Thirty Men Want One City Job as Olympia’s New Council Takes Over
A patronage scramble greets Olympia’s incoming administration, with a crowd of applicants for street commissioner and a proposal to cut the police force while adding more streetlights.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
MUNICIPAL PLUMS.
THIRTY ASPIRANTS FOR OFFICE OF STREET COMMISSIONER.
The Police Force Will Probably Be Reduced and More Lights Added — Aspirants for Other Offices.
Street Committee Chairman.
Councilmen are at present besieged by an army of aspirants for local offices which are to be filled by the new administration. With all these, however, nothing will interest the public so much as the appointment in the council itself of a chairman of the street committee. The new mayor will have something to contend with in this direction. On the one hand the position is one of a great deal of labor and requires plenty of time, and for the reason that all the members except Sickels have their own business to look after they are not particularly anxious.
On the other hand, a member of the council is authority for the statement that Mayor O’Brien assured him that he would not reappoint Sickels.
The next plum is that of street commissioner. Up to yesterday 27 applications had been made for this office, while three additional were filed this morning.
For city attorney the names of Phil Skillman, M. J. Gordon, A. P. Fitch and O. V. Linn are being considered, with the odds, it is confidently said by a councilman, in favor of the latter.
The present city marshal, George Savidge, together with James Chambers, are the only persons mentioned publicly, at least, for the office of chief of police. There may be one on the still hunt, but it is not certain.
“One thing is assured, however,” said a former member of the council, “if the original intention is carried out the police force will be cut down at least three men. I look upon plenty of lights as just as good a safeguard as a policeman, and, in fact, I think it benefits the city in every way.”
For the office of city engineer, the council is divided between A. Gillis, D. S. B. Henry and the present engineer, Millard Lemon. Who will be the successful man the reader will have to surmise. Gillis is a newcomer and is Sickels’ candidate.
On Tuesday evening the members of the new city government will assemble, but it is not probable that any appointment to office will be made with the exception of a city attorney. For the other offices the council will take more time to deliberate and will not distinguish itself by holding “caucuses,” as did the last council.
“I look upon plenty of lights as just as good a safeguard as a policeman, and, in fact, I think it benefits the city in every way.”
The rush of applicants for a single municipal post, and the argument that streetlights might do more for safety than another patrolman, echoes today’s fights over public-safety budgets and patronage when a new administration takes over. It is a reminder that city hall jobs and police staffing have always been political questions in Olympia.
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