The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-15
WILSON HITS BACK.
The Superintendent Of Water
Works in Defense.
CHARGES AGAINST THE BOARD.

Commissioners q Psblis Wsrks Ae-
sassa - Txiekssy aaA Ineeopessnes
"A Littls I.siAs Hissssy.
The late superintendent Of the water de-
pafsmsnt. w. 4 Wilson, has written IN
opsn letter to the &axpayers Of Seattle in
defense Of himself He accuses the board
OF incompetency and other odenses. and
innmates that still more startling develop
menfs will follow. It 10 very desirable to
Know the truth, and the reform" admin
istration Is now placed in defensive atti-
tude. The letter Is - follows:
70 ne 1aEpoy~s u tAe CIV o. Scueae: sup
pose you have wondered Why have kept Glont
90 long on . subject OF % vital importance 70
yeo ana myself In regard to my summary dis
missai nom the supafintercency of the city
water department. By the board OF public works.
nave refrained from saying anything through
sne medium Of the press for the reason that
gave my word to worthy citissn that would
NOT 90 20 until he had made certain invsstiga-
uons, which are now completed, and have full
nieo my pfomise TO him. Now, gentlemen,
propose 70 give my side Of the story, and in
oOiug 20 90 not propose % say one word that
Can NOT euostant1ato In any court Of law. or to
the satisfaction OF any intelligent citisen Of Sc
atfle. The only charge that the board OF public
works has dared 70 bring against mo II that
bought more water pipe than the council or
oefsd. This cay b IN absolute and unqualified
falsehood. and 70 show how absurd such
charge y 70 any business man would ask is It
reasonable TO suppose that any business arm
knowing, - they did, and having hadlprsvious
transactions with the city that the superintsnd-
ens OF water works had no right TO buy one foot
OF pipe or one dollars worth Of supplies for the
city without authority from the board OF public
worksf Doss IL, say, look reasonable that any
urn would send $4,000 worth of pipe on the
order Of the superintendent? This Of itself 10
enough 70 brand the accusation ~ IN infamous
lie but In addition TO this win give you the
entire Transaction and then leave you to jndgo
Tor yourselves who are the responsible parties to
THIS srausaction. Some time in September, 1892,
. special meeting Of the city o6icers was
called ior the purpose Of dsvisins ways and
means 20 assist the many unemployed men who
had families suffering for something to eat
men who were daily begging for work to r.
neve their families. At the meeting both houses
Of the city council were well represented: also
the city treasurer, comptroller: think the cor.
pofats council and Others were present and
think these gentlemen have not forgotten what
passed and will bear me out In this statement
vas cited to appear and asked this question:
Can you uss any water pips to good advantagef
To this replied that could. and to Q
GOOD Advantage and . profit to the
city. was then asked what pipe I could use.
I informed that honorable body that would
have TO go over the chart to ascertain what
would b required 70 carry out the Benssette-
Williams plan. was ordered by that body to
DO 20 and report to the board of public works.
This did, giving that body the following list:
Three miles einch, 2 miles 6-inch. miles u
inch. mile. 10inch, and half mile l6.inch.
Az that meeting / stated that the city was pay
Ing too much money for pips. the lowest price
ever paid for cast iron pipe having been $30 Is
per ton. was asked II thought could do
better. to which replied that thought that I
could get pipe laid down In seattle for the sum
OF $s6 per ton from Oregon. After discussing
this matter pro and con for few minutes. on
motion, think Of Dr.. Kloeber, was instructed
20 take the matter in hand ard ascertain what
could DO In regard to the price Of pipe and re-
port the result to the comptroller, Nj. Canon.
On the following day. not feeling able to spend
the money nsceasary to 60 10 Oregon to make an
investigation, nor wanting to call on the city
funds for such expenses, Itelegraphed TO Port.
land TO the general manager Of the Oregon Iron
and Steel Company to come to Seattle. also
telegraphed to Tacoma to their local agent. Mr.
F. NJ. Caldwell, to come to Seattle. This ex.
pense was paid by me out of my own pocket.
Those two gentlemen having arrived stated to
them that the city was DESTROYS OF buy
ing quite . large quantity OF assorted
cast iron pipe. These gentlemen then asked me
how much and what kind OF pipe the city
wanted. then gave them copy OF the list a.
given TO the board OF public works a. above
stated. then l commenced to dicker with them
as instructed for low price and quick delivery,
these gentlemen using the memorandum that
had given them to figure from. After two days
backing and filling. cutting from one price to
another. about o'clock on the second day these
gentlemen came to me with the proposition to
take 33a 50 per ton for pipe delivered T. O. b. G. at
Seattle. said to these gentlemen that did
not think the city would pay moro than s35 per
ton, but for them TO make the proposition In
writing and would place 1t before the authori.
ties and sec what could be done, which they did.
turned the communication over to Mr.. Canon
a. directed and presume he turned 1t over to the
council, - l saw it in their possession few
days after this ] found that the council had
passed An ordinance authorizing the board OF
public works to buy 1000 tons. more OF less,
cast iron pipe from the Oregon Iron
and steel Company. OF Portland, Or.
And hero my connection with the
matter ceased. never saw the contract that
the board of public works made with the COM
pany. neither did have any knowledge Of what
they had ordered until the eight and onshal
miles Of pipe was nearly NIL delivered, when the
matter was called to my attention. ! com.
menced to 6gurs up ana when found that
had received tie amount a. per memorandum
given to the board, l ordered the company to
stop sending pipe. After ! had done this the
company shipped seven car loads of pipe, and
on Its arrival refused to receive it and so re-
ported to the board. and was sustained In my
action. The board had made q contract with .
tcamstey to haul all OF the pipe on its arrival.
aud contrary 10 my orders this man signed for
one car OF s!x-iueh pipe which came and was
included In the aforementioned seven cars and
he commenced and did unload one car before
found il out ! sent the foreman to the depot
with positive orders not to unload ano;he foot
OF pipe then tslegraphed to the Northwest.
ern supply Company. the agents OF the Oregon
Iron and Steel Company. at Tacoma, to come
over; that would not receive the seven cara OF
pipe. and he came the same day and went to
the board, or to Van Brocklin aud Cochran, and
in my presence requested those men TO receive
the seven cars Of pipe and store it, and the city
need not pay for one foot of same
uu,il the city wanted and used il, which
appeared 10 be satisfactory to them for they
then ordered me 10 receive and store the same
which Immediately ordered done. And for
every foot o! pipe received and checked before
the arrival OF these seven cars, the board had
ordered a requisition. and the same IL on fls in
the water Office. Now, ! ask the taxpayers OF
the city II thors wss any more pipe bought than
was wan.edr In the face OF the above who il
res pouslbis for II? Can il be possible that the
board of public works would stoop SO low 40 to
attempt TO lay any fault of the same a. my
door, but IL does seem that they are low enough