The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-15
HOLDING BACK RELIEF
Solution of Water Problem De.
layed Without Good Cause.
HORSE PLAY ALL ROUND
CHAIRMAN dolly JACKS up
HIS DILAToRY CONTRACTOR.

When the taxpayers were asked to vote
&C., the water BOMBS they were induced
to believe that no time would be wasted
in getting work started and finished on
the ,-arious improvements for the bet
terment Of the pipe distributing system
and for increasing the city's water sup
ply. Indeed, 1t was authoritatlvely de-
clared by the proponents of the bond
scheme that no attempt would be made
TO take any partisan advantage of the
fact that the administration would have
money to spend on public works during
the fall election campaign, and the pledge
was solemnly made that relief from con-
tinued scarcity of water would be per-
manently secured before the dry season
ended.
But now that the bonds have been
voted conditions are different. No rush
efforts are apparent to relieve the dis
tress of the people. The flow of water
into the pipe system is getting shorter
every day and the old trouble of imper-
feet distribution seems as far away as
ever of correction.
In the Grip of the Contractors.
Contractors are not being required TO
live up to the letter and spirit of their
obligations in the matter of completing
their work within specified periods, and
delays have been so common with regard
work in the line of solving the water
problem that the suspicion has gained
currency that small armies of men will
not be employed to rush the work in hand
and in prospect till Just before election,
Construction of the 100000 gallon dis
;ributing reservoir at the head of First
South street was the first work under
taken, long before the bonds were voted,
but il is not yet completed. month ago
the reservoir should have been ready FOR
use to catch and hold in reserve the night
overflow, and ii would have been had
the board of public works lacked up
the contractors. Delay, with the con-
currence of the board, in ordering the pipe
connections is largely responsible for the
reservoir not now being in use.
Parley's Canyon Fiasco.
little has been accomplished in the
way of securing additional land and the
appurtenant water rights in Parley's can
yOn for the purpose of increasing and
purifying the city'S flow from that source.
1t is true that some purchases of can
yon ranches have been made and others
agreed upon, but the mayor and the city
councils finance committee, who have
this matter in hand, appear to be pur-
suing a policy OF diScounting the future.
Whenever a purchase is made or agreed
upon the water in Parley'S creek is re-
ported Immediately afterward to have in
creased in volume in consequence o. pro-
curing additional rights for the city, but
in few days thereafter the ranchers
are permitted to divert the city's water
again and the flow into the pipe system is
again decreased
These aggravating incidents are of sucn
frequent occurrence that people are be-
ginning to wonder strange things about
Land and Water Commissioner WeSter-
field, whose duty it is to protect The
eity's interests AS things are going it
looks to observing taxpayers as if the
Parley's canyon ranchers are playing
horse with the commissioner, the mayor
and the finance committee.
Faith Broken Here
A fun month has Iapsed since the ad-
the project to utilize canal water for
sprinkling the streets. With plans and
specifications from the city engineer TO
carry into effect, Chairman Dooly of the
board of public works and Chairman
Canning of the council committee on
street sprinkling were authorized to so
licit bids for taking up about 10000 feet
of twelve-inch kalamein pipe, which was
used to convey sewage across
the river before the gravity sewer was
built, and which will be used fer mains
from the canal But 1t was not till yes
terday that the bids were reported to
the board and a contract let for the,
work.
The delay in this matter has been so
great that it is admitted that nothing
can be accomplished to benefit the city
this year Lateral pipes, MIGRANTS and
other connections must be ordered and
the work done by contractors, but moth
ing in a preliminary way even has been
done yet in this regard.
Moran's Derelictions.
Probably the most fragrant instance of
the dilatory tactics of contractors, the
board of public works and of the council
- with reference to p. J. Moran's con-
tract TO furnish and lay series of mains
and feed pipes in the eastern and north
western parts of the city, at A cost of
about 100000, for the Improvement of the
system The contract was
let on May s. but fourteen DAYS passed
before the council ratified it. Time and
again, as The Herald has reported, Engi-
neer Kelsey has called the boards and
the mayors attention to the fact thar
the contractor has been derelict in no.
having his pipe on the ground and work
as the contract required, but
the engineers warnings have been
ignored.
Yesterday, however, Chairman Dooly re-
summary action in lacking up Con-
tractor Moran. This action was in his
sending to the contractor a notice that
the city would hold him and the sureties
On his bond to The strict letter of the con-
tract for failure to complete the work con-
traCted for by the time agreed upon. In
aSmuch as Chairman Dooiy's company is
the surety on Moran's contract bond the
chairman placed himself in the attitude
Of writing q letter giving himself notice
that he would be held responsible for the
failure 10 get move on"
Notice Not In Due Form.
Chairman Dooly's action is not in ac-
with the requirements of the
contract. and it is believed that Moran
can, with no risk to himself or his surety
ignore the chairman's threatening notice
But il is presumed that the chairman
knows what he is doing, for ne had OBJ
tanned an opinion from the city attorney
as to where liability would lie in the event
that the municipality. through the chair
man of the board of public works did
thus and so and the willy contractor fol-
owed suit when the chairman signaled for
trumps
To date Moran has laid only $50 feet of
Iwelve-inch pipe and 200 feet OF six-inch
besides eXcavating for about 500 feet of
the larger size. His contract calls for
about 30, 0o0 feet of pipe-laying, and that it
must be completed by Sept l. In the
days that his contract has
been in force he has done less than per
cent of the work. Seventeen days more
are due him under the contract to do the
remaining 81 per cent of the work
But the contractor declares that he will
have the work completed at the date re-
quired and, that he will ask for no extern
sion of time. Even the members of the
board smile at the absurdity of the propo-
sitiOn.
Accounting For the Delays.
Some time ago it was alleged that the
reason for Moran's delay in starting work
under his contract was that he could not
raise the $4,000 required for the pipe, but
? h. II