The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-17
BOARD IS IN A PICKLE
Ready to Try Conclusions With
City Council.
ENGINEER AN DIRECTOR
CONTRACT WORK DELAYED BE-
CAUSE DooLY IS Away.

aulnUIily 10 SGuelcn the DodGu dC-
tons whenever they run counter to the
councils judgment. The question this
time is with reference to the council
having disapproved the boards action
in letting a contract for a carload o.
water meters, at a cost of over $4,000,
TO the agents of the highest-priced me-
ter made, and ordering the board to
contract for the delivery of other me-
ters deemed by the council to be fully
as serviceable and accurate, but which
would cost water takers a third less
money.
Responding to a request of Acting
Chairman Fabian for an opinion as to
the law defining the powers of the
board. and of the council in the premi-
ses, City Attorney Stephens came for
ward with a statement Of his conclu-
sions. His opinion was to the effect
that because the council, in ordering
the purchase of meters, failed to specl-
fly what kind should be contracted for,
it could not disapprove the boards ac-
tion in accepting thc bid for Worth
ington meters and OISer the acceptance
Of bids for other KINGS of meters with
out resembling the resolution which
failed to mention any particular kind
of meter If the council is still deter
mined to buy lOwer-psiced water meas
urers of the kind tie board believes
should be bought, the only way out OF
the difficulty, the opinion advised, is
for the council to state in a resembling
resolution just what il wants, but this
course would neceSSitate a readvertis-
ing for bids.
Discussed in Secret Session.
City Attorney Stephens light on the
subject afforded the board an excuse
for holding an executive session for
nearly an hour to discuss the plan OF
procedure in locking horns with the
council on the meter question and some
other matters that will soon draw the
two wings of the municipal admins
tration farther apart. The conclusion
reached was that the councils atten-
ton should be called to the city attor-
ney's opinion, indicating that the board
has thrown down the gantlet to the
councilmanic body.
With eshis vexing question of meters
temporarily out of the way, the board
in open session proceeded to consider
several matters relating 70 public work
now in course of construction or soon
10 be commenced by contractors. At
nearly every turn il was apparent that
the board members did not fully ap-
preciate where they were at. and that
Chairman Dooiy's return from the east
would have to be awaited before any
thing like smooth sailing could be ex-
Dected.
To add to the complexity of the situa-
ton the board is. without the advisory
services of the city engineer who, ever
since the attempt was made Ito run"
him and his engineering recommended
tiOns were UNDECIDED, attends the meet
ings only when invited. His business
with the board is transacted in written
communications, promptly answering
every inquiry from the body which has
given evidence of its belief that it can
deal with smooth contractors to the
public's advantage, without advising
with the city engineer on technical
questions.
It is known, however, that Engineer
Kelsey is disinclined to interfere with
the board in the exercise of its pre-
negatives, but he insists that the board
shall not NEEDLE with his engineering
affairs which he claims are defined by
law separate from the boards lawful
authority.
Engineer Kelsey Calls a Halt.
When two letters from Engineer
Kelsey were read at the open session,
calling a halt by the board for chang
ing his specifications of the quality Of
pipe to be ordered from contractors for
laterals, a look of disapproval broke
over the countenances of Messrs,
Fabian and Farnsworth. Mr.. Clawson
protested that there surely must be
some very good reason for the city
engineer Directing to the changes made
in his specifications.
In both letters the engineer stated
that the board had exceeded its author
ity in changing his specifications,
which, when the work under them is
done. will call for estimates by the
engineer of the money TO be paid to
contractors. The particular section of
the ordinance alleged to have been
violated was pointed out in the com
municatiOns.
The engineers letter referring to
sewer pipe specifications was filed to
be considered when DoOly comes
home" but the clerk was directed to
give Engineer Kelsey courteous notice
of the receipt of his protest. But"
added Acting Chairman Fabian, let
me see the letter to the engineer be-
fore you send it."
The Milk in the Cocoanut.
Pat Moran. who has a contract with
the city for extending water laterais,
made a spiel" TO the board that the
specifications for water pipe should
stand as the boar had changed them,
since to let the engineers advice pre-
vail would mean less dollars IN the
contractors pocket.
Clerk J. NJ. Whitaker, whose business
until lately has been preaching the Cos
pei and writing life insurance policies,
chipped in frequently with a statement
that Engineer Kelsey had done this or
that, or had not done as he thought
the engineer ought to have done. his
cd
ingly by the board members. When
comparisons were made in the specifi-
cations, it developed that the clerk and
not the engineer had drawn the forms
which the board is using for contract
ors. For this work Clerk Whitaker has
the board ribbed up to the point OF
asking the council to increase his sal
airy to 800 a month.
If the engineer had been present at
last evenings meeting and heard the
boards clerk knock" him, it is a safe
bet that there would have been hair
pulling match
The board was about to file the engi-
neer's second letter until 'DOoly comes
home" but it was concluded that the
better way would be to invite Mr.. KEEL
sey to attend the next meeting TO ex-
plain what the board has failed to COM
prehend about changes in specifica-
lions.
Why Work is Delayed
Engineer Kelsey was heard from
again. to the evident displeasure of the
board. This time the communication
made the apt inquiry of what was the
reason for the Green & Reeve company,
contractor for the extension of the pipe
line from Parley's conduit to All Hal
lows college new grounds, not COM
pleting the work on time. The work
should have been completed on June J.
but delays have occurred on account
of the rejection by the engineer Of in
ferior pipe No work has been done on
the pipe line for a long time, because,