Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-12
SHED SOME LIGHT ON 1T.

COUNCILMAN RIGDON yesterday
handed The Capital Journal a
letter written by bonding firm
in Chicago to City Attorney Page,
which explains why the council sub
mitted its bond issue to an Eastern
firm Of lawyers for their opinion as to
the legality of the issue, etc, for the
use and information of bidders. This
letter explains that Eastern bond
brokers and buyers, insisted on hay
ing the legal opinion Of lawyers whom
they knew, at least by reputation, and
that the opinion Of Salem's city attor.
ney, or, for that matter, any other
Western attorney of whom they knew
nothing, wouNl not be satisfactory to
them. This point is well taken, and
The Capital Journal, in commenting
upon that transaction, freely conceded
the correctness of the city council
getting the opinion of some such firm.
There has been no difference Of opin-
ion on that subject. But this letter,
instead Of being an argument favor
able to an increase Of the city attor-
neys salary, is, If 1t applies to the
matter at all, an argument against
such raise, for 1t shows that the
city attorneys opinion, whether Mr..
Pages or any other lawyers, in that
position, would not be worth cent to
those bond buyers. But this case has
nothing whatever to do with the mat
ter of raising the city attorneys sal
ary from $1,000 year to $500. Surely
neither Mr.. Rlgdon nor any other
councilman will claim that the, $500
year was added to the city attor-
ney's salary because Eastern bond
buyers would not be willing to accept
his opinion as being correct.
The records show that the ordinance
was prepared and introduced by City
Attorney Page" This is the substance
OF the Endorsement on the back Of the
ordinance placed there as required by
law. Yet We can hardly see how this
could be wholly true, for It Is i'm
possible to understand how any one
not councilman could introduce
bill The natural inference Is that II
was introduced at the request Of the
city attorney, not by him. However
that may be, It appearing that the in
creased salary was asked for by MIR.
Page, and the great majority Of Sa-
lem's citizens desiring enlightenment
upon the subject, and wanting to
know why the Increase was asked, and
also why II was not asked before his
reappolntment to the office, instead
of almost Immediately after such ap-
pointment II is fairly up to him to
give them the desired information. At
the same time It is up to the coun-
cilmen to explain their part Of the
transaction In granting the increase.
Mr.. Page Is not to blame for asking
increased compensation for his work.
That is his privilege, his right, but the
peculiar manner OF accepting re-
appointment to the office, without ask
ing for an Increase Of salary, and the
immediate demand for more pay 80
soon as the grasp on the office was
secure Is the thing that needs eX-
planning, both by the city attorney and
the councIlmen The sidctracklng Of
this issue and the substituting Of the
matter Of paying those Eastern law
ycrs $500 or more for an opinion on
bonds explains nothing, and deceiyes
no one. The people Of Salem are not
tight-wads. II the work demanded Of
the city attorney is reasonably worth
$500, they are not going to kick about
Il They want to pay for this as for
all other services rendered the city,
what those services are reasonably
worth, neither more nor less. That is
why they want to know about this sal
AIRY raise. II II can be shown the
work IL worth II then there Is an end
20 all question about It. But II must