Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-18
Discovers it is Legal to Raise
City Attorneys Salary But
Not to Lower It.
ACTS IN WATER MATTER
Appoints Committee to Arrange Terms
for Taking Over the Present
Plant.

As special committee composed Of
members of the city council and of citi.
2ens from outside that body to enter
into negotiations with the Salem Water,
Power & Light Co., for an agreement
on terms for the transfer of the water
plant to the city, Mayor Sleeves, at the
council meeting last night, announced
the appointment of w. T. RigdOn, chair.
man, L. G. Minton, w. L. Cummings,
from the council, and Legene s. Barnes
and r. J. Hendricks, from the outside.
These members to choose a sixth mem.
ber
An agreement which has been enter
ed into with the company provides that
each party shall procure the services Of
a competent engineer to make an est
matc of the physical valuation of ;he
plant the two to choose third engin
eer if it is found that the two are uu-
able to agree on an estimate.
Rigdon Reluctant.
Alderman RigdOn took the chairman
ship of the committee reluctantly. May
or Sleeves insisted that he take thaE
position on the committee because the
alderman without doubt knows moro
about the long standing affair between
the city and the water company ihan
any other person in Salem. He was a
special committee of one named by
Mayor Lachmund, during his admins
tration, to deal with the company, and
while serving in that capacity held a
series of meetings in all part Of the
city to ascertain the will of the 7rOple
in regard to the methods Of procuring
the plant, whether by arbitration .:
condemnation. While the meetings were
not wholly successful because of !he
lack of interest displayed by the peO.
| pie, the sentiment shown was inclined
toward arbitration, though neither Al.
dcrman Rigdon nor Mayor Ldchmund
favored that method, preferring con-
demnation instead After this senti.
ment was shown by the people Alder
man Rigdon entered into negotiations
with the company for arbitration. En-
gneers were chosen, but combination
Of circumsta Hces forced the dropping
of the plans, and the matter was ilU'
taken up again until the incoming Of
the present administration.
Approve Attorneys Raise
An opinion from the attorney.gener.
al was produced last night by the com.
mittee on accounts and current ea.
penses purportng to show that tho
raise in the salary of City Attorney
Page from $1,000 to $500 was legal in
every respect. Along with this report
the committee recommended that fur
ther consideration of the Jones resolu.
ton, declaring void the ordinance pro-
yiding the raise be indefinitely post
poned. This was done through the
adoption Of the report, The opinion Of
the attorney.gencral declared that an
ordinance Of the city could not be
made void by resolution. City At
torney Page declined to make q ruling
on tho ordinance.
County Granted Privilege.
Upon motion by Alderman Stolz,
chairman Of the street committee the
courtesy of the floor was last night
granted to County Judge Bushey, wao
asked the council for a grant Of rrivi-
legc for the county to use the sttoets
for steam hauling outfit which is to
be purchased by the county, Permission
was granted on condition that the Buf.
falo Pitts Co., the firm from which the
outfit is to be purchased, guarantees
that the machinery will not injurc thr
streets. This was agreed to by rer.
rcscntatiyc Of the company who was
present The motion granting the PRIV,
ilcgc also provided that the city street
commissioner shall designate what
streets are to be used by the outfit
The county will buy 2i,5oO pounr
traction engine and five lOtou cas-
for hanlmg gravel on road work Il
4, was argued that the "grousers' OF
clcats on the wheels Of the drive wheels
Of the engine are 30 arranged and 4har
ed that they will not iniure hard sur
face paving. To substantiate this claim
kilograms were read from city Officials
at North Yakima and Mcdford statinl
that the engines had been used or
D.