The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-21
Republican Candidates Hostile to
Salt Lake Workingmen.
BUCKLE AND ROBERTSON
WANTED LABOR PERFORMED
BY IMPORTED HoBoEs.
How These Republican Candidates,
Assisted By Other Republicans,
Deprived Salt Lake Laborers of
Employment and Stopped I'm
provements to Water System.

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Since the convention which nominated
the candidates who are now running
on the Republican ticket, the members
of that party, and especially those most
deeply interested in the success of the
organization, have suddenly developed
a lively and unusual interest in the af-
fairs of the common people, that is to
say, the laboring classes of the city.
The cry now is that all home work
should be given to home workmen and
all that sort of thing.
Time was, and not so very long ago,
either, when the party was not so anx-
ious for home Workmen to do the labor
incident to the improvement of the city.
Especially is this true of the three Re
publican members who now occupy
places in the municipal legislature, two
of whom are seeking reelection.
Republican Record
1t will be remembered that during the
| course of improving the water system
of the city, which was in progress last
spring, that pipes were being distribut-
ed by Superintendent Game, acting un-
der orders of the city council, the task
being performed by bona flde residents
of the city, by days work, instead of
having the same let by contract. The
Republican board of public works, be-
ing DESTROYS of distinguishing itself in
some direction on April 10 filed pro-
test with the city council, in which 1t
insisted that it was the proper body
to attend to all this work, and that the
same properly belonged with it, the
meaning of the board being that it
should take charge of the matter and
let the same by contract. When this
! petition or protest was presented it was
Immediately championed by Robertson
and Buckle, who were the only Repub-
licans present on that evening. Fern
strom Immediately opposed it, and was
followed by other Democrats of the
council, with the result that the docu-
ment filed by the board was tabled by a
vote of II to 2. The two who voted
against tabling the protest of the board
, ana thereby declared themselves in IA
vor of having work done by contract
| IN which a foreign contractor stands as
good chance as a local man, to the
exclusion of the labor of the city, the
men who support the government and
Who pay the taXes-were Robertson and
Buckle, the two champions of the in
terests of labor in this campaign on the
Republican side
Every other member of the council
present on the occasion alluded to voted
in favor of the performance of the
work by the laboring men of the city
as against the contract system.
Stopped the Improvements.
The matter might have been left in
allegiance had not three champions of
! the board turned up in the persons of
! w. a. Nelden, John Z. Dolly and j. r.
! Walker, three leading Republicans, who
took the matter into court and asked
for writ restraining the superintend-
ent of waterworks from continuing the
work until it could be determined
whether or not the council was in the
right This case was heard and a de-
| cision rendered on June g. in which the
court ordered the writ issued.
AS soon asthis action was reported to
the council Councilman Robertson was
on his feet with a prepared resolution
in which he asked that the city super
! intendent of waterworks be stopped and
/ the matter of making contemplated i'm
proVements in the pipe distribution
system by day labor cease, and the
/ subject was referred to the board of
public works, with instructions to pro-
/ coed.
Voted For Contract Labor.
! The Democrats interposed an objec-
ton to this method of procedure, and
asked that the matter be sent to the
committee on municipal laws, which
motion prevailed, but not until after
Diehl, Robertson and Buckle had inter-
posed vigorous objections. These OBJ
jections were reinforced with their
votes, and they are on record as once
more having voted for contract labor as
against the day labor of the city.
1t was the sense of the Democrats on
the floor that the decision should be
appealed from. Democrats commended
that the decision was against public
policy and wrong from a standpoint of
law. In fact, all the members of the
council, save the three Republicans,
went on record at that time as oppos-
ing the plan of the board of public
works to the exclusion of the citizen
laborer of the city; the poor man who
needs the work. with the proceeds of
which he could support his family.
Opposed the Appeal.
On Tuesday evening, June IA. Messrs.
Wallace, Fernstrom and Weller brought
in report to the council, in which they
recommended an appeal from the de-
cision of the court. This was immedi-
ately contested by Robertson, who was
on his feet almost before the reading
had finished. He was heartily support
ed by Buckle and Diehl, who were none
the less earnest than he that the board
of public works should have charge of |
the matter to the exclusion of the day |
lahorer. When charged with entertain |
ing a sinister desire in favor of import
ing hoboes here, so they could vote
them at the election this fall. Robertson
was silent. The three Republicans sub |
mitted a minority report, which was /
killed and the report of the majority :
adopted, with the three Republicans I
voting against it, again voicing by their I
votes in the council their sentiments in |
favor of contract labor as against day |
labor
The case is still pending on appeal, /
that appeal having been brought about !
by the direct efforts of Democrats, and
always against the protest of the Re
publicans, Buckle, Robertson and
Diehl.
Opposed to Day Labor.
But this is not all On Tuesday. May
p when the matter of purifying the
water supply in Parley's canyon was
brought before the council, Robertson
was the man who arose to oppose the
same being done by days work, and
favored a reference of the matter to the
board of public works. He was sup
ported in this by Diehl and Buckle. who
have ever gone on record as being
against any and everything which will
give the labor of this city a chance ia
do the work, instead of letting the
same by contract to men who viii inn
port men to perform the jobs. On this
occasion the committee having the mat
ter in charge declared in favor of day
labor. Democrats. and among them
Councilman Barnes, now candidate for
mayor on the Democratic ticket, made
a vigorous effort in behalf of the re- /