The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-16


ditOr-MisceIIaaeOu Matters.
City Engineer F. c. Kelsey will in
the near future have to walk the car
pet in the council chamber. At last
nights meeting of the city council L.
G. Wilkerson, the well-known con-
tractor, filed charges against the en-
gineer, alleging incompetency and
usurpation of his office for private pur-
poses, and seeking to prosecute others
at the expense of the taxpayers of the
city.
THE CHARGES.
The full text OF the complaint is as
follows:
Salt Lake City. September 10, 1896.
To the Honorable Mayor, President and
Members Of the City Council.
Gentlemen-I most respectfully call
your attention TO the within charges
against +. Z. Kelsey, city engineer, and
petition your honorable body TO grant lie
hearing and investigation at your
earliest convenience.
+. Z. Kelsey IS now using public Of
hce Tor a private purpose, and seeking to
prosecute others a. the expense Of salt
erS.
on April 4, 1896, l was the lowest bid
der on the Fifth South street sewer. The
board of public works awarded me the
contract, but Mr.. Kelsey recommended
the sewer committee TO reject the con-
tract and re-adVertlSe for BIDS, which
was done On April q, 1886, l was aSa4n
the lowest bidder and was awarded The
contract.
Mr.. Kelsey has from the beginning de-
layed me and caused me much unneces-
sary expense in every way possible, all
for no purpose except to crafty his ami
mostly. He has refused me stakes for
days at a time, and frequently removed
them after they were set. In making
partial estimates, he has only estimated
50 per cent of the work done when the
contract calls for all of it, and when
have asked him for copy of the est
mate which is customary to be given
contractors, he has positively refused 1t.
July ! he wilfully deducted SSSs.z6 from
my estimate, Notwithstanding the chair
man of the board of public works, A. +.
Doremus, tod him it would be breach
of contract and could not be done. tie
then remarked that if he could not hoiu
1t out that way, he would find some other
way to do it. He has compelled me to
use short-beiled condemned pipe be.ong-
ing to the city, contrary TO the speclnca-
tons, which, If it had been furnished by
me would have been Immediately reject
ed. And now, after L have taken great
pains with the laying of the pipe at an
extra expense, and made the best piece
Of work possible with it, and to ms IN
spector's entire satisfaction, he refuses
to accept it because | have been unable
/ to make it water-tight, which Is impos-
sible 1 have not been rendered an eSn-
mate for August although it was due
70 show Mr.. Kelsey's inconsistency and
prejudice, 1 call your attention TO the
fact that l was not allowed to run any
water through the sewer during the time
| the work was not in progress, but ne
granted the school board the privilege or
/ SO doing, and even now the volume OF
water is so great that they are unable to
connect.
l would particularly call your attention
to his incompetency in letting contracts
| The board of public works is in great
measure guided by the city engineer s
advice. At the letting of June 3, Tor gut
tiers to remove catch basins at lntersec-
tons of streets, l was the lowest BIDDER,
but through misrepresentation OF the city
engineer in regard to approximate guam
titles | was counted out. In other words,
the approximate quantities given Dy the
city engineer show Dan Gr-nlns pa
! 1895 the lowest; the Cuantltles IN the
! work show my bid about $1,000 the low
est. Again, my bid for paving Second
/ South street, July q, Of S16, T6l, was re-
! iected by the board of pubic works at
! Mr. Kelsey's special request as belng TOO
] high, Notwithstanding it was $2,60J unoer
! his own estimate and assessment Tor the
work and the property owners were very
anxious to have the work done and the
/ season for doing the work growing very
/ late. But the bid of A. L. Hobson for
doing the same work for $lS,122, August
I o. was accepted at the city engineer
( special request, as being under the estl-
mate and very reasonable, thereby caus-
ing a loss to the property owners Oh $I,5ol
/ to crafty Mr.. Kelsey's animos-ty.
/ In letting the grading for sewer farm
I F. Harrigan's bid for grading was Sl,lZo.
] The contract was awarded him ana ne
,-;o-
Paimerss and Dykes for $3.50. They
were anxious to enter into a contract for
/ the work, but City Engineer Kelsey con-
4 tended the bid was too high, ana recon-
mended the. city to do II py aay W Too a
! This work has now cost the city S4,l9o.t4,
showing a loss to the city and tax payers
of 81, 1904 to crafty Mr.. Kelsey's spite
against Messrs. Palmer and Dykes.
! MANY more nisuSes of his once ana
cases Of his incompetency might be given,
but in view of the above charges, most
! respectfully petition your honorable oody
! that as the property owners on Fittn
! school house, are very DESTROYS Of con-
/ Meeting with the sewer, and Mr.. Kelsey
/ will not allow me TO compete the con-
tract that you grant me an lnVeStgalloh
and hearing and If the charges herein
are sustained, that Mr.. Kelsey be re-
moved and a competent and honorable
man be appointed that will mete out JUS
/ tica TO all and not use the ONCE TOT
| nr;vate purpose, at the expense OF Inc
/ property owners and tax payers. Re
/ spectfully sumbitted, ,cl>,
Mr. Wiscomb moved that the com
nlaint be referred to the sewer com
roittee. to report at the next meeting
This met with some objection, the
time being considered too limited.
O,Neara said there was a regular
course to pursue in such matters. ;.
i : I,se- -11er 81 F1y1 y