proceeding
satisfactorily and that Pendleton has
reason to be proud of the situation.
Therefore every consideration of good
sense and fair play calls for keeping
the water board in power until it COM
pletes its work.
The new charter is drafted so as to
abolish the water board at once II the
charter carries. That provision was
put there to humiliate and discredit
the water commissioners and there
could have been no other reason for
such action. The charter provision
IS furthermore dangerous because il
the charter carries no one knows what
will happen to the gravity water sys-
tenn. 1t might be delayed or abandon
ed. The project would fall into the
hands of men now unknown and they
might prove disciples of those who
preach that Pendleton's public ex-
penditures should be brought to halt.
If the women of Pendleton want to
sustain the men VINO have fought and
worked for the advancement of Pen
dleton and for the good health Of the
women and children of this town; II
they want to uphold the forces OF
progress and rebuke those who argue
4OI anu uSCdy tiiSy
vote next Monday to sustain the wa
ter board and to reject the new char |!
ter.
Having been accused by a bevy Of
local lawyers including Col. Raley,
Judge Lowell, S.
Now What is the A. Newberry and |
supp orting the
water commission for mer-
cenary reasons the East Oregonian |
promptly replied with an affidavit,
and other statements showing the ut
ter falseness of the charge
Now let US have some sworn infor-
nation from our legal quartet that as
sumes to manage the destinies of the
city of Pendleton and has been very
free with unfair insinuations against
this newspaper.
At the time the proposed commission
charter was drafted how many Of
those lawyers were in the employ OF
the Pacific Power & Light Co, of the
old Byers mill owners or of other
parties having interests affected by
the charter making work. How much
money has Col. Raley received at
times for his work for the ell
ectric company and from the former
owners of the Byers mill who opposed
a gravity water system for Pendleton? ?
Has Judge Lowell not served one or
both of those corporations as an at
torney? Does the relation Of attor
ney and client exist now between the
fudge and the electric company? Did
not Col Raley and T.. r. johnson
represent clients interested in paving
suits that were underway while this
charter was being drafted or just be-
fore that time? How much did they
receive for such services? Why was
the reassessment clause thrown out OF
the commission charter? When that
clause was cast aside were the lawyers
on that committee serving the people
of Pendleton or serving private ell
entsp