The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-12
WHOSE JOB IS THIS?
Mysterious Methods in Handling the
Sewer Pipe Contract.
The Highest Bid Was Accepted and Con-
tract Approved by Majority Vote
Hardy Dlisled by Lawson.

Councilman Hardy is member of the
sewer committee, whose report in the
council Tuesday night created such 81
moon of debate and flow of eloquence,
and he spent half hour yesterday after
noon in explaining to HERALD reporter
how it was that he had signed report
submitted by his committee to the coun-
Gil, and afterward voted against it. He
said it was all on account of misunder-
standing of what Chairman Lawson had
said to him when asked to sign the report.
His understanding was the sewer was to
be on Fifth West street, instead of Fifth
South, and with this understanding
signed the report at the request of the
chairman without further investigation.
In substantiation of his action in voting
against the report, he said:
sit never will be of any use to large
number OF people, and is a needless and
highly extravagant expenditure of S14,-
GOO, for which there will be no return. 1t
is proposed to extend the sewer five blocks
east on Fifth South street, and will re-
quire this amount to do it. The report Is
entirely contrary to the advice of the city
engineer, who some time ago reported to
the council it would not be in the line of
public improvement and would be OF no
earthly account to anyone but the Salt
Lake brewery. An attempt was made to
railroad it through, for what purpose l
do not know. l have no axe to grind and
no interest in the matter, except desire
to protect the people l represent.
NOT THE LOWEST BID.
''Another thing. The report recon-
mended that the bid of Gladding, Nc
Bean & Co. to furnish the 14-inch piping
for the caxUar of IN nan+c T1ar foot he ar
cepted and the contract awarded them 1t
did not state, however, that the Denver
Terra Gotta company had offered to fur
nish 15-inch pipe for So cents per loot, the
latter having at least 80 per cent. greater
capacity than the former. Where the econ
omy comes in here do not see. Would
it not be better to contract for the latter
not be in the line of economy? The whole
proposition is absurd, and l am surprised
SO many members voted for it.
''If instead of stopping on Fifth South
the sewer were to be extended onto Ninth
South, then it would be in the line of
permanent improvement and would give
adequate sewage facilities to the entire
east bench. l am opposed to the PROPOSE
ton as it stands and will oppose it if it
ever comes up again.
Councilman POLAND was also corraled
by THE HERALD man. He, too, had made
no investigation and voted for it because
the report came from a committee.
ssThat is the only way the council as a
body can tell anything about good many
things which come before the council.
They are referred to the proper COM
nittee, who are supposed to know what
theysare doing, even if they do not, and
upon the strength of this supposition the
council usually adopts the report.
''I have not looked into the matter
closely enough to say just what 1 think
about it, but l want to xplain my vote.
voted in the affirmative when it was
first put and Simondi voted no. On the
reconsideration, those in favor of it
talked him over to their side. l did not
quite understand the proposition and
asked for reading of the report, which
was objected to, and then l voted no,
which left matters just as they were be-
fore.''
From the above talks, it will be seen
none OF the members were fully assured
OF the motive of the contract, and that it
was merely blind piece of business all
the way through.
But there is more to it even than this.
The report as it was first submitted was,
to use Mr.. Hardy's expression, ''all
bungled. 1t was not at all in accordance
with the requirements of the law and had
to be referred back to the committee to be
patched up.' Altogether the entire affair
has peculiar look.
As it stands now, the contract was ap-
proved by minority vote of the members
present, which adds to the complications.