Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-12-18
"Iniauitous Tlranoierirr. .

Ubiquitous FinanoieriDg"
In yesterdays issue Of TIE GAZETTE
was recorded what is, perhaps, the
most remarkable transaction that ever
marked the municipal action OF any
city; and, unless some more cogent
reason In defense OF it than has yet
been offered can be adduced, the peo.
pie OF Fort Worth with one voice will
indorse the language Of Alderman
Andrews in chsracterizing 1t as the
most "iniqultous flnancieringn any
man ever heard of.
on the 10th day of September
last the following resolution was
passed by the city council;
Resolved, that tho building committee be
empowered With authority to lot contract
to eulRrge the colored sohool-housc TO accom-
mediate the scholars that attend that school
signedl J. y, ALEX ,NpER.
The contract made in pursuance of
the above resolution was entered into
between the city Of Fort Worth aud
Townsend & Lnsher on the 20th day
Of September, 1854, and is signed by j.
p. Hughes, chairman Of the public
building committee,
on December there was reported
to the council from the claims commit
tee an approval of an account pre-
sented to that committee in favor of
Townsend d Lusher for the sum OF
S2Ol7, the following being copy Of
the account:
city of Fort Worth,
debtor to
Townsend & Lusher
For building addition to oolored school.
house contract price s2ll7O9, eim interest 20
| &c dddej as sptcVjcd "a contract.
! o. *. ]. T.. HuGuuss,
W. n ALnRIpGE
According to the testimony Of Alder
man Andrews, as given in his speech
sustaining Mayor Smiths veto last
Tuesday, neither the contract nor the
account ,ras epcy Submitted to the co,a,-
oH, and neither was ever seen or heard
OF by the council as body until De-
cember >, he dog p6ea tho claims com.
nittse submitted their opproral Of the
account.
From the veto message OF Mayor
Smith we quote that
The contract purport7 20 have been exeeu-
ted the 26th day OF September 1881, and was
not nled with the city secretary until after
the account Tor s2Ol7 was allowed The con.
tract on inspection Is found TO contain this
wonderful clause: 'rhe contract price to DO
paid ON or before the 18TH day OF November,
II not paid on the 18th day OF December, lSsh
the party OF the first part shall pay Ia add.
ton TO the contract price per cent, and n
not paid before the 18th day OF January, 1881,
10 per cent, aud ifnot paid before the 18th
day OF February, 1855, Is per cent and II not
paid before the 18th day OF March, 1873, 20
per cent shalt be added 10 the contract price. p
THIS contract Is payable ont OF The public
building fund and Will not In all PRACTICABLE.
Ivy DO paid before the 10Th day OF March,
issj
IN his veto message, refusing TO ap.
prove the account, ~ o. KID by the
claims committee and allowed by the
council, Mayor Smith also says:
The contract price, SllT, was the hair worth
OF the work performed. The committee have
power TO Atlpulate for It's payment, hut they
! certainly hRveno power TO add, under any
oirenmstances, ~ per cent. as intefeat for the
four mouths, 18th OF nece mber, 1854, TO the
18th OF March, 1885. Nor do think the civ
council should legally allow such claim Tor
! interest Nor had this clause OF the contra II
been brought 10 the attention OF the council.
that the sum would have been allowed and
approved.
The vote to sustain Mayor Smiths
veto OF the account stood as follows:
Ayes. Nays.
ANDREWS, HUGHES,
ADAMS. ALpRIDaE,
FIELD,
ALEXANDER.
The above are the facts concerning
this traneaetion as they were deyel.
oped in the proceedings OF the council
/ last Tuesday, and II there is an In
dorsement Of It anywhere in this city
II has not yet been found outside
OF the approving aldermen and
. the contractors. Fort Worth a
not In condition TO stand
; financial legislation Of this character
: No man should in The execution Of a
a iiduciary trust do that which he
I would not do II acting in his own n.
4 dividual behalf and any public otileer
: who VIII not pay the same regard n
4 public interests that he would "a hi.
: own; Or, L his ideas Of business ara
/, such ~ TO jnstify a Transaction for
Q himself that ould be hursful 10 him.
self, he Is unit q assume the duties ~
s prpellc trustee.