The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-04
Engineer Kelsey Sends An Abusive
Communication.
REM VARIABLE PRODUCTION
COUNCIL DECIDES THAT HE
SHOULD APOLOGIZE.
City Engineer Sends In Campaign
Document In Reply to the Coun-
cil's Vote of Censure-Document
Returned to the oficial-De-
nounced By Members.


city council yesterday with a bitter and
insulting letter replying to the vote of
censure recently passed against him for
his manner of handling the affairs of the
city engineers office. The letter was
read at the council meeting last evening
and created a brief breeze.
On motion of Mr. FernStrum the COM
nunication was referred back to Kelsey
with directions that he came before the
council and apologize for the insults con-
tanned in his letter.
The communication is a lengthy docu-
ment of five typewriter pages. After
stating that the purpose of the letter is
to make a statement public so that the
matter and the injustice of the council 3
action" the letter goes on IN this strain:
Council Was Unfair.
"The unfairness of men who. say we
make these charges against a. city onclai
but we deny him the right to nave ms
books checked: we reject his answer ana
the report of the experts who nave GER
deny him the right to have his answer
and their certificate appear upon the
same record as our charges, is apparent
to every right thinking man.
when my report was referred 10 the
finance committee. Mr.. Barnes made an
unusual effort to convince the members
of that committee that his statements
were correct but his malice and preJudlce
-
other members of the committee would
support him. but they voted to exoneIdte
the city engineer. Not one of you VINO
voted for the Barnes report nave ever eA-
amined the books of the engineering de,
partment. or know anything about them.
Mr.. Kelsey then goes on with long
rehash of the water supply question: ION.
which caused all the trouble. He says
that after the dry season OF 1873 ne ae-
cided to make surveys of the mountains
in order to find out what could pc cone
to increase 1t, and that ne applieo 1or
permission so to do. .
1.-The request was not granted, ne
saws. land L again asked for authority
20 proceed with the work, but 1t was &c
MED Later the object of the delay de-
yeloped when a report was submitted by
Messrs Howe Margetts, Weller and Sed-
don saving: We herewith present the
results of our investigations, ana tney
presented a plan to the officials who in
Sestigated the matter that required no
Surveys, no examinations 10 0eterl nm
that it was the most absurd plan thae
could possibly be conceived. t1nally, IN
October (When it was too late), the en-
gineer was instructed TO lnvestlgale
what the special committee thought was
their plan Thinking that me me liis force
lions had been given in good faltn, a iorce
was organized and the work begun.
Work Was Stopped.
Then, the letter goes on to say Az the the
work was stopped for fear it might re-
suit in credit to the engineer, ana a1ter
a months delay it was resumed at the
order of the council, only TO pc stoppeu
again shortly afterWard.
IA resolution was introduced in May,
the letter says, which l am informed anu
believe to be true, was prepared at lne
instigation of Mr.. Barnes, and that ne,
lacking the manhood to make an open
fight persuaded another MEMBER oL ehe
council to introduce 1t. rms resoffu tipi II
Stated that the estimated cost Oh inc
work had been exceeded. which was 1aise
and when this was shown, then otner
schemes were invented tor opstruCtHS
and DELAYING the work. which nave peen
continued. until another season IN, nn nrs
passed and it is too late to make import a7
ami measurements that should nave peen
made" - .,,+ +, 8
ter f1e weir in Big Cottonwood nau peeii
damaged by the floods, the city councll
failed TO provide for its repair, anu lilsi.
the CITY watermaster destroyed the weir
in the Jordan canal.
Insult to the Council.
He goes on: Il have spent a great oeal
of INV own time on this work. ana nave
been ready at all times to complete IL as
soon as could be done, and attend to the
other work of the departments, pul SOJd
who instructed me to 90 TINS Wolh III 10 20
who have in every possible way ttieu ; W
nreveng me from competing II, nopIIs
that If would be a failure, 1t is you VINO
are responsible for the delay; You nay ' { {
now concluded that this work sHoulu pe
cOmplefed, and nave OTueISu hiO ~ -
nit a report within four weeks answer
This question: If you have now declaea
that il is so important, why dldn you
find it out last summer, when the WoLA
could have been done and when IL snouiu
have been done? In this, as well as IN
every other important matter pertaining
to the city's water interests, you nave
sbswn an utter disregard for the clty 5
interests. which you cannot expialn::
And then again Mr.. Kelsey re-enumerates
his grievances.
This is his polite conclusion; i DO nor
criticjse the councilman whom nature mas
NOT endowed with ordinary intelllgence55
he is unfortunately to you who pretend
IN he men and who publicly prate OF your
honor and your duty to the taxpayers
Who have by wire-pulling, false state
ments and reports at last succeeded IN
putting through your scheme to lnJure
me, to you will say that your, a; act u.
and methods in connection with TINS mat
fer have been disf1onorable and IN every
way unworthy honest men. Why dld you
change your recommendation for removal
TO one of censure? This alone was an
admission that you were wrong. want
no halfway measures in this matter.
Go ON and complete the work that you
started. but were afraid TO finish. re
Spectfully, cr,x-