The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-03-03
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
Joint Committee Appointed to Inves
tigate the Work on the Later
Sewers.
Engineer WOrley Tenders His ltesig-
nation and IL Is Laid on
the Table.

The city council meet in special ses-
sion at 10 o'clock yesterday to discuss
the lateral sewer troubles. Present,
Mayor Webster, Aid. Tracy, Cornelius,
Randall, Jensen, Gaunt, Cleeland,
Burghardt, and Clerk Leslie. Aid. Car
rier was absent.
Mayor Webster stated that the object
of the meeting was to appoint a commit
tee on behalf of the council to act in
conjunction with similar committees ap-
pointed by the board of trade and Labor
union to fully investigate the condition
of the sewer pipes and make such rec
concentrations as they deemed necessary
in regard TO the completion of the work.
Clerk Leslie read the following letter
of resignation from City Engineer Wor-
ley:
ITO the Mayor ard Common Council
Gentlemen: ] hereby resign my Office
of city engineer. q. b. WoRLEY,
City Engineer"
Alderman Burghardt moved hat the
resignation Of the city engineer be laid
on the table until the result of the inves-
tigation now about to be made by a gen.
eral committee be finished and laid be-
fore the council for its action. Adopted.
Alderman Tracy moved that Deputy
Engineer Swearinger be placed in charge
of the engineers office during the sus-
pension of Mr.. Morley or until another
engineer is appointed. Adopted.
Tho committee of investigation was
authorized to call to its assistance other
engineers if necessary.
Clerk Leslie read the following COM
municatlon from Mark Tuck. the sewer
contractor:
GREAT FALLS, Feb. %, 1882.
To the Honorable City Council:
Gentlemen: AS you have doubtless
understood before, or Feb. 10Th some of
the men in my employ conceived the
idea that was not paying them sufficl,
emf wages.
At the time | vas paying them 81 per
day for nine hours work, or 1925 for ten
hours work. i felt that this wa the
best compensation / could afford under
my contract. My refusal to accede to
their demands is the cause of the pres
ent trouble SO far as they are concerned.
OF course it would hardly be expected
that | could see every joint connected,
especially when the board will consider
the severe weather through which we
have passed.
The motive that has prompted the
men in this fight upon mt is not so
much in the interest Of the public good
as it has been to force me to pay higher
wages than | could afford to pay. The
work may not have been strictly in COM
pliance with terms of the contract, but
| think impartial Judges will agree with
me that it is a substantial compliance
with it's terms, The men are as much
to blame in this case for the appearance
cf one or two joints as | am, if not more.
So with confidence | expressed a will
ingness to the council to examine any
place, but they having done all the work
knew where to find the defects. | did
not.
In regard to the city engineer, in all
work he has inspected of mine for the
city. | always thought ne was exacting
in his demands.
In regard to my contract with the city
| will make all reasonable corrections
and amends, and see that the rest of the
work is in strict conformity to the speci-
tications, and am ready under your d.
rection to proceed with the same. Yours
truly, Mack Tuck,
By Huelster.
The mayor and assistant engineer
were authorized to employ inspectors
to examine work hereafter done by the
contractor on the sewers. 1t was the
general opinion of the mayor and alder
men that the work on the lateral sewers
was a bad job, but the matter WAS left
in the hands of the general committee
to investigate and report.