Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-06
10 Huber's Big Bill.

The success of the Republican City Ring
at the primaries last evening, the unscru-
pulous means employed TO secure 1t and the
desperate efforts of its members to retain
themselves in power, ought to be sufficient
to warn the citizens of Lancaster of the
personal stake which they have in keeping
control Of the city government. Step by
step, under the present weak and lax ad-
ministration the municipality is drifting
back to the loose methods, the financial de-
moralization and the eXtravagant and
unlawful system of expenditures which
prevailed before Mayor MacGonlgle drew
tight rein in city affairs.
Nothing was more characteristic of the
old regime than its employment of its own
fsvorites to do city work, at exhorbitant
prices and without giving outsiders a
chance to bid for it, or affording the city
the benefit Of competition. There are signs
that there has been return to these evil
practices.
1t is well known that Joseph Huber,
machinist and crony Of Water Superin-
tendent Halbach, has presented bill for
work and repairs alleged to have been done
to the old pump at the City water works to
the amount of between s2,4O0 and 1880.
The bill has been approved, we understand,
by the water committee and is now in the
hands of the finance committee, to lie con-
sidered at its meeting tonight. 1t will be
a subject of some interest and concern to
citizens and tax payers to see what this
committee will do with it.
The act of March Is, 1855, sec. lefty
ordinances, ed. of 1880, page l38, sec. 81
says that "the mayor, aldermen and citi-
zens of the City of Lancaster, in select
and common councils assembled, shall not
have the power or authority to erect, con-
struct OF make any public improvements
for the benefit of the said city, where the
expenditures thereof will exceed the
sum of three hundred dollars unless the
erection, construction or making of the
said public improvements is first author
lied by an ordinance PASSED for that pur-
pose sc !" unless the same be paid out Of
the regular annual appropriations.
The extraordinary Improvements for
WlllSn llLS plS DAii Va i1upSi ~ PicSClltcu
were not made in accordance with the law,
nor are they provided for by either special
ordinance or the regular annual appropria-
ton. They are exactly of the kind that
thelaw contemplates shall be made only
by express direction of councils, and after
bids have been invited, specifications made
and contracts awarded. No claim against
the city for such an amount of work
done by direction Of the water COM
mittee or at the instance of the
superintendent Of water works, with
out the authority of an ordinance and bids
asked, can be valid. And if the finance
committee shall approve it, it will be en-
tirely in order for any member of councils
or apriyate citizen to enjoin its payment.
Past experience has shown that Supt.
Halbach and his friend Huber cannot
be trusted TO expend the city's money
without very rigid supervision; that they
are not likely TO get with Mayor Rosen-
miller as the head of the water committee /;
on the contrary, cutie the revere. The
subject needs 10 be inquired into; especially
as the Halbaeh ring seems TO have been
setting up the nominations for councilmen
in every part OF the city.