Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-01-04
City Council
Distributes il
obsforYear
Smith New Attorney
And Low Elected to
Old Place; Mrs. Shank
Retained

Prolonged controversy on mat
ters political. personal, relevant
and irrelevant concerning. contest
ed city offices ended last night
when the city council; at it's first
meeting of the year, elected Ray l..
Smith as city attorney, and re-
elected Mrs. Myra L.. Shank police
matron, and Walter Low as street
commissioner.
Those unanimously returned for
another term are Harry Buck"
Hutton, chief of the fire depart
ment; Hugh Rogers, city engineer,
Dr.. R. A. Pomeroy, health officer;
and ]. N. Skaife, sanitary officer.
Utter Backs Smith
Hottest of the pilitical fire
cracked just previous to the bal
loting for city attorney. Eight
votes for Mr.. Smith and six for E.
w. Macy, present incumbent, were
recorded after Councilman F. L..
Utter had made a strong speech
urging the election of Mr.. Smith.
''The office of city attorney is
the biggest job which the city of
Salem has to Offer" DR.. Utter de-
clared. "The city attorney can
save Salem thousands of dollars
or he can fail to save the city
thousands of dollars. l know there
are many persons opposed to my
election-because there are many
persons who do not want liens
foreclosed" 1t was DR.. Utter who
Mr.. Smith.
Mrs. Shank Elected
Much discussion preceded the
balloting for police matron. De-
claring that the council should
back Chief of Police Moffitt with
a view to insuring harmony in. the
police department, Councilman III.
H. Vandervort urged the election
of Mrs. Eta Groves, the new
chiefs selection. Followed round
of speeches by several aldermen,
headed by Councilman Mcclellan,
in which the ultimately-c chosen
Mrs. Shank was praised for her
work. Count of the ballots showed
the present-incumbent to have
been reelected by a vote of IL
to 4.
Most decisive of defeats meted
out, however, was accorded o. e.
Hazelwood, nominated by Council
man Harry Wenderroth, for street
commissioner. Mr.. Low, the pres
ent incumbent, was again chosen
for the office by vote of / 4 to 1.
Rogers Is Engineer
Hugh Rogers, nominated by
jefferson, was an easy
favorite for city engineer. He re-
ceived IL votes to two for Walter
Skelton, nominated by Councilman
Vandervort.
No little haggling was INDUCED
in when Chief of Police Moffitt's
recommendation for, police Of
ficers were announced. Argument
seemed to center on the point aris-
ing as to whether candidates who
have not resided in the city for a
period of three years are eligible
or not. Action was deferred when
a motion that the selections be re-
ferred to the police committee for
was carried. At the
next meeting the committee will
report back with recommendations
Moffitt Satisfied
although my first selection,
that of police matron, has not been
approved, that is well and good
with me-" Chief Moffitt prefaced
his talk to the council. 81 am
hoping my other suggestions will
be more favorably received. But if
they, too, should be rejected, that
is also well and good" Chief Mof-
fit voiced his approval of certain
traffic regulations suggested by
Mayor Halvorsen in his address tc
the council, and further advocated
the installment of call boxes for
the police department.
There has been criticism in the
past concerning the taxi bills in
Cured by policemen in answering
calls" he said. mo doubt this
criticism is largely justified. mas
much as the response to calls was
commonly without results. Oftei
patrolmen are necessarily delayed
for long periods. due to the pres
ent call system, and l therefore
ask for these new boxes. l ais
hope the council will see fit to. pro
vide a motorcycle and side-car for
the use of the department"
PI1ys7, OFT ITO lac