Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-24
His Salary $21OO.
Editor Capital Journal:

Editor Capital journal:
Dear Sir: l have few suggestions
to offer in the matter of raising the
salary of the present city attorney,
which / hope may be of some little
Imefit to you in ferreting out the ex,
act status of the case, which are as fol-
lows:
A reference to the city payroll shows
that the city of Salem rays our present
city attorney $2lOO per year instead of
$500 as previously supposed. If your
editorial writer or one of your staff re.
porters will consult the city's monthly
pay rJll as conf lied by the recorder at
'ne end of each month and passed by
1.-THE common council, either at the last
meeting o. each ronth or first meeting
of that body in the succeeding month,
the PARTY consulting such records viii
nOtice that the name of ROllin X. Page
am ears twice on each pay roll, first as
Rollin X. Page, city attorney, S12J;
second, Rcllin K Page, stenograpnic
wUrk, 800. ThesA i%0 monthly tens
place the city attorney salary at SIZE
p'rmJnth or $2lOl per ear. 1t world
arso br Iciiced tia; the city recorder
ard the C'ty eng ncnr totA have consid.
eral'? s,crograUhi3 work, but neither
of the last named officials have ever
made any pretense of collecting one
single cent for that class of work in
person. These officials have placed the
names Of their stenographers on the
payroll where the citizens Of this city
may learn just who the city employs
and the amount paid for such services.
Since the city council has allowed the
city attorney the privilege Of collecting
$50 a month for stenographic work
without naming for whom the extra
$50 is for, why not allow the other city
officials the same PRIVILEGE How many
attorneys in this city with limited prac-
tice pay their stenographers $509 Since
the city has a city paid stenographer in
the city attorneys office her name
should appear on the city pay roll as a
regular employe of the city and her
work confined strictly to city work and
in no wise allowed in work connected
with private practice. Just why our
city attorney has failed to place the
name Of his stenographer on the pay
ron is a question not readily answered.
But it is the opinion that the work
connected with city attorneys office is
not of such voluminous nature as to
require the services Of a stenographer
20 days each month. A good stenogra-
pher one or two days each week would
be all the time necessary to draft all
the resolutions, ordinances and long.
winded opinions, stating, "that from
the best authorities | have at hand if
such and such were the condition of af.
fairs, then the case would be thus, "
which means nothing. However since
the city attorney has a city paid stenog,
rapher at his command all the time,
would 1t not be very good scheme if
he would get the transcript of the
South Salem sewer proceedings into the
hands Of those eastern bonding attor.
neys for an opinion. The people are
anxious to know whether or not the city
at large is to pay for the sewers or the
property owners. This is the matter
which should be brought to head be,
fore many months pass.
; If l am not very much mistaken the
mayor promised the people prior to his
election that he would put forth every
effort in his power to have this sewer
question settled Two and one.halt