The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-27
Engineer Kelsey Anxious TO Com
plete 1t at Whatever Cost.
QUESTION OF EXPENSE
TAFFY FROM EXPERTS AND
CoUNCILMANIC FRIENDS.
Majority of Committee Against Com
pleting All the Survey Work I'm
til It Is Shown Limit of Allow
ance Has Not Been Exceeded
Minority Stand With Engineer

After making a nasty examination VI
the mass of data prepared by Cl.y En-
gineer Kelsey on the problem of larger
water supply. the special committee OF
the city council, appointed TO ascer-
tain whether the limit of allowances
for engineering work had been eX-
ceeded, devoted couple of hours late
yesterday afternoon in a futile attempt
TO arrive at a conclusion that the Whole
committee could agree upon. When
the committee arose to meet this even
ing 10 formulate its report to the city
council, three of the members, Coun-
cilmen Howe, Fernstrom and Weller,
unoualifiedly condemned the engineer
system of bookkeeping, While the MN
ority, Councilmen Robertson and wal
lace, stood in emphatic opposition to
the expressed sentiments of the ma
jority.
Scope of Water Surveys.
Before commencing the inquiry the
committee made an inspection Of the
engineers maps, profiles, field notes,
photographs, records of water rights,
elevations, reservoir site surveys, pro-
posed pipe lines, agreements for eX-
change of canal water for canyon
water, extreme measure OF streams and
all other data, completed and uncom-
pieted, relating to every source OF
water supply from Little Cottonwood,
Big Cottonwood, Mill creek and Par
leys canyons and Utah lake. These
matters, it was explained by Engineer
kelsey, either would constitute, in part,
his report or would form the basis
from which he would compile his find
ingS and recommendation OF how best
the city may increase the supply of
water permanently. The engineer said
l,n al nraRfipallV COM
pleted, and about all that remained to
be done, aside from procuring some ad-
ditional measurements of water, would
be the compiling of the data.
In closing. Engineer Kelsey said he
hoped the committee would recommend
that authority be given to complete the
work. He expressed the hope more be-
cause he desired to accommodate FL
wood Meade United States irrigation
engineer, who had requested blue print
copies of the typographical maps and
profiles for use in the government irri-
cation exhibit at Paris, and for copies
of the compiled data, at government
expense, for use by the interior depart
ment.
Work Commended.
The mention of this matter caused
Councilmen Wallace, Robertson and
Weller to commend the city engineer
the lIOIOuSHuCSS OL Ills NOAhs DIS
far as it had gone, and the belief was
expressed that the report would con-
tain a vast amount of very valuable
information to the municipality.
Councilman Robertson then moved
that il be the sense of the committee
that the engineer should be authorized
10 complete his report, but Councilman
Weller thought the motion premature,
and Fernstrom refused his assent until
It were shown whether the limit of the
estimated cost of about $1,000 allowed
for the work had been exceeded.
Robertson's motion was lost, only
himself and Wallace voting for it.
The committee then took up the ques-
ton of expenditures in the engineering
department, as reported by Engineer
kelsey to the city council on the 18th
inst, and covering the time from last
October.
Segregating Accounts.
Chairman Howe was of the opinion
that the engineer had no right TO run
expenditures up to the amount of the
regular monthly maintenance allow
ance. plus sums allowed by the coun-
ell for special work ordered done, plus
the earnings of the department for
work done for private parties, but the
engineer maintained that the procedure
was regular and fully authorized. Wei
anu Win
Howe, and the argument proceeded on
the lines of lit is" and 1T is not
The chairman finally sprung the
point that Engineer Kelsey had ignored
a request for more detailed information
on the subject of how authorized ex-
penditures We're apportioned to regular
work and special work, but the engi-
neer pleaded in defense that he had re-
ported in detail on all that the council
asked for. He added that he could not
do much more unless he took two or
three days time, and since he had ar
ranged to go at once on a vacation trip
for his health for three weeks, as the
council had allowed, he hoped the point
would not be pressed until he could
meet with the committee.
RoDertson's motion TO hold matters in
allegiance until the engineers return
was lost, and the majority of the COM
mittee concluded to meet this evening
to formulate a report to the council
On matters as they appeared.
1t is more than probable that the ma
5ority of the committee will report
against permitting the engineer to COM
plete his findings and recommended
lions on the water supply question, at
least on topics that are deemed to be
smmaterial, and because of the belief
hat the limit of estimated cost of the
Investigations and surveys has been al |
ready dangerously approached. if not |
exceeded The minority report will |
combat the recommendations of the |
majority.