Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-03-28
MAYOR TO HAVE
FIRST ASSISTANT
j. 0. (Jack) Eldridge Named
Private Secretary to City's
Chief Executive.
TO AID PURCHASING BOARD
Simmons Helper Also VIII
Serve Park Department;
Takes April /.
TO AID PURCHASING BOARD

Believing a newspaper man most
capable to assist in the transaction Of
certain of the constantly increasing
executive affairs of his office, Mayor
John IL. simmons yesterday formally
announced the appointment OF j. o.
Eldridge. well-known young Tulsa re-
porter, TO the position of private sec
retary to the mayor and to an i'm
portant role with two other municipal
departments. The appointment is cf-
fcctiVe April /.
The mayors new secretary, famil-
iarly known as Jack" Eldridge, has
for the past year made" the city hall
for Tulsa newspapers. Experience
gained in his daily ROUNDS of the
municipal ofties. together with the
natural instinct and warranted con
findcnCes placed in the newspaper
man. were instrumental in the mayors
appointment of Eldrdge.
To Serve Park Board.
In addition to his duties as cXecu-
tive secretary TO the mayor Eldrldge
will serve in like capacity for the
municipal park board and for new
city purchasing board whose two
other members are yet to be ap-
p
board and largely confined to the of-
forts of the mayor and his secretary,
all municipal purchases Will be
thoroly probed and all possible bar
gain prices sought in order TO save the
taxpayers vast sums OF money an
nually.
The purchasing board as outlined
by the mayor will consist of the secrc-
tarv and two other members, with the
r1na of In a1 1trfs
pacity. The additional members will
be appointed from the ranks of pres
ent city officials, ana their selection
Will be made public within few
days.
Take Off Detail Work.
"The appointment of a secretary
and general assistant with consider
able knowledge Of civic affairs will
relieve me of large amount of detail
work" Mayor Simmons said last night.
Tulsa, as the fastest growing city of
sixty thousand population in the
country. has municipal problems as
stupendous as usually are found in
city of many times this size. AS tho
city has made her phenomcal growth.
duties of my office have continued
to increase until it became necessary
to obtain additional competent help.
| consider a newspaper man most
happily situated for this line of work
To Save by Being Careful.
Thru the new purchasing board
still in its infancy, the city will save
thousands of dollars thru careful buy
ing. We will not take a jobber or a
manufacturers prices on the strength
OF his first proposition nor listen too
much to the war price talk. We will
investigate prices of rival jobbers and
compare notes with other cities. A pur-
chasing agent for the city of Tulsa is
for more essential than for some of
the great oil corporations which place
so much stress on such an important
/ department.
AS secretary to the mayor Eldridge
VIII serve as an assistant member of
the park board in compiling data and
statistics concerning the 100000
park and boulevard project to be con-
structed this year, with other inn
portant detail work. A portion Of the
new secretary's compensation will be
derived from funds of the park board.
Eldrldge's appointment is in line
with action taken by the chief eXecu-
tlves of other large cities in selecting
newspaper man for private secre-
tary. The appointment announced
yesterday was made largely on the
strength of recommendations by Tulsa
newspaper men, members of the muni-
cipal park board and the Endorsement
of the mayor and other city officials
familiar with Eldridge's service as a
city hall reporter