The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-31

The other side of the county investi-
cation is heard from in the person of ex-
Selectman Cahoon, who presents the
following denial. 1t is an emphatic,
explicit statement. square to the point
and sharply defines the issue.
The investigating committee will
doubtless accede to Mr.. Cahoon's re-
quest for an opportunity to be heard
in the light of past statements.
Salt Lake City, March 80, 1895.
To the Editor Of the Salt Lake Herald:
The selectmen and county attorney
are conducting an investigation with
! the general character of which the
public has become familiar through
! the reports of the press. and in which,
by the testimony of some of the wit
nesses, as reported. and by the insin-
uations contained in the questions of
the examiners, charges have been
made or implied rejecting on the con-
duct and tending TO impesch the hon
esty of the former selectmen, among
the number myself.
AS the conduct in question was mine
in public office to which l was twice
elected, it is not improper that
Should address a few words on the
subject to those whom I had the honor
to represent.
This is the more appropriate in view
Of the fact that although it has been
announced, by at least one of the in
vestigators, that to incriminate my
self and my fellow ex-selectmen is the
leading purpose and hope of the in
Quiry, no invitation nor opportunity
has been offered me or them to appear
before the county court for purposes
Of rebuttal or explanation, nor has
any explanation or statement been
sought from US privately or otherwise
by any of the Investigators.
So far as L may gather from tn,
newspaper reports of the proceedings
against me, the general charge as
contained in the insinuations Of the in
VeStigatorS and their witnesses is that
used my position as selectman to
make dishonest profits for myself in
various ways ait tIe expense of the
county.
The charge is false. 1 admit a pos
sible technical violation of the statutes
in this, that the county, without my
procurement or solicitation, purchased
small amounts of lumber from time to
time from the firm of CahoOn Bros.
Of which I am a member. l have TO
say of these purchases (all of which
were of small amounts, chiefly to sup
ply road supervisors in the repairs of
fumes, bridges, ETC.; Ffrst-That 1
never directly or indirectly suggested
or induced any of them, the supervis-
ors being left free in every case to Sc
lect the undergrad most con-
vehiently located for their work.
Second, that the county got full value
for every cent ii paid, and that oil
this lumber was obtained by it at the
regular market rates. The orders CT
the county court for this lumber were
drawn on Cahoon Bros. because their
yard, by reason of it's location IN the
country, was the most convenient for
some of the supervisors, and the latter
so nominated. I used no influence
whatever in the matter. Orders for
other supervisors were drawn on other
lumber yards in the same way. The
Salt Lake Pressed Brick company cor
poration, in which I am a stakeholder,
furnished small proportion Of brick
for the joint city and county building.
When this subject was first preached,
announced openly to the joint build
ing committee, of which I was a men,
Der, that I was a stockholder in the
pressed brick company, and for that
reason I would have nothing to do
with the award of any brick contracts.
The matter was referred to City Coun-
Gilman Mainland, who took sole charge
OF it.
The contract for certain of the brick
was made with the Brick Manufac-
turer's association, and the brick were
supplied to it by the Salt Lake COM
pany because no other company would
undertake to supply them. I used no
influence whatever and was in no way
instrumental in securing the brick con-
tract for the Salt Lake Pressed Brick |
With fhnGn two oXpnnfinnc T
have not committed even a technical
breach of the statutes prohibiting the |
members Of the county court from be- |
ing interested in county contracts Of
indeed these two cases are technical
breaches). In both of these cases I !
used no influence, directly or indirectly, |
that the county should buy the lum-
Der of Cahoon Bros, or the brick of !
the Salt Lake Pressed Brick company. |
it was the voluntary, uninfluenced &C
ton of the county court, the super |
visors and the joint building commit
tee.
And. challenge any one to assert |
that the lumber or the brick were not |
of the proper specified quantity or
quality, or that the county was over |
charged or in any way defrauded to /
the extent of one dollar, in either of |
these cases. The statement reported |
to have been made by one of the wit
nesses in this investigation that I was
interested in the Macadam Rock COM
pany or in their shale beds. is abso-
lutely false.
am not and never have
been directly or indirectly interested
in this company or any other COM
pany which has furnished any mater
ial for State road work nor in the
ownership or control Of any shale beds,
or quarries from which any of that
material was obtained. nor have I at
any time had any interest in any con-
tract pertaining to that work.
Mr.. Kilgore, the supervisor, was ap-
pointed on a petition presented by his
friends. I did not urge. nor even sug-
gest his appointment. nor even suggest
or further the petition. After his APP
pointment 1 recommended to him. as
matter of charity, the employment of