Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-12-03
SOME. EXCEPTIONS TAKEN.

Eli. STANDAED
In last weeks issue, the explanation
OF Mr. A. II. Chambers i'll relation t.
the Suspension al the work hy Tia,
{'mutiUu l. far from satisfactory
From information not contained in tn
article. certain facts seem to hc wei
established. namely; hat thu Gil.
Council decided L" improve iilr ar
preach from ,!,"p water t" the city
that they WED II special tax OF >evcI
mills upon the taxable property O
Olympia; that they authorized thu
Mayor, \. III. Chambers, to enter int
Il contract for the work. The facts t.
hc inferred from the article III question
are: That Mr.. Chambers entered int,
contract; that work was to h. com
mcnccd on the 9TH OF November; tina
the steamer came on the - tina
the captain OF the steamer refused t'
go to work unless the city waived any
claims for damage for breach III con
tract; that the committee i'll behalf @
tll,.citv did waive all claim for dam
ages; that the work commenced under
il captain who WAS either incompetent
for the work or williully ncglcctful
and that the committee discharged tn,
steamer. The facts to hc inferred
! from an article in the Standard, " In
| Statu Quo" are that Howard willfully
withheld the steamer Notwithstanding
the protest of the Mayor; that the
Captain arrogatcd powers t" himself
which under the contract We're vested
in the committees; and that the cap
tain received $500 for tw" day. ser
vices.
When the City Council took into
consideration the matter of opening a
channel to deep water, through the
means of Il propeller screw, and ap-
pointed Il committee to examine as to
its practicability in the bay, they
did commcndablc thing. The open
ing Of water channels 10y the Use of
has not passed yet out of its expert
mental state. 1t has worked well in
the Columbia river, hut has not pre-
vented the rctilling of the channel by
the same current which carried off the
impcdiment 1t was therefore ncccs-
sary to appoint II committee which
should exercise great care i'll cXamina-
ton and of known business ability.
1t is claimed for some of the MEM
bcrs of the committee So appointed
that they were thorough business men.
but how Mr.. Chambers, as such, could
enter into contract binding the city,
the party OF the first part, to pay for
the performance of the work, and not
binding the party of the second part
for settled and assessed damages, if the
work was not performed as contracted
for; how the committee could waive
the claim for damages without having
satisfactory assurance that the pcrtidy
of the party of the second part was
not repeated, and how'thc committee
could pay the captain TSOu for two
days work, when he had broken the
contract again, where no pledge or
waiver of damages of the committee
WAS in bar, is beyond my comprchcn-
sion and, dare say, of any ordinary
business man.
1t will not do for Mr. Chambers or
the committee to say it is the fault of
Mr.. Howard, in breaking the contract,
or the fault Of the captain and .his
crew. The committee knew from ex-
pcricnce that Howard was unreliable,
and like master like man. Captain
Holmes was unreliable per Sc. Wheth-
or Captain Holmes WAS incompetent
er venal, does not cut figure in this
matter; Mr.. Chambers had assumed
the responsibility to make the con-
tract; it was his duty to see that it
covered the ground; it was the duty
of the committee to see that Mr..
Chambers had performed that duty,
and il they were not competent employ
proper assistance. This whole failure
is directly chargeablc to an overwecn-
ing confidence of the committee that
they knew all, when they knew but
part.
An error was committed by the gen
tlemen entrusted with this business in
taking the statements of Mayor Gates
and others in good faith, the commit
tee supposing they had learned all
about channels; i'll making their csti-
mates of the cost upon no better basis :;
and making Il contract in which it was
all buzzard for Olympia and ill turkey
for the Improvement Company :;
whereas if they had made Il contract
with the parties, who were so prolific
in advising how to cut strings out of
other peoples leather, and who were
so sure how many strings the Olympia
hide would furnish, paying them lib
cral price when the channel was COM
pleted, it would have been more salts
factory to the taxpayers of Olympia.
1t is Il poor plan to play another mans
game, and in this instance very OK
pensive one.
Another error was committed by
humoring Capt. Holmes to waive dam
ages. A business man would have IL
bclled the Umatilia before she would
have been able to leave Budd's Inlet.
Being one of the public" to whom
the explanation was directed, the arti-
Gle itself is my authority to render my
views and exceptions.
FRANCIS A. HOFFMAN.
OLYMPIA, Dec. l, 1886.