The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-24
The Proposed Injunction Not
Yet in Sight.
EXCHANGE OF WATERS.
REPORTS FROM THE VARIOUS CITY
DEPARTMENTS.
Want Their Paving Rebates-DeIin-
quent Water Rates-SpriDISiinS in
District No. viii Probably BE
Defeated.

The promised injunction suit against
the city TO prevent the payment of the
$25, 900 allowance to the contractors on
the gravity sewer, has not materialized
and the indications are that it will not
be forthcoming at once. Even should
an Injunction now be obtained it would
apply to but $4,000, the authorized pay
ment of $4,000 having been made yes
ter by the auditor and treasurer. In
accordance with the actions of the city
council the $4,000 initial payment was
placed upon the appropriation list and
this list was approved by the mayor.
There remained nothing for the auditor
to do but issue the warrant for the
amount, upon the request of the con-
tractors, and within ten minutes of its
issuance the paper was in the hands OF
the bankers with whom the contractors
do business. The warrant was paid
by the treasurer during the day.
1t is understood that the lack of the
necessary bondsmen is the cause of the
failure of the worl1ingmen to file the
petition for an injunction. The papers
have been prepared for two days, but
sureties in the amount required by law
were not so easily secured. The MEM
bers of the organizations which have
Joined issues in their fight against the
very low wages now being paid by the
contractors, still contend that inasmuch
as the original contract was figured
upon a basis of not less than 81 per day
and the contractors have been more
than reimbursed the laboring men
should not he held up, for they say the
present methods OF the contractors are
little short of actual hoidup. They are
a;fx
and this failing the case is to be called
forcibly TO the attention of the tax
PAYERS. There seems to be a growing
sentiment against the schedule adopted
by both the contractors and the sub
contractors. These latter are paying
but $3.50 per day and make no preten-
lions Of higher wages. Of course, they
took the contract for the excavation at
what would be ruinous figures in ordi-
nary times and the workingmen are
naturally the sufferers.
The amount to be paid in wages Is
not the only unsatisfactory regulation
made by the contractors. Another Is
the time Of payment. Only one pay day
per month and that on the 10th of each
month is the rule and in making known
their opposition to this the laborers
point out that they are in debt, have
exhausted their credit and have moth
ing in the laTders. The contractors
will receive selni-monthly estimates and
there seems to be no valid reason why
the laborers should be forced to wait
a full month for their meagre compen-
sation.
The contractors still contend thai
they have no intention of depressing
the workmen and will pay just what
the N an are worth to them. Hundreds
of applications have been made, to-then
for work and the applicants have eX
pressed their willingness to go on The
work for S1.25 if necessary. This, how
ever, only brings more forcibly to the
front the awful condition of the ma
5ority of the poor in the country.
Sixteen carloads of cement have beer
received on the upper end Of the work
and others are coming in at the rate
of two per day. The Utah Brick as
ISOLATION is delivering 10000 brick daily
all of good quality. The cement test:
thus far have proved very satisfactory
none of the material having been con
demned.
Very good progress is being made
with the work, in the neighborhood o
100 men now being employed. The
third gang of bricklayers will be put OF
Monday morning.