The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-05
High-priced Sewer Pipe Forced On
Salt Lake.
KELsEY's LITTLE GAME
HOW CITY ENGINEER GETS
EVEN WITH BUSINESS HOUSES.
Taxpayers Compelled to Pay 40 Per
Cent More Than Pipe Might Be
Bought For-startling Discovery
Made By Councilman During
the Past Week.

People who pay the taxes in Salt
Lake and those who are assessed for
the payment of sewer extensions will
a councilman during the past week.
This gentleman has learned that great
unnecessary expense has been entailed
to the taxpayers by the worst sort of
extravaganza on the part of the city
engineer. Mr.. Kelsey is not charged
with dishonesty-only with such poor
business judgment that were he, and
not the city, paying the bills, petition
in bankruptcy might reasonably be ex-
pected. The disclosures show also that
Mr.. Kelsey has, during his entire adj
ministraticn, been making the city and
taxpayers foot big bills that are
entirely unnecessary. Ever since
he has been city engineer he has COM
PEELED the use of sewer pipe manufac-
tured in certain favored distant towns.
to the exclusion of that made nearer
home, though of equally good quality,
according to everybody with knowledge
on the subject.
| Since Mr.. Kelsey has been city engl-
neer all the sewer pipe used has been
brought by him all the way from st.
Louis, or even from more distant Min
nesota. All this time factories have
been in operation in Denver and Kan
sas City, making pipe that, under the
administration of Mr.. Doremus, was
high grade enough for Salt Lake, and
even now, in spite of Mr.. Kelsey's dis
favor, is being purchased largely by the
United States government, and by prac-
tically all the towns of importance in
the state tributary to the two towns,
including Ogden and Provo. This pipe
was used by the government between
-nr-f roIn
several places in the city.
Depends On Kelsey.
The reason this pipe-cheaper by rea-
son of less freight rates-is not used in
Salt Lake, is said, on the best author
ity, to be Mr.. Kelsey's sweet will. Only
this and nothing more. He doesn't like
the people who handle the pipe, and his
likes and dislikes are paramount to
the financial interests of the people,
the latter have to settle the difference,
chargeable to Mr.. Kelsey's infirmity of
temper.
The best illustration of how the peo-
pie are being mulcted in this respect is
afforded by a comparison of prices
quoted for pipe delivered here by the
different houses for the same quality of
pipe:
St Louis, eight-inch.. cents
Kansas City. eight-inch. Us cents
Denver, eight-inch. ....-.......20 cents
ST. Louis, twelve-inch. cents
Denver, twelve-inch. ..........-3l cents
The quality of pipe in every instance
is exactly the same. The difference in
cost is owing to the freight charges. st.
Louis pipe-that which Mr.. Kelsey has
used except when he has ordered the
purchase of Minnesota pipe-must pay
a freight rate of % cents per 100 pounds,
and Kansas City 81 cents per 100
fe-i
only 80 cents. st. Louis is distant from
Salt Lake 1,5s7 miles. Kansas City 1928, |
and Denver Cos miles, distances that |
presumably justify the freight rates, I
but certainly do not justify the prefer |
ence of Mr. Kelsey for the longest haul |
and the largest rate.
The last sewer pipe purchased and /
paid for by the city was bought in st. !
Louis. The two cars, according to the /
voucher asked by Mr.. Kelsey. cost the
city precisely $622.24. and though cost I
was paid, even thefdiScount was not de-
Quoted. Had both been bought at Dem
yer the cost would have. been s467. In
other words. Salt Lake paid in this one
instance sl55.24 in excess of what I
should have been expended. There are,
it is understood, four cars more of this
high-priced pipe on the way to Salt
Lake, so that the good work is being
kept up with a recklessness that no one
who had to pay the bills could display.
What Pipe Should Cost.
In order that no doubt might remain
of the Willingness of the Denver and
Kansas City houses to supply pipe.
quotations were asked from them by
wire yesterday. The following replies
were received
Denver, Colo. Nov 4.-Eight-inch
pipe, 20 cents per foot; ten-inch, 2S1a
cents; twelve-inch. 81 cents per foot
All double strength and two and one
half foot lengths with deep sockets.
Salt Lake delivery, subject to inspec-
ton, sixty days; 2 per cent cash; can
ship on receipt of order.
DENVER SEWER PIPE & c. CO..
kansas City. Nov. 4.-Will quote for
prompt acceptance, eight-inch, double
strength, deep socket sewer pipe. 26
cents per foot, car lots there good Of
)nce; see letter.
w. S. DICKEY CLAY MANUFAC-
TURING CO..
These prices are none of them for in ,
'erior pipe. All are of the quality of
excellence insisted upon. All the pipe
S subject to the most rigid inspection,
md if not up to the required standard
an be condemned. None condemned is
,aid for.
The gentleman who got together these
startling facts does not expect they y
will have any effect on the election. He
believes. however, that the people along
he line of sewer extensions and those
should know the facts:
mould know that the money they will
lave TO pay will. in part, be expended
o crafty Mr.. Kelsey's hostility to
lear-at- home sewer pipe He believes
.lso that people generally should learn 4
hat Mr. Kelsey's public pose as {
disinterested and blameless servant of