Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-02-22
Joke toBri1g
Cases to City
Court, Claim
Jurors Are Scored at
Meeting of Council;
Bill Aimed at Truck
Men Brings Storm


verbal storm among Salem alder
men that metaphorically rocked the
council chamber. None of the city
fathers sought shelter from the
clouded atmosphere, in the cellar
possibly because the cellar held no
hope of liquidation"
Endorsement by Alderman Utter
of the bill hich would provide Tor
punishment of Violators of the law
in the disposal of drugs brought
Councilman Vandervort to his feet
in Indignation. DR.. Utter had said
that he favored the ordinance be-
cause it would bring local law
breakers into the city court and
that the city would consequently be
benefited by any fine which might
be imposed.
"Inposslble to Convict"
at is utterly useless to pass any
more ordinances" Mr.. Vandervort
declared. 1T is a joke to bring law
breakers into the city court. With
the present jury list it is impossible
to convict anybody The chief of
police goes out and gets law viola
tors, but when the!S are brought to
trial they are acquitted,
Before the recent cigarette
case camet trial | went to "A Ger
tain prominent attorney in Salem
with a view to getting his assist.
ance for City Attorney Smith, He
laughed at me. I'll clear any man
YOU bring up--with that jury list
he said. Why, gentlemen, it's a
joke"
Verbal Shafts Hurled.
The drug ordinance was passed
following it's third reading how
ever, Mr.. aYndervort voting mo"
DR.. Utter and Mr.. Vandervort
lead the opposition to two bills for
ordinances, introduced by Council
man Wanderoth, which have for
their purpose the licensing OF
trucks tnd hotels, respectively, and
which brought forth another storm
at the meeting.
This councilmen," said DR.. Ut
ter, pointing to Mr.. Wenderoth, sis
a good scout, but he's too strong
for getting money. If we keep leg
islating to get money from every
available source, we're going to
hurt this CITY,"
Build Fence Around City,"
Dr. Utter was followed by Mr..
Vandervort.
DO you know how much these
truck men make?" he asked Mr..
Wenderoth. Il am told that they
are scarcely keeping up. The mer-
chants they owrk for are making
good profits all right, but the truck
men aren't You drove them Off
the street, and now you want to IL
cense them"
Following a brief exchange of
views among the aldermen, Mr..
Vandervort again addressed the
chair:
Il wish to amend that BILL" he
said, land have the Spaulding COM
pany build fence around the en-
tire city of Salem so that nobody
can come in" Mayor Halvorsen
knocked a small patch of varnish
Off his desk.
you are out of order, Mr.. Van
dervort," he said. The bill was re-
ferred to the ordinace committee.
Following this disposition Alder
man A. f. Marcus got to his feet.
Marcus Takes Fling.
81 know why Mr.. Vandervort is
against the truck BILL" he observ-
ed. "Mr. Vandervort has been
hauling sheep"
"I've got to haul sheep at night
in order to pay my taxes" Mr..
shot back.
Inability Of the councllmen OF
agree on the time limit for an in
dustrial spur track franchise
sought by the Oregon Electric was
responsible for the
failure of the bill to pass following
its third reading last night. Some
Of the aldermen had held that the
limit should be 20 years hile others
insisted on so years. The bill was
finally re-referred to the ordinance
committee.
Petition Is Refused.
That the phrase "city beautiful
is, at times, a misnomer in referring
TO Salem, was the statement OF
Utter, who suggested
that the chief Of police make an er-
fort to see that certain parts of the
town are cleaned ur Immediately.
A petition from a high school
class of the First Methodist church,
received at the last meeting, asking
for the third floor of the city hall
as a place to practice basketball,
as refused by the council on rec
of the committee on
public buildings, to which it had
been referred.