Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-07
POSTPONED ELECTION
OF POLICE MATRON
UNTIL next MEETING
Council Consumes Much Time
with WrangIe Over Raise
Of Salaries

That opposition exists for the posi-
tion of the office of police matron was
brought out at the council meeting last
night when two petitions for the office
were received and a recommendation Of
one of the applicants by Chief of Po-
lice FOland was read. The two contes-
tants are Mrs. S. j. Dorsey, present
matron, and Mrs. Myra Shank. The rec
ommendation of the chief of police ia
vored Mrs. Shank.
After some discussion Alderman Rig
don moved that the applications be
acted upon at once and get the matter
out of the road. Alderman johnson, who
together with Rigdon had been appoint
ed as special committee to see the
school board relative to the proposition
of combining the office of truant Off
Ger and police matron, said he and Mr..
Rigdon had been to see the board but
that the board had put them off and
said it would appoint committee to
meet with them. MIR. johnson stated
that was the last he has ever heard of
it. Mr.. Rigdon expressed himself as of
the opinion there was no use waiting
any longer and keeping things up in
the air. His motion to act upon the mat
ter at once carried and ballots were
prepared for the voting.
Just about this time the council dis
covered it was out of order and would
have to postpone the balloting until
another matter was attended to. After
said matter was duly disposed Of the
question of selecting police matron
lra In 10 lnfafVni
however, some reactionary back firing
antics had taken place in the brain OF
Alderman Simeral and he moved that
the election of matron be postponed till
another meeting. lie was called upon to
give his reasons and stated he thought
1t would be well to wait little longer
to see if the two offices could be con-
solidated. On second consideration the
majority of the council thought the
same way, and his motion to postpone
carried by vote Of to 4.
Reconsiders Salary Raise
| Ala ,rman johnson introduced reso-
| luton that the matter of salaries OF
unofficial officers of the city be placed
| in the hands of the committee ON ac-
counts and current expenses, said COM
mittee to revise such salaries and make
, out an equitable scale OF wages to be
! received by the employees OF each de-
partment. Motion carried unanimously.
Slmeral then moved that tine council
reconsider its action at the last session
when it raised the salaries OF the en-
ployes of the street department and LETT
1.-THE salaries of the members OF the other
departments unchanged, and place the
wages of the street employees back on
the old schedule. Alderman Elliott, OF
the street committee, arose and sald
he strongly disapproved OF the action
lie SAID TWO of tine employees OF the de-
partment had already quit because the
council had delayed SO long IN raising
their wages to where they were at pre-
sent, ana asserted that If the council
went ahead and lowered the wages again
half the force would quit and the street
department would be demoralized. AL
derman Mcclellan said that this thing
of each department getting up at every
meeting and attempting to have the
wages of it's own particular department
raised without regard to the wages OF
other departments was becoming joke
and he would like to see it stopped. He
questioned whether Simeral was pres
ent at the last meeting when previous
action on the street department had
been taken. Simeral asserted he was
present. johnson moved that resolution
to raise said wages be not adopted
Chairman Unruh stated the resolution
had been already adopted at the last
meeting and asked johnson just what
he meant. Mayor Keyes then started to
make a hasty explanation to Johnson
and Alderman Wilson, with q mischev-
ious grin, moved that all consideration
of the ordinance be indefinitely post
poned and the wages put back to their
old schedule. The motion carried to
IL.
! Alderman Elliott took the floor i'm
mediately and asserted that he wished
to be relieved of all further responsl-
bility and connection whatever with the
street department. Life IS too short u
give your hard work and time to the
city's business and then come up hers
and have this kind of work go on,
he said. 81 am out Of it, completely
and altogether"
Mayor Keyes took the floor and adj
ministered oil to the troubled waters.
He stated that Elliott and the stree
committee had cut down the help and
expense of their department and had
worked hard and faithfully at their du-
ties and that he did not think the eoun'
ell had done the right thing. Elliott was
firm at the close of the meeting that
he "was done with it".
Paving Company Protests
A communication from the Montague
ntrln;ll.. 10 NJ rnrnr tn Ahn effnct that