Tacoma's Mayor Throws Every Appointment Back in the Council's Face

Tacoma, May 4.—Special.—A brief note sent by the mayor to the city council today carried with it consternation to many. The note was as follows:

'Gentlemen: I hereby withdraw all appointments now before your honorable body for confirmation. Very respectfully, ED S. ORR, Mayor.'

This the council did not grasp. It is said to mean that pressure has been brought to bear on Mayor Orr to give a share in his appointments — of Wickersham for city attorney and F. O. Smith for chief of police. It is believed on the inside that if the appointments had been up today they would have been rejected.

Isaac W. Anderson, of the land company, has gone to Smith and denied to him that he is against him. Anderson told Smith he was working for him. Be that as it may, there is a combine at work to down both Wickersham and Smith, and the mayor's movement today looks as if it is beginning to succeed.

Some of the council are inclined to force appointments in a hurry. Thompson gave notice in the council today that there was likely to be objections made to paying should there be no appointments before the next meeting. He says that under his reading of the charter the offices are now vacant.

The salary reduction ordinance was passed today after discussion by the council. It is a saving of about $5,000 a year. The cut in salaries is about 10 per cent all around. The salaries of the chiefs of the fire and police departments are placed at $1,500 a year. Patrolmen on the police force draw $720 a year.