San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-20


stroying ingredients have been
passed by the consulting and sup.
cruising engineers as the "best
brick we ever saww
With a lavishness which puts
to blush the extravaganza of
| spendthrift heir, the sewer fund
has been dissipated until now we
are gravely informed that for lack
of means to prosecute the work,
miliage OF the system must be
reduced and some inside provi-
sions abandoned What has be.
come Of the unappropriated $45,-
| 206,42, which should be in the
fund after providing for all APP
propriatiOns known by the public
to have been legitimately made?
Now it is said that the mayor
and council will declare the con-
tract with the present contractors
abrOgated and proceed to complete
the work by day labor. God pity
the taxpayers IL such policy be
pursued. No particular impedi-
ment will be met with in annul-
ling the contract. In fact, no
legal contract exists or has ever
existed between the city and
Messrs. Wilding, Marshall, Back
US and Hines, and it is needless
to point out to any intelligent
man that they have acted on that
assumption and with a full knowl-
edge Of the fact. They are under
no bond to the city, and il the city
should unexpectedly seek to recov-
er indemnity for any shortcomings
upon their part, 1t would find the
Hindry incident repeated.
An irremediable error was COM
mitted in the management OF the
engineering phase OF the enter
prise. The services OF Mr.. Gray,
which have not been of the slight
est benefit or utility to the city,
were retained at an eXorbitant
salary including princely fees and
perquisites, while the supervision
of the work was entrusted to the
city engineer, who confessedly was
without the experience or practical
knowledge to intelligently under
stand or properly appreciate the
responsibilities OF such an under.
taking. The result, while hu-
initiating in the extreme, was
inevitable, and fully sustained and
corroborsted the numerous grew
some predictions made at tho
time.
Altogether, our grand theoreti-
cal system Of sanitary sewerage
has reached a most grave and I'M
enviable condition. The taxpayers
are confronted upon the one side
with threats from the mayor and
coancil to abrogate the contract,
and upon the other by threats
from the contractors to abandon
the work. Meanwhile, the tax
payers are face to face with
partially completed work-of
which they have not a particle OF
evidence that it has been properly
built and therefore may prove
worse than useless,-and a bank
rupt sewer exchequer.
Who Is to blame for this scan
dalous and unfortunate condition
of affairs?
The picture presented is not
pleasant one, but it is truthful in
every detail. The scene has shifted,
and the taxpayers are confronted
with disagreeable condition in
stead Of a bright and blooming
theory. After an inexcusable
apathy, they have at last aroused
themselves.
What do they propose to do?
The authorities cannot plead
ignorance. for they have been kept
fully advised Of the trend of affairs
through the public press, and from
the initiatOry step OF awarding
the contract up to this moment
have been placed on notice. Every
step in the progress OF the enter
prise, from the moment Of Illegal
ly awarding an illegitimate con-
tract,ha been commented upon, and
the prediction iterated and reiter-
ated, that an enterprise conceived
in fraud, born in illigetimacy and
nurtured in corruption, could only
have one fitting and appropriate
ending-disgraceful failure and
dishonorable dissolution.
What action does the taxpayers
propose to take? But perhaps be-
fore they decide upon any definite
course it would be best to await
the results OF the pending investi-
cation by the grand jury.
H. G. M.
In the fall of 1898 a son Of Mr..
T. A. Mcfarland, a prominent