The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-07
NO CAUSE on ACTION,
The Mayors Water Pipe Veto
Now a Total Wreck.
EVERYBODY Is ENUMERATED
Broadside OF Refutations and Con-
tradictions in the Council.

A Five Hours Session, With a Verdict of
"Not Guiity''-Rhodes Bros Accuse
the Mayor of Stating Untruths
So Say They All.
The mayors veto OF the water pipe con-
tract cost the city council five-hours'
wrangle and the taxpayers 500 in cash
last night. Everybody accused by the
mayor OF wrong doing was exonerated, as
matter of course, with the exception of
President Loofbourow, whose case is re-
served for special committee.
Following are the proceedings of the
five hours session, and the work accom-
plished could easily have been done in an
hour.
After the meeting had been called to
order the recorder stated that the minutes
of the meeting OF December q were lost
at the last meeting, but that he had re-
produced them. They were then read and
approved, as were also the minutes of the
last meeting. The following proceedings
were then had:
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
Kelly, the council resolved itself into
committee of the whole to investigate the
matter of the mayors veto of Rhodes
Bros. contract for furnishing certain
water pipe.
Beardsley was selected chairman of the
committee, and President Loofbourow
then moved that the investigation be had
with open doors, which motion was car
ried.
p;oh r,o,,o5 +bo+ +bo ,ooor5o, wood tho
mayors communication, and the chair
man so directed. In connection with the
mayors communication letter was also
read from the Colorado Coal and Iron
company to the mayor, In which they
agreed to furnish the pipe for which
contract had been entered into with
Rhodes Bros. for the sum of $3.50 per
ton, so cents less than the contract. They
also stated that they had not been invited
of the contract. The letter bore date of
Dec. 20.
RHODES BROS. ROAST THE MAYOR.
The following sworn statement of
Rhodes Bros. relative to the purchase of
pipe was then read:
To the Honorable President and City Council:
GENTLEMEN-We beg leave to submit to your
honorable body the following statement Telat-
~ - -.
referred TO by his honor, the mayor, in his veto
message of the Sd inst.
Last spring we entered into contract with the
Colorado Coal and IRON company OF Pueblo,
Colo, purchasing OF them at a stated price per
ton the entire output of their mill for the year
1892. Last August your committee called Tor
bids for $50 tons of siX-inch pipe.
our bid was the lowest, and we at once di
rected the Colorado Cobl and from company to
man ufacture ali the six-inch pipe possible. The
contract was not awarded TO us until some
woo lie lafa 70 her an c-dGr Vyitb
the Colorado Oal and Iron company for $50
ions and with an eastern finn an order for 400
tons At about that time tue Colorado Coal
and Fuel company purchased the entire plant
of tie Colorado Coal and Iron company. The
former firm ignored our contract and declined
to iii the oraer We at once commenced suit
for violation of contract and paced with other
mills orders Tor pipe 10 complete the contract
The pipe has been SLOW in contnL in, tut
enough has been shippea TO complete tie con-
tract and is now being received by the city.
We have furnished the pipe faster than IL was
required for use, so that the city has suffered
neither loss nor inconvenience by the delay.
We purchased fifteen cars OF pipe from firm
with whom we had not dealt before. IL was
shipped subject TO inspection here. and to be
paid for if accepted, as shown by enclosed let
ter. These cars were wrecked while enroute
here. Before the arrival OF the same we notl
fed the Superlntend nj OF water works, and
asked him to inspect the pipe We also, after
its arrival, stated the facts to mayor, and
asked him to have inspectors appointed TO ex-
cracked or otherwise damaged, which he did.
And allpipe not sound and up 10 standard was
The attached certificate shows that the ship
ment was wrecked. That eighty-four pieces
were totsl loss. and that the inspectors who
examined the pipe here found thirty-sX pieces
cracked and unit for use.
THE MAYOR PREvARIoATED.
His honor's statement that portion OF the
order for $50 tons was furnished by the Colorado
Coal s. Iron oompany, is not true. That firm
did not furnish any portion OF the pipe for sa
order. After the above shipment of pipe had
been received and settled TO the satisfaction CT
all parties, his nonor, the mayor. invited US TO
bid on 800 feet of l6lnch pipe lately purchased by
the city. Showing that ne did not at that time
consider US irresponsible bidders that would
hunt up pipe which was not sala0le in other
markets. When our bid was accepted for s13
tons of pipe and before we entered into con
tract with your committee.
His honor the mayor, sent for our Mr.. @. B.
Rhodes, and stated TO him as follows: "Our
relations have always been very pleasant, ard
our business transactions satisfactory but 1
want to say to you that if you 60 into contract
with the WaterworkS committee, I will do all
that l can to keep you from getting your
money for the pipe,'' but very kindly re-
marked, that if The bids had been asked for
by myself, in the regular way, and if yours had
been the lowest bid, would have awarded you
the contract. -
Nothing was then said of US as being simply
irresponsible brokers, nor any fear expressed
that we would furnish pipe which had been
condemned elsewhere"
He further rema. ked, THAT even though the
council passed the contract over his Veto that
he would carry the matter into the courts and
keep US out of our money if possib g, and that
he would say the same thing TO Dennis. Long &
Co., they being the next lowest bidders
DIDN'T EMPLOY LooFsouRow.
Judge LoofbouroW has never in any sense of
the word acted as attorney for Us. Your com
mlttee demanded CT US that we comply with
our bid and go into contract. H IS honor the
mayor had already warned US that he would try
TO keep US from getting our money II we cid So
Knowing that Judge Loofbourow was familiar
with the municipal law OF the city. We asked If
we entered into contract would 1t be binding as
against.the city He explained that it would
be binding if approved by the mayor. if vetoed
by him it would be binding only after having
been passed over his veto by. two-thlrds ma
jorIty vote. We offered to pay him for his in
formation but he refused to take any compen-
sation.
We most respectfully submit that the facts
in the case do not show that We hunted UP in
ferior pipe which was lot saleabie in other
markets. and had probably been condemned
elsewhere, and attempted 10 dispose OF it under
contract with the city - On the contrary that
we notified the proper official Mr. Ryan before
the arrival of the pipe and asked to have it IN
specied. for the reason that If it had not been
accented by the city, we were not bound TO pay
for it,