Show REPREHENSIBLE ATTEMPT AT SALARY ti f Prominent Attorney Condemns the Waterworks Commission Bill in Language Unmistakable What the Duties of a Public Officer Of Officer Officer Are Why the Measure Should Be Defeated Open Letter to the Standard n At 4 L r r To tho the Ogden Standard Marvelous as ns It Il may ml seem scorn I find m myself self In tho the main In accord with the Uie editorial ex expressions of or the ilie Standard In reference to tho the bill now pending before the log leg legislature of this thIn state by b which It Is proposed to create creato a Q commission to control our city water works system Tho The proposition in the tho bill as intro introduced Introduced introduced to make mako tho the city attorney ex ox officio attorney for the commission and to topa pay him one hundred dollars per month for his services as such Is about the tho most reprehensible attempt at that I 1 havo have ever known Aside Asido from the tho litigation which was 35 pending between the Ogden Water WaterWorks Works company and the Union Pacific Railroad company at the tho time the tho city elt purchased tho the water system s stem and for lor the tho continuation of which Mr lr Richards has bas been employed as I un understand understand what litigation in which the city would be bo Interested Is likely to arise which ought not to bo be attended attel to by the city attorney In his official capacity Whon Than any person seeks Becks and accepts a n public office once he undertakes to per por perform perform form the duties of or the office oll co for the salary provided for by law and If Ie necessary to devote all I ll his time to the tho performance of such duties Of or course If it alter devoting deyoUng all his timeto time timeto to tho the performance of the duties of his office a public officer Is 15 unable by b rea rca reaBOn reason Bon son of ot the amount am of public business to too tobo fco bo o done dOM to perform all the duties of or I tho the office then the public should fur furnish nish and pay for tor assistants but not otherwise A public officer who Is receiving an annual salary has no moro more right to devote devoto any an of his hie time to private business where the tho duties of his hi a of office fice demand nIl ell his time than would I I Inn an nn of any aD private person who Is employed by tho the year or by the month have havo to devote part of the tM timo for tor which ho receives pay to W Whis his own business or in the employ ment meat of another nor has he any right to demand domand any nn extra pay pa for services performed by b him as ns such officer no matter mattor malt or how ho burdensome the tho duties may become So long as ho he chooses to hold the office he ho must devote hla time to the performance of tho the duties Imposed by b law Jaw for the tho salary tired by law Jaw Now whatever services of an attorney at attorney attorney torney might bo be required by tho the pro proposed proposed posed commission would be rendered for tho the benefit of the city and should be performed by b tho the city attorney I provided he be has time to perform these and other duties devolving up upon upon on un him as such and he ho would not bo be titled to any extra pay If Jr I he ho would not have time lime to o perform I the duties I I of attorney to the proposed commis commission sion slon in fa addition to the tho duties now Im mm Imposed posed pose by law pray pro what Is the tho object of paying him another hundred dollars per month In other words If he has ha hatime time limo to perform these duties It Is his duty dut to do PO so for the salary which was provided by b law at al the time he accepted the lire office If he has not nol the time to perform tho the duties for what would tho bo be paying pa the extra one ono hundred dollars per month In my m opinion the bill should be defeated for Cor another reason It cro cre atos ates new TIOW offices and thus divides the tho responsibility for tho the proper conduct of o the affairs of the tho elt and in increases increases creases tho the expenses which must bo be borne borno by the taxpayers Divided re ro responsibility responsibility always results disastrous disastrously ly 1 to lo tho the public Wo We TO already have ba 0 too many man officers ol cers I believe boll eve Ir l we J had ad three councilmen elected by the tho elec electors electors tors of the city at large who would world be required to devote do vote their entire time to tho the Interests of tho the city and who should be he paid a reasonable salary for Cor their time it would be much bet bel better better ter for Cor the community at large largo Respectfully Signed A W AUKE AG AGI I |