Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-09-30
PERSONAL PRATTLE


from foreign ports upon arrival in this
country will quickly learn that the
scale of wages here are double what
he Is receiving. II he quits, the law
requires he shall receive one.half the
wages due him, so that it is more than
probable that such crews will quit
The master must then ship crew at
the going wages Of the port he is in.
True he may discharge this crew on
arrival in foreign port, but, says Mr.
Furuseth, it will require but few years
Of this process until sailors from this
country will have preached the gospel
OF higher wages in every port in the
world. with the inevitable consequence
of increasing the scale world wide
thus equalizing the operating cost of
ships all over to the immense advan.
tage of American ships.
Taken by and large there is moth
ing in this bill to occasion the calam.
ity predictions Of the ship owners, but
much to add to the comfort of sailors
and safety to passengers and ships
at sea. For short time, it will place
the carrying trade of the Pacific in
the hands of the Japanese, but the Jap
sailors may be trusted to insist on
the wage scale of American ports as
soon as they learn that they can, so
that this trade will in short time
adjust, itself.
MUNICIPAL ECONOMY.
The elections last week showed con.
clusively that the people of the city
favor the expenditure Of 100000 for
the Wishkah river water system. The
writer believed it unnecessary at this
time, but now that the decision is
made, trusts that he was wrong and
that the public will get value for the
money in the construction of the new
system.
The result of the election proved
also that the unseemly activity of the
city officials in furthering the approval
of their plan was unnecessary. The
forming of what was practically al
campaign committee by the city coun.
Gil and employees and the working of
city officials, with city autos on elec-
ton day is practice not to be proud
of or encouraged.
| AS has been said before in these
columns, Aberdeen faces grave finan.
cial problems during the coming year,
problems which not even a modest oc.
cupation tax will solve, problems that
will demand the most rigid economy
to keep the tax levy at a bearable
rate. PAIRING down costs will have to
be the rule in every department, and
it is quite likely that the commission
form of government will be adopted
for economical reasons as we'll as for
the pointed responsibility that sys-
tenn affords.
An item of economy occurs to the
writer that is given the city council
for what it is worth: Lumber for the
repair Of plank streets and sidewalks
is used to the amount of about $4,000
annually, sum that, in my judgment
might we'll be reduced one-half or
more, together with a larger sum for
nails and labor. The practice Of the
city which repairs such streets and
sidewalks for years until they are
practically renewed, places an unjust
charge against those who have paid
or are paying for hard surfaced
streets. And the very fact that they
are so repaired causes the owners on
those streets to resist all attempts to
make such streets permanent.
If, when such streets or sidewalks
became out of order, they were closed
to traffic until repaired at the cost
of the owner, it would materially re-
duce the cost Of the street depart
ment as we'll as hasten the pavement
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