Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-03-22
CITY HALL JoBBERY.

council lets some light into city nall
iobbery and discloses the general ten
dency to serve the people for all there
is in il aud tU rake in money hand over
hand wherever public business is con-
cerned.
Altogether too few persons concerned
with q public contract, or employed by
the public 10 any capacity, intend, II
they can help, to confne their pull to
what is honestly earned, or 10 specific
performances Of contracts. The first
effort Of thelr lives seems 10 be to get
onto the neck of the old man called the
Taxpayer, and the second to ride him
as long and as hard as possible.
The outside public has got very tired
of seeing The city hall and other jobs
worked by inside parties for all there is
10 them. The people seem never to be
sure who is behind contract, or who
Is milking the public COW ia addition
to the man hired to tend her, who, as
the result generally shows, was not
hired to serve the public who pay him,
but was some one elst's hired man to
begin with.
Alderman Murphy has peculiar
ideas to say the least. He employed
Mr., HarriId to build him house and
held Mr.. Harrild strictly to the terms
aud specifications of his contract. He
did not furnish him the money very
far in advance of his doing the work,
and did not stand between him and
his bondsmen. This same Mr.. Harrild,
who appears to be competent con.
tractor, an honest man, aud was also a
bidder on the city hall, is employed by
the city to see that the contract aud
specifications are actually lived up to.
Murphy seems to think this publ c
contract can be executed just as coIsc-
entiously as the building Of his owD
residence, aud that he a. alderman :
under some obligation TO be a. calefu
10 paying out other peoples money "a,
he was with his own. MIR. RigdoI il
also very embarrassing member OF
the city bali committee. He shou d
see that mathematics are out of place
IN city hall matters. 1t is easy to see
that these Views, II persist I'd IN and en-.
dorsed by the council, will work a great
hardship on some one. II is tue
under this system, the contractor will
get what is Justly due him, but there
will be few asides for outside material
men, or even interested members OF
the council II there hre any, aud 1HE
JOuREAL does not belieYe there are
any. Alderman Murphy IL not
alone In bis peculiar mossback
views MI Harrild aud even the city
hall COMMITTEES seem 10 be- tainted With
dsslre 10 prevent any jobbsry, and
Mayor Catch aud the whole city ooun-
oil seem 10 want ~ DO what is right Ia
the matter II they are not prevented by
some ooeult powers,
The present city ball COMMITTEES la
their report printed elsewhere la THf
JouhsAL SHOW the actual status Of
sIiai's sl prsssnt Their report IL q
fearless exposure of sIl thst has gone
sfong snd they sill &c nseted by sps
elIle isels ~ lhs tpori 80 90 shufloom
ipEs 10 ihs slsuhoslions nos uslny
p'spsisd ~ NJ iianld as supsnp
lsnasrl " construction iu bshalf " tbs
elly, hr iisfnia slii sl.ow thsi ths
foundation s Constituted ~ slons iu.
slsad ~ osasni olpeisls, although
so'1s eisin lhs npunul psfmitisd thl.
ehsngs ~ b. made hsmld vii
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es'ns ussa ies''sd VI slsrl uo, si,asg.
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