Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-02
THE PAVING AWARD.


lCorrespondcncc Of the DEsHRIr Nnwsl
About the only topic that seems
absorbing In business circles tedny,
especially among those who nave
TO pay for II, IL the paving question,
and speculation as to whether the
City Council this evening will BIO "a
manifestly unfair and show such
decided disposition In favor OF allen
Interests as tho board Of public works
has done. havs not met a person
who regards the award 10 tbs Barber
people m just ami proper, whiio the
opinion to the contrary is universal
ana sometimes expressed In language
more iorcible than polite. Nor do
many people hesitate to reflect on the
integrity Of some OF the oillcers who
favor this award, the Injustice being 20
glafingly apparent. But II n with
another phase Of the sltuation that
desire 10 call your readers attention, ~
II is something every citizen should
know.
A careful perusal Of the specifications
shows me that the board and the coun.
ell have the. undoubted right Of not
only rejeAinR any OF all bids, tut OF
10 dividing the contract ~ 10 give the
CURLING 10 one party bidding,tho block
ing 10 anbther, and tie asphaltum 10
still n third, aud II Ia difficult TO under.
stand why this was net done. The
Gunner Jennings bid ON the curbing
wns the lowest. All things being
equal, they should have the job. The
Ryan. Griffin bid on the blocking was
the lowest by considerable, and be.
liovo they are fully Competent aud
responsible and should have that part
awarded them. Thon the Gunner
Jennings people were much the lowest
bidders on the asphaltum work, and,
besides, were tho only bidders who
agreed 10 use Utah material. Most
positively these arc the two best rea.
sons that could be offered to entitlc
them TO got the contract. Why were
they thus Disseminated against?
Again, little figuring shows that v
the board had the money inicresis OF
the city Mt heart, this segregation OF
the bids would result la saving OF
sDi2O to the abuttors who have TO pay
for II.
Another very interesting phase OF
the story Ia this, "a can be- verified Mt
the office OF the city and county NJ.
SCISSORS: The Barber Asphalt Go. con.
tribute not one blessed cent either for
property, income, school, epecisl or
roll tax, nor have they ever done 80 In
this city.
rhs Culmer-J,nninge company, " no
propose 10 use wholly Utah material,
money and labor, have the following
record: The firm Itself, through its IN.
dlvidual members, pays city, county,
territorial, school, special and poll
taxes, amounting to about $3.50 PET
year. Besides this they are principal
Stockholders In the Mountain Stone
company aud Wasatch Asphaltum
company, whose products II Ia pro.
pQxed TO use II the contract l. awarded
tothem. Other stockholders In these
companies are such well known heavy
taxpayers ms Elias Morris, j. II.
Rumel, s. j. Lynn, John Beck ond
others. To be brief, have estimated
that these people have, In the past
twenty years, paid more money In
taxes alone than this whole award
amounts 10. This 10 remarkable
showing, and if'taken into considera.
ton by the "powors that be" ought
surely TO Influence In favor OF the
Culmor-Jenniugs company, as against
any Of the other bidders.
IL. @. JAMES.