The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-03
SEWAGE PUMP CONTRACT.
Will the Mayor Enjoin Payment Of the
Contractors?
Trustee Davis Holds That the rloney
Was in the Fund Before the La
biIity Was Incurred.

Mayor Hubbard has signified his in
tention to bring suit to enjoln Camp
bell & Son to prevent them from get
ting their pay for running the new sew
age pumping plant under the contract
which was awarded to them over the
Mayors veto for $S,745, they having
taken possession of the plant and pc
gan to operate it, under the protest or
the Mayor
He bases his action on the clause OF
the charter that declares no indebted
ness can be incurred against fund
greater than the amount in the 1unu
at the time such indebtedness was IN
CURED, and claims that the amount
in the fund at that time was only
$1,000.
Trustee Davis was seen by Rec
ord-Union'' reporter yesterday and
asked concerning the affair. With re-
gard to the Mayors contention" SAID
Mr.. Davis, Il will simply state that
at first the board transferred $5,OOO
from the general fund to the sewer
fund. thinking that would be plenty,
with what would subsequently come III
from taxes to pay the contract There
are many contracts entered into IN that
way, as money comes into the treasury
all the year round and is transferred
from one fund to another. as is neces-
sary
when the Mayor vetoed the con-
tract on that ground the board trans
ferred 1000 more to the sewer tuna,
making more in that fund than was
called for by the contract This was done
before the contract was ratified over
the veto, in order to overcome the
objection of the Mayor. The board
held. and still holds, that the contract
could not become an Indebtedness pc
fore it had either received the sigma
ture of the Mayor as we'll as That OF
the President of the Board of Trustees,
or had been adopted over his veto. II
never did receive the Mayors sigma
ture, as the law requires, before the
transfer of funds was made and the
contract adopted over his veto. AS
the transfer was made first and the
contract adopted over the veto AFTER
wards, we hold that we have complied
with the charter.
II do not think the Mayor has any
right to enjoin after he has surren-
dered the pumping plant into the hands
of Campbell & Son, and l do not think
that he ought to- as the city is making
a great saving by the contract.
1.-THE information furnished me shows
that last month it cost 81, 334 to run
the pumps, while as they are now run
ming. under the new contract, it costs
a little over 500 per month, a great
saving. 1 think the sooner the city
no
therefore, the better it will for it. Be
sides, the machinery has had hard
usage, l am informed, by the negli-
gence of the parties running it.
THE WATER WORKS.
I'm regard to the Water Works 1
think the board is willfully violating the
Charter in the matter of the Mayors
buying coal at retail without contract
1t has requested the Mayor to CORE
spond with the lone Coal Company to
| see if it is going to carry out its con-
| tract, but he has not done so. The
matter has also been referred to the
| Corporation Counsel with instructions
to correspond with the company.
| THE board is guilty of a willful vio-
| lation of the Charter in not advertising
| for coal. 1t is a wellknown fact that
the lone Coal Company's contract is
forfeited, as it has not furnished coal to
| the city. There has been a delay in adj
vertising because it is said the Mayor
! is figuring on buying new and cheap
| kind of coal, but if inferior coal is
| burned there will be a necessity for
the coal passers again, as the fireman
| can only take entire care of the boilers
when they are burning a good quality
of coal.
TT pays the city, l think, to have ex-
perienced men in the Water Works, as
a fireman who understands his business
| thoroughly can save three times his
wages by economic use of fuel. On the
other hand, if he does not understand
his business. the city will suffer a
great loss in fuel 1t therefore behooves
the city to have men that know their
business, and the Chief Engineer should
| know whether he has such men and
should make the men under him respect
him, and his word should be law in
every particular and no deviation al
lowed from it, as he is fully responsible
for everyt thing.
I'm order that this may be so he
should not be afraid to do his duty and
! should have board that will stand by
him in every particular when he is
| right, and sift to the bottom any com
plants he makes.
Il am utterly opposed to spending
any big amount of money on the Holly
! pump, as / have been told that it can
be run - per cent. cheaper by electrici-
ty than it is to-day and the cost Of the
motor would not be half as much as the
temporary repairs proposed to be made
on it now. If it can be done, it is much
| better to run it by electricity. l will
support anything that will save the city
% per cent