Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1913)
-fj-wr ffnTTNP''- y MMDtfORD M TKMHUNIO, MKDKOlil), OKIWON, WKDXMSDAV, DKCMMHKR 21, WW. PAQKTWO. CITY COUNCIL REVERSES ITSELF BY . ENDMENT TO A VOTE OF PEOPLE IN JANUARY SUBMITTING SALARY Mayor Purdin Snys Commission Charter Alone Can Dring Order Out of Chaos ami Names Commit tee' to Prepare a Charter. Flvo Amendments to Be Voted Upon i ' if Polllnii Places Named for WardsOther Business. Tho city council retreating from Its former doftnnt altitude towards the lll of the taxpayer, Tuesday night In a teclal MBlon placed tho question of depriving them of their snlnrlcs on tho ballot, and took tho Initial stops towards securing tho commission form of government, Dut mm dlontlng vote marked tho proceedings when the name of Por ter 3. Xeff was suggested for a placo on tho drafting committee of commis sion charter. All tho members voted for tho progressive and economical steps. llcvcrso Former Attltiulo Tho matter of voting on the salary Ipriio came after the council had au thorized tho placing of four amend ments on tho city election ballots. Councilman Millar mado a motion seconded by Stewart that tho voters bo allowed a voico on tho question. It carried. Tho four other amend ments placed on tho ballot arc: Au thorizing tho council to ratify the city's old contract with tho California-Oregon Tower company, fixing tho polling hours and salaries of city elections and officials; authorizing tho council to issuo $55,000 bonds for tho building of an auxllllary re servoir and reserve plpa line, and pro viding for an increase In tho powers of electors. Tho commission form of govern ment was introduced by Mayor Pur din in an address read to tho coun cil, In which ho stated tho only re Hot in sight lay In tho discarding of tho antiquated city charter, and draft ing a now ono on business lines. Ho questioned tho motives behind recent petitions, and declared present ordin ances hampered economy. Tho coun cil afterwards approved tho mayor's recommendations. A. Commlttco composed of H. C. Garnctt, A. E. Itcames, W. E. Phlpps, H. h. Do Armond, Councilmen Mit chell and Millar, and R. W. Ruhl were named to tako tho Initial steps and report at tho next meeting. Tolling Places Xnnicd Election officers and polling places for tho city election January 13, wero named by tho council Tuesday night as follews: First ward, Sparta building, J. U. "Wllllker, Judge, D. T. Lawton and R. L. Taylor, clerks. Second ward, 203 W. Main, James Stewart, Judgo, W 0. Davidson and R. H. Lincoln, clerks. ' Third ward, city hall, A. S. Dllton, judge, Roger S. Bennett and Al Garretson, clerks. Mayor Purdin's address was as fol fel fol eows: To tho city council and peoplo of Med ferd: "When I accepted tho appointment as mayor of Medford I did so after full consideration of tho subject, and thon only nt the solicitation of frlondB and In the hopo that I might bo of servlco to my town. I think I may say my town, ns I am sixty years of ago and havo lived almost half o tho time In Medford, and have my homo and family and most of my friends here, as well as tho little prop erty I havo been able to accumulate and I know that I havo tho Interest of tho city nt heart, and wish to sco the best thing dene: Having accoptod tho offlco I have been trying to advise myself ns to tho best thlngB to bo douo to bring order out of chaos; not thinking that 1 know tho proper thing to bo dono wlthlut investigation, and while I havo been in otfico only a little over two months, 1 bollevo that I am bet tor nblo to speak of tho conditions than thoso of our people who havo mado no examlnutlon of tho subject, but seem to bo nblo to adIbo with out It. Hnving hardly begun to look Into matters I loamqd that a petition was being circulated to tako away tho sal aries of tho mayor and council, nnd that potltlons wore in circulation nnd being "gonerally signed" to havo an election called to recall tho hold-ovor councilmen, the mayor bolng omitted for tho reason that under tho coiibtl tutlon of tho Btnto ho could not bo rs callod until ho had served In tho of flco for six menths: Does any Banc mombor of tho com munlty belioyo that theso petitions wero conceived nnd are being clrcu luted frpm patriotic auottvea nnd with a' vlow to boneflt tho cityT If so a IJUle Investigation would couvlnco flUcU.a pwno'n that thoy were Instigat ed by our great political purist, nnd why; nnd whllo n great many of our good people have signed them nnd aro slncero In their wishes to better con ditions, havo they not been wrongly advised? Further, is It to be presumed for a moment that tho recall of certain mombers of tho city council, and ivn amendment to the charter providing that the mayor nnd council shall sero without pay will remedy exist ing conditions to tho extent that they should nnd must bo remedied? I.it any member of the community who has been In tho city for a number of years look back over tho conditions prior to each election, nnd try to ro momber how often wo wero going to bo saved from ruin by tho election of now members of tho council to be elected, and yet, as each year passes into history, wo find tho samo condit ions confronting us, nnd that wo havo not beon saved at nil. but have been tho victims of another bad lot of councilmen. I am not making excuses for any one, but having spent n good bit of time lntcly in examination of city af fairs, I havo arrived at some conclu sions, nnd beliove thnt thero is a wav to make things better for all of tho peoplo of tho city, and hopo that thoy may be cnrrled out In tho manner I shall outline herein. M.iriuMOXL'tL turns o;y Foortur.n JMY C.tU'SU 8 EC It NT PJUGTJUH HULK wm mmmM feSS SAX KKANTISCO. Cnl., lo. i!l N'nined by mhiKomhoii for Still l'Yuucii'iii uiiiMiiptoM'il Unit tint ntiny of idle in Hie elly lire fun! ni iiniuehiiiir n iioint where they will have food liv force if it not utvtill to them oluntnilv, tho Hiitttrvlir met in t.peeiiil no&mou (inlny to plim relief ttu'tiftuii. llohieoetttutixes of llie votklo 20,001), the figure nt whteh they c Minuted their own number, tpoke for tliPtiivflviw before, the HUervinrt publie welfare enmuiillee veterdu,v nfternooii. Seventeen of ihein weio present, eluwen nt dieet meeting envlier in the ilnv lo lit v eoiulillom liefoie the eily oiithoiilien. They told u mw, iiiivnuiMied story. "We wnnt help nuiek or we will hnve to take it," wild Michael Mil gnn bluntly. ''We won't Mtmc in tho miiixt of plenty. Its not our fault we'ie here. Yon lit ought in here with our l.vinp advertisement many of hi from the east. We want vour help, but if we can't v thnt wo mu.t help oureelvcK in the oiilv wav left to in. "It iiinkox my henit bleed lo ee men wnlkiin; nnmmt looking like skeleton," K'. II. lluek tohl Iheiu. "When oti xol n Im1v of men with nothing to out and no place to np you'll havo to fill the jniN. "We nre not nfeitmlnc anv riot We have kept the hx from ilol- hut wr can't held them much louver Siw lh!n tnnt be done ul nncc. 1)i' hhnrt ' .... t it ,,ff f.ir tln.t. mrn urn ilrlwr romance which began when he was Introduml to her during pmctte at tint njt, Thev must eat." Washington field. All the season Mi.s Mnn.li. who had beetv a teitder in tin) i ' . ' joungcr social set here for two ncaaoua, attended the fuotball pravthe eer; duy. MR. AND MP3. MORRIS M WESTERN Those who aro In charge of the Washington and Jcfferwi College foot ball team, of ronnnjlvmiln, n.ay decldo to have secret pnietlie during the en tire season next year to prevent the team being crippled. Tor three season 20.000UNEMP ED L IN SAN FRANCISCO DEMAND RELIEF OF WIRELESS CALL FOR HELP FROM ARCTIC LONDON, Dee. '.'t Tho flrnt SALEM. Ore., Dec. 21. The us.' of has nrnfnsunr of education III tho I'lll vcrsltv of Wisconsin and noted stoamsulp Sagnvnld Jarl was nihoro nhlloioslst nnd etvmoloclst. In an COO miles north o(;ergon. WIFE AND DAUGHTER GET WARD'S ESTATE rillCAClO, Dec. 21. A. M-irl comery Ward, moil order h-u . henil. who died nt 111 Ilium- ill III -h slnng't'o a modernto extent today wlrl call for hlp over recorded ,(intl ,.nrk( mt ,,,,(1,. ,.f, n l,t i tho endorsement of M. V. O'Shca. ' 'r " Arctle Clrclo rnln" parl' t0 U'.'.'iO.OOO of liU .fr.,000,000 estate flay, announcing iwit ino Norwegian ;,iR wifo nll(1 daughter, Mi- Mar- jorio Ward, ncconlintr to provismiH address before tho Oregon State Teachers' association, Profwsor O'Shea said: " 'Not on your life' is O. 1C. I like 'on tho level' and 'he's a good sport'. "Thero is nothing wrong with 'she's a peach' nnd 'she's a pippin.' 'Take, to tho tall timber' is a fine ox preeslou to my way of thinking 'Put you wlso' nnd 'on the square' are ex press I ro but Inelagaut. "What do 1 think of 'getting the gravy?' Well that's a now ono on me. What does It mean? 'Copping tho coin', oh. Anotbor new ono. I think I disapprove of both. They are harsh." "Denton Is working S. O. S. Walt and listen." This message faintly tapped out went the rounds of tho European wlroleM stations about 1 a. m. Ail stations n far outh as Ilordcaux were asked by liergcn to close down. Then 11 men ctn -lit tho distressed simmer's mc(ax' , sent it on hero and cltewhere. Tho stoamer's wlro less was picked ui at double hor sup posed radius of hf will mnde public todtiv. Th $2f0,0n0 ii to be divided among fif teen other relative. Ward made no beiine! to char ity, hut provided that it hi dnu.Oi ter does not innrry nnd lene no will, her ihnre of the i-.ite, c-t1 mnteil at from $1.(100.000 to l.)0, 000, rexerlH to Mn. Wnrd, who wi 1 use it to ctttnlilifth n home for work itig girl. Mrs. I'linihcth .1. Wan', the widow', receives from 2,000,00 I to $.1,000,000 of the etnte. T(l JlOcIn Ultll "no apv nnot.1 n. uaivu ii.i , t . . ,. .i,,,,.,,,.,, I,..,., ,, l,- ..,-t..l l... ,l. , ,1.t t.,.,,.. ,.. i,l....... son In Medford knows, we have. In thl J ' nn.i i .. ' nas occomo cnamorcu or some ciri wuo came to wnicit live tire immarv timelier i"' "" J"fi ucuu spunuing raonej i ... .....ii.t,,,, .;,ia iln l- 1I. .. ..... .... .. I nf tlin Mm Till. lll.jf lvi. Id m .if M.irrla M V.l.n. .. -I,ih .,,,I ..,. l... BIlMIIIIie lllftllll'l IIIC inn. imu iur in limiting city improro t w" " --"- --- .--. .w- " .. - ......... .... v.. ....., .. .... .... .... .... , ments: Wo hnvo put In a water sys-. team this season. I tern, sewer system and street paving I Mr. Western and Miss Ola Ellsworth Marsh wero married niter a sufficient for a city of flvo times our sizes, and by doing so havo mado a city of which wc aro all very proud. Dut having mado all these Improve ments wo find it necessary to keen them in proper repair. If not they aro worth but llttlo to us. Having 20 miles of paved streets and a like num ber of miles of sewers or more, and CO miles of water mains to bo taken care of cost 6omo money, nnd cost far moro per capita than would be the caso had wo population equal In pro portion to tho Improvements we havo and must care for. And each new paved street and each new pipo line or sewer we acquire adds to tho ex pense of upkeep. We have also to contend with tho fact that during our good times the land speculator came down on us, many with but llttlo money, and bought land and laid out additions to tho city sufficient for a population of ten times our size, and petitioned for improvements In tho lino of sow ers, water mains nnd street paving, which In many cases wero ordered, and all to bo paid for In ten year In stallments with yearly interest. Many of theso Improvements havo had no payments made on principal or Inter est; yet Interest must bo paid on tho bonds issued or tho credit of the city Is gone. Can you romedy theso con ditions by a change of officers? I fear not. I do not believe that we can find proper relief under tho provisions of tho city charter under which wo are working. It is a patch work thing at best, having beon amended from tlmo to tlmo as tho exigencies of tho occa sion called for, and is antiquated and outgrown and somo of Its provisions absolutely prevent economical admin istration, and this I can point out. Cities and towns alt over the coun try are adopting tho commission form of government, and why should Med ford lag behind and not fall In lino when all reports from Buch places show that conditions aro greatly bene fitted by tho change? I hereby rec ommend that we adopt a now charter placing this city under such a com mission form of government; tho powers of government of tho city to bo vested by such charter in threo commissioners to bo elected by our pooplo; Bitch commissioners to receivo proper compensation for their services and to bo held responsible to tho peo plo for tho proper management of their rospectlvo departments, and to not hnvo the right to shift tho affairs of government to soma highly paid business managor; the Medford Com mercial club linn had some experience with an Imported manager at a high salary, and tho results obtained when tho mini of $300.00 por mouth was paid to hi in do not seem to havo been a charter bo an election may bo called for its adoption, viz. H. O. Oarnett, Robt. W, Ruhl, A. E. Rcames, W. E. Phlpps, H. L. DoArmond, J. W. Mitch ell and George H. Miller, tho mayor to bo an advisory member of tho commlttco without power to voto at its meetings. Will not theso gentlemen as good citizens proparo and submit such a cbartor without unnecessary delay As tho sooner it is submitted the sooner an election can bo, called in which It Is placed beforo tho peoplo for adoption. And may that tlmo TO IDLE MEN BY WORK' To aid Governor We-t in hi light to secure Mate work for homele nnd hungry man, njaiiit ililieI citetnieft, Mayor 1'urdin, upon the suggestion of Councilman .Millar, named the following committee to draft resolutions urging notion and feccurc hignntiirtH in support of ill'1 governor' btnnd: City Attornoy Mc Cabc, Councilman Millar ami Arthur I'orr'. Councilman Millar road ni ppenl from the League of tlm Uncmploveil hcttim; forth pro.-ont labor condi tion. Millar held the notion to be u hiiinanil.irinn move. The commit tee will niuot kooti to tako initial action. fe "t COLORADO RANCHERS MAROONEDJN SNOW There Is No Better Light For The Home than the soft mellow tflow of a rood oil lamp. Scientists indorse it; com mon sense recommends it. The KIOWA, Colo., Dec. 21. An ap peal for nid reached hero today from a point twentj-five miles ea-t of here, where twenty-fivo rancheiH nro mniooned by tho miow and out of provisions-. All the provision n tho neighborhood have buen cv ImtiKtfd. Kiowa oitieiiH will try to reach them by meiiiiH of tileiglis and MIOWb'llOUri. soon arrive, foi thnt tho discord under which wo now labor may bo harmon ized and peace again rulgrf ln-thc city, Itospuotfully submitted, MAHI.OK PURDIN, Mayor. - fori beat ' result U5C Poarl kui R Hktotjgr iVb Lamp gives the ideal light for sewing and reading. Scientifically constructed'. No glare. No flicker. Can be lighted without removing chimney or shade. Easy to care for. Ask Your Dealer To Show You Standard Oil Company it fmC ' . (CallfdrnU) PORTLAND M VICTOR U M VIOTROLAS M M AND RKOOKDS M M L. C. FLAGG'S M k Tho Vit'ti'olu Dcnlcr W A In llnlc'.s Piano IIouho. K M 1I7 Vk( Muin. jRj when yon tire of rough, strong high proof wiilskey Cyros bottled at drinking strength W. J. Vim Schnyvcr it Co., Gencrnl Agcutu Portland, Oregon Jf - ' 1 tm-r It H-CIOSS TrsTc? FJ.TQI'-VHTY PANEL JLSKSSlxJ (.UAItA! m.Lo ftttUnlcteir, i l.i-dc'". t itrr ',ni o c t Vt, 'C (U Jlr.tKJ . t . A I. 1 jctililtuik.oo ,iviTi,e!r'""i- iiitr. W II I T r. FOR CATALOG" ind $.' en Suit, f Inuli, trai.ii, MutUti dm Kocllol CI.. . till Inch K. D. INSIDK FINISH TO MATCIITN SIHil t'OK WIKHO n -ntn. Ilrkltat lLIU' f, tpMfiiJ, WiiJawkU. I .1 llA,, K. D. WINDOV PUAMI.'S W iH II r' P. l'Jim lie J. Out l' C li Ji. I i tr' h t' It kc'jcu',..il" .4. t t OR M . Kotutt" J5K. Ailit' KODOOKS-r,-(t. HmJ Ciin,F.lii,Ctt mw, f us UiKkt lor one lit! (l( CUT. 1'tfMl ""t mammnivfmzizapff-tfimtt ni smv m 2 &m im B I II II III Illlf1 WI IT T fjl.-iVrT !. Ci wramrf t.; mm ; m m&m swBsm ROGUE RIVER VALLEY EXCURSION TO Los Angeles and return Via tho &ms& JX'cmiiljci' lWizuHj!g. U'etui'ii Limit li!), I!)I.'J I rYiouTcs l l Enroll .'M, li)M. rtX&BXOj 3CBi Tint i:pnsliwiu I, Inn iiitr. ROUND-TRIP FARES Oninl.s Pass sf.'J'i.BO .Mcillord ! $111.05 Hogiuj lvov !l:J.r0 Pliociiix iMf Clold Hill :W.1 Tnlciit :n.20 Central Point 'Jn.70 Ashland 111.00 SPECIAL TRAIN SCHEDULE J A'. - Ia- fli-anls Push 2:10 pin. iMurirord -hOO pin. Iio,'iKs PivtM' ..,.2'JA) pin. Pliotmix '1:11 pin. (loldllill .'J: Ifi pin. Talonl .:2.r) pin. Conl nil Point.. :I:I2 pin, AhIiIiiikI 5:10 pin. Soo San Francisco'n Nov Year Celobration 'i'iokots will ho sold Dcconihor 20, will bo pood for rolni'ii until March 31, '101-1, and allow stopovers going or I'ctiiniing. "Full pai'lionlai'S, with intcro.sting and doKcriplivo litoratni'o on'Calil'oi'nia'K Fainons onlingrcisoi'ts from any S. .P. Agonl, John M, Scott, General Passongor Agent, Portland. T