Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-19
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Editor Capital journal: l noticed in
your paper Of January Is inst, an ar
ticle entitled "Tne Turner Knocker 3
Prayer" and had it not been signed
"a Citizen Of Turner" | should have
thought it originated from some in
mate Of the insane asylum, for it does
not contain facts that would apply to
any one that | know of in Turner (un-
less, possibly, it might apply to the
writer), but as he is ashamed to sign
his name, am unable to judge in this
respect. However, there are some insin-
uatiens which deserve answering; First,
in regard TO the electric lights. We had
q council that was going to contract
with Balfour, Guthrie & Co. for q
street lamps at a price we thought ex.
orbitant, and by kicking" we got rs
lights for the same money. | ask you
who was he friends of the city of Tur.
ner in this transaction2 And now in
regard to the water system, know OF
no better way than to recite the whole
transaction up to the present tinl4i
that the public may know just what is
being done;
Now, about year ago, the council
lcalled citizens meeting for the pur'
pose Of discussing the advisability ol
putting in water system, and we nat
lurally supposed that the different sys
TENS would be discussed on their mer
its, but when we got there we found
the council had got lawyer to draw
Iup an ordinance something less than 9
mile long (tor which we understand thej
lpaid $25), formulating plan for bring
ling in spring some two miles distant
building large reservoir near thu
lspring, and bringing the water to thu
city in wooden pipes, and any one wht
would suggest any other system "a
method was branded as fighting tn,
water system; tney told the people tha
they could bond the town for $l0,00I
and pay II in 80 years, without it cost
ing the people one cent, and on tn,
lstrength Of this assertion and the ns
Bertion "that IL meant either this plaI
or else that r. b. Grey q Co woult
be given franchise for private waite
system (neither of which assertion
were true), they carried the day TO
bonding with large majority. Blu
they told the people that the sprni
furnished from rs to 30 gallons of wa
ter per minute, and that IL did not VAR
summer or winter; but in May II wa
measured and only furnished 65 gallons
later 35 gallons, and was measured sey
eral times in August and September
waen IL only run from 10 TO 90 gal
Ions, and while their engineer made th
statement that he measured II some
time In September "and that as nea
as he could remember IL run near A
gallons, He would not give exact fis
uros or date, but he did say "that b
would not say whether there was waite
enough in the spring TO supply the tow
or not, but would leave that TO on
own Judgment, as there were either
who nad measured the spring oftene
, than he had in the dry season. Now
when the spring got 80 weak we SUI
posed that the council had given tn
matter up as o bad Job, until the ad
verti4ement for bids appeared In tn
paper, stating that bidders must 10 (,
the engineer s office in Portland TO Sc
the specifications, and as the advertise
ment only run for week any one no
seeing the ad for few days wou
not have time to get the informatio
d, required, unless ne lived in Portland
and there were three different partic
J asked the council for 10 days NOR
time, and some Of us went to the cour
eli meeting the night the bids were t
be opened to try To- persuade them /
wait, but we were not permitted TO sa
a word until they thought they ha
einched the bargain, and then the mayo
told M TO crack our whip, and that
why the injunction was filed Now, tn
council tried for ncalry six months /
sell the bonds, hut could not FOR III
reason that there was not suffieier
preparation for the payment Of then
and 10 they struck d chance TO dei
3 with the Dennis Construction compan
q OF Portland. whereby the company wa
Al d. 40 a. ti4.a "a "a