Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-31
REDFIELD's REPLY,
The Councilman Answers Mr. Chss
Turner's Open Letter.

tions to me through a respectable and fair
newspaper, 1 willingly answer his ques'
tians, and will endeavor to do so in the
order put In the open letter:
"Pleass tell us by what methods you,
ss chairman Of the committee on paving,
so successfully engineered an illegal tax
during the fiscal year amounting to &c.
479. II, in favor of the Asphalt Paving
company In excess of the contract price2
''Tell us how you got it through the
couucll..without being certified to by the
chairman Of the board Of public works, or
by the city engineer or any member of
the council, savs yourself knowing any
thing about it?"
The specifications and contracts in all
paving provides that the contractor shall
do ali extra work required to be done
that all such work shall be done and paid
fer upon q written order Of the city en-.
gineer and shalt be reported to the city
council in the final estimate; that
when no prics Is fixed in the con-
tract for such work the board of
public works shall fix the price.
The Barber Asphalt Paving COM
pany handed me a bill for some SLIGO
for extra grading on Dodge and other
streets, and knowing the duty Of the city
engineer and board of public works In
that respect, l passed the bill to the city
engineer and requested him to see that it
was all right. When the ordinance levy
Ing tho tax was proposed by the city en-
gineer, the amount was added to the
other expenses and the levy duly made
the ordinance being passed without being
referred to q committee. The board of
public works and the city engineer give
large bonds, and the council Gas l think
thsy had a right to dog placed the utmost
confidence In the honesty, integrity and
business capacity of all persons connected
herewith and generally approved sll
estimates which were of 8 routine charac-
ter.
"And while you are about 1t, 10, tell
us what object you had in putting such
an illegal tax on US for the benefit Of said
Asphalt Paving company and thereby re-
move any suspicion that you were profit
ing pecunarily by such illegal tax"
| assume that.Mr. Turnersrefers..to the
paving of Howard street In tho above
quotation. Mr.. Turner does not need be
told how the extra grading wss placed In
the levy for the paving Of this street, for
he was present. at q meeting when the
whole question was discussed and hence
is not yesrning for light on the nubject,
but | will answer the question for the
benefit of all whom 1t may concern. The
city engineer, as he told Mr., Turner in a
public meeting, had put the extra grading
of Howard street into the levy
because he supposed 1t was right
to do 30. l had nothing to do with the
matter, but had always supposed that the
extra charge for grading was a part of the
paving contract and perfectly legitimate.
MIR. Turner has minated that l have
been rewarded peculiarly for my serv-
ices, but since | have shown concluslvely
that l have had nothing further to do
with the levy than to be the bearer of an
account TO the city engineer, | trust this
part of the question Is answered; but that
Me. Turner may be abe to pursue his in
We s!igatiop, 1 hereby turn over to him,
and all other inquirlng individuals, the
key to the minds of every one, and invite
the most searching inquiry into my of
! ficial acts.
"And also tell us why the stone paving
contractors could get no such favorable
ccnsiderations from you as chairman OF
the paving commitree ?"
This question assumes what Is not
true. j.. E. Brennan & Co., for curbing
and guttering Howard street and st.
Mary's avenue, were paid for extra grad.
Ing, and when we take into account that
Howard street never was put to grade,
and the property owners east of Sixteenth
street never paid any special grading tax,
it seems no more than just and equitable
that such expense should be charged,
and paid said contractor. The question
of extra grading was not raised 10 the
council, so far as Its legality is concerned,
until a bill was presented for extra grad
ing on Ninth street by James Fox.
He was a stone contractor. A minority
and q majority report were made, and
were then referred to the city attorney.
Tell us why you sat in 'sullen silence
so long, and refused to correct the tax
after the city attorney had decided 1t was
lille gal, but left your bad work to be
corrected by Councilman Ford? And,
finally, 10, tell us why the asphalt com.
pany are putting forth their best efforts
to r~s-elect you, and relieve a great many
of us who are almost dying to vote for
you at the coming election, and oblige.
The city attorney gave an opinion that
paving contracts included in he price per
yard to be paid for such paving the cost
If grading, since which time no bills for
extra grading have been allowed. The
asphalt company and a stone contracto,
still claim that they are entitled to pay
for extra grading, and as the question Is
a disputed one, the council have re fused
to pay the extra grading allowance until
an adjustment of the case car
be had. If 1t shall be finally deter
mined that the extra grading Is not al
lowabls under the contract, the amount
thus charged will be credited up to the
property, or If already paid, will be re.
funded. The city of Omaha has In it.
hands ample funds to reimburse tn.
amount Isl, 1907 already paid on Dodg'
and other streets. If the amount charged
for extra grading should be returned t.
the several taxpayers at the present tim,
and the courts should ultimately Civ,
Judgment for the amounts claimed, tn,
same would be paid by the city at large
and this Is why | have sat In %'sullei
silence" and ''refnsed to correct the tax.
The tax will not be all paid for four an
q half years-stands char ged sgsins. tn
city and can be cancelled at any time.
Enu will pardon mo as I ipt;,oto tbo