The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-15

Continued from page 81.
1888, received Cos. $40 SO
Total 1918. 464 Os
1888, disbursements. SIS, 25S SO
Balance in treasury January l, 1898 5S,2O5 40
AN ITEMIzED STATEMENT
showing the sources from which this reve-
nue. was derived and for what expended is
hereto attached marked exhibit A. Refer
ence to that statement will show that after
deducting amounts borrowed and amounts
paid on all loans, bonds, ETC., that the re-
ceipts for 1886 exceed disbursements,
SIS, 273. IS and in 1887, S34, GIBBS.
But in 1885, after making such deductions
the disbursements exceed the receipts in
the sum of So, 20076, Notwithstanding the
fact that during that year the income from
licenses exceeded that of 1886 in the sum of
IS, 92S.43 and from city taxes S33, so and
water rates, S9,6Sl75, making total OF
S51, 1925.
In looking into the cause of this we find
a large portion of it consists OF the follow
ing items, to-wit:
Parley's creek canal, including pur-
chase of mill properties S45 635 q!
Purchase Of hydraulic canal rights 96s1 "a
Amounting to----.-------------- $50, 1872 SO
The fact that almost sixty-five thousand
dollars has been expended on new water
supplies in 1883, and that the water supply
of the city during 1889 was less than dur
ing any time for years past, caused US to
wonder what results had been accomplished
by this unusual outlay of city funds.
In this investigation we find the city
owned a canal which was supposed to con-
duct to the city one-sixth OF the water OF
the Jordan river, supply which, if the
title was good, was OF great value to the
city.
For reasons best known to themselves, a
majority of the city council favored an ex-
change of this water supply with the farm
ers fer their interest in Parley's creek,
with the understanding that they (the city
council) would guarantee the farmers as
much water for their use as they were
then obtaining from Parley's creek, the
measure of the water in said Parley's
creek to be taken on certain day in the
spring. This exchange was consummated,
and then the council
MADE DISCOVERY,
viz. that Mr.. Jennings, Bishop Smoot and
others owned two mill properties
claimed certain water rights, and in
order that the city might receive
the water for which it had traded,
it became necessary to pay the mill owners
about $40, 900 for their claims. This being
done, the water was measured, new canal
was dug from Parley's canon to the city,
and the sum of S45, 635.02 expended thereon;
then the council made another discovery,
viz: that all the water in the canal they
had traded off together with all they OBJ
tanned from Parley's creek would not, in
the summer season when it was needed,
amount to as much as they had guaranteed
to the farmers, estimated by the measure
ments taken in the spring time. So for
the canal the city once owned, which con-
veyed one-siXth of the water OF the River
Jordan, and S45.635 cash, the city is the
happy possessor of a dry ditch on East
Bench and two mill properties, which are
hardly worth the powder necessary to blow
them up with.
Such a transaction by body of men,
whose first duty should be to protect the
city's interests and promote its welfare,
admits of no reasonable explanation and
for poor Judgment, misrepresentation of
city funds, and willfui betrayal of trusts,
this transaction cannot be surpassed, uu-
less it be by the Purchase Of Hydraulic
Canal Rights, 'dn account Of which appears
elsewhere in this report.
We here desire to state that owing to
the fact that the city auditors ledger was
not posted to later date than October 81,
1874, our duties were rendered very ardu-
GUS, DuG IuEOuRu Guc COuIlSSy VI NIL H.
NJ. Wells, recorder, who was always ready
and willing to render any assistance desir-
ed, we think the examination has been as
thoro lgh as could be made with the limited
time given US. We attach hereto, marked
Exhibit "B,n statement of the entire
cost to June 30, 1889, of the water supply of
the city, including Parley's creek canal
and the Hydraulic canal purchases; the
aggregate amount being 1855, 677. 81; also
&c Of iDplr1dinur maine ND latar-
ais, to October l, 1889, S66, S7S62.
We also call your attention to exhibit G,
showing the amounts paid by the city to
Taylor, Romney & Armstrong for
LUMBER AND WORK
from April, 1856, to October, 1889, showing
a total of S3l. 90, the prices paid being
from 10 to IS per cent. in excess of the
market price.
Mayor Armstrong, when questioned on
this matter, said that he had no connection
with this firm, other than as a partner;
that he owns about one-third of the entire
stock of that company. He also states that
he knows nothing about what prices were
charged for lumber, whether wholesale or
retail; that he never ordered lumber from
this firm himself, but that the heads of the
different departments ordered it, and that
he did not object to their doing it for the
reason that he had no objection to the city
dealing with any firm of which he, the
mayor of the city, was a member. This
matter of city officers dealing directly or
indirectly with themselves seems to be
common and favorite practice, and we
think cannot be too strongly censured nor
prohibited any too soon. 1t is in open vio-
lation of law, that they be allowed thus to
deal with themselves to the exclusion of
other firms, and we believe in all cases
without contract to say the least, very
loose manner of conducting business and
cannot but result in great waste of city
funds. There seems to be no case
where bids to furnish these supplies,
which amount to many thousands of dollars
annually, have been advertised for as they
should be, if those having charge of these
matters had the best interests of the tax
payers at heart
In the examination of the department of
CITY MARSHAL AND POLICE,
we find very loose methods in conducting
the business relating thereto. There are
two matters to which we wish to call par
ticular attention.
First-The supply of shoes, etc. to the
prisoners. For illustration we copy one
item:
April 4, 1886 6 pair stoga shoes, q ss----sla 90
Il, d" 9brushes a Soc----@,- - 60
Total Sl7 60
We find invoices of similar nature to
the above from Solomon Bros & Gold, of
which firm City Marshal Solomon is a
member, in amounts from SIS to $50 per
month, covering various descriptions of
merchandise all aOOarentlV Uithout anv