East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-03-05
Commissioner StrobIe Openly En-
dorses Majority Of Board Before
Council Meeting Last Night.
STATEMENT IS UNEXPECTED
Gravity Plant "Sccond to Mona" He
Deciares-Manageme OF Project
Is Cornmended-Applause Gree&s
Speech Of New Member OF Board
Investigation Gives Facts.

Declaring that Pendleton will have
water system. second to none in the
state when the present gravity con-
tracts are completed and that the wa
ter commission. instead of being CEN
sured for the manner in which It has
done the work should be extended a
vote of thanks, Valentine Strobe. ap-
pointed few weeks ago as a COM
missioner to succeed G.. /. La Dow,
last evening came out before the coun-
Gil with open endorsement of the ma
jority commissioners and of their
management Of the gravity water pro-
5ect.
His commendation had all the more
weight for the reason that no one
knew just what his attitude toward
the water controversy was at the time
of his appointment and for the fur
ther reason that while a member Of
the council several years ago he won
the reputation of being a digger aft
er facts" His remarks last evening
were wholly unexpected BY the coun-
ell and unprecedented on his part but
at the end of his vigorous speech,
| counciimen and spectators alike burst
into applause. a demonstration very
unusual in the council chambers.
Mr.. Stroble came before the coun-
Gil on an entirely different matter.
He wished TO know what attitude the
council was taking on the proposition
of granting an exclusive privilege for
garbage crematory. Noting him in
in the audience. Mayor Matlock asked
him IL, as a member of the water COM
mission. he had anything to say be-
fore the council. He accepted the In
vitation to speak and he spoke in no
uncertain tones.
After my appointment to the wa
ter commission" he said, "it was just
like coming from darkness into light.
/ had heard and read many charges
made against the commission. One
of them was that the commission was
s3S,000 short. They never finished
saying what they meant which was
that the commission was $4,000
short of having enough money to COM
pfefe the system. The assertion they
made and which appeared in print
threw everybody off. myself included.
We thought there had been SIS, 900
stolen.
The reason that the commission
lacked $4,000 OF having sufficient
money TO complete the system was
that the plans were changed so that
concrete pipe was substituted for
wooden and anybody knows that con-
! crete costs more than wood. And I
want TO say right here that | think
the commissioners made a wise In
vestment when they made that
| change
Since my appointment | have gone
| all over the system and have investi-
! gated all of the work and / want to
say that when it is finished the city
of Pendleton will have water system
! second to none in the state.
Il went up to Thorn Hollow TO ex-
anime that slough from which one o,
the papers said the commission was
taking water. | found the slough al
right but | also found good sized
spring on that side of the track and
II was above the slough Anyway
this spring is to be used only for
emergency needs and during tho
greater part of the year viii not be
needed. | believe the water Is good wa-
ter and that 1t is 80 per cent better
than the water We get from our pres
ent supply during July
Il also investigated Or. Best,
charges that Engineer Kelsey had
been paid too much money lie said
he had already been paid $4,000 and
still had money coming. am no
lawyer but | have common sense. ThS
records show that Mr. Kelsey was en-
titled to extra money for extra work
and that an extra payment was made
to him last spring. Or. Best was at
the meeting and he didn't Kick Ifn
has made all kinds OF assertions bur
he had access TO the records and
could have got the proof II there va-
any. There wasn't. know what I
am talking about. am speaking
facts and not assertions without
; proof
II have looked everything over ant
. have examined the worh thoroughly