The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-05
WORKED A CITY GRAF I
WaterwOrks Payroll Hung Up
For Investigation.
HARD JOLT FOR "JODEY."
OFFICIALS INTEREST THEM
SELVES TO STOP THE GRAFT.

All of the several hundred subordi-
nate officials and employees of the mu-
ncipality, excepting the half-hundred
wage earners in the waterworks de-
partment, received the balance of their
July pay yesterday Naturally the Wa
terworks boys were a sore lot when
they saw all of the other patriots get
ting paid and their own stipends hung
up An assurance that they had pay
day coming was not at all satisfactory
to the disappointed ones.
Following a long established custom,
all or the department pay rolls were
sent to the chairman of the respective
committees of cOuncilmen late Friday
afternoon for approval. The rolls that
were thus approved were then sent TO
the nnanee committee and the mayor
Tor counter approval, but it was at
the outset that the waterworks roll
tailed to pass muster before Chairman
Davis of the committee having this
department in charge
Councilmanic Objections.
Councilman Davis has not been long
IN the shoes of his predecessor, Former
councilman Gemmell, but his aCquaint-
ance with business customs and po-
nucal proprieties convinced him that
Jodey Eldredge, the clerk of the wa
terWorkS DEPARTMENT should not draw
S26.25 in addition to his regular salary
of $40 for extra work. during the last
half of July Chairman Davis also OBJ
Jected to superintendent Hines son be-
ing credited on the roll for a similar
amount Of extra time and he concluded
TO withhold his approval of the depart
ment pay roll until at least some good
reason should be advanced why he
should give in.
AS soon as Jodey, the clerk. and Su-
perintendent Hines learned of the snag
that had been struck, they FASTENED
to Chairman Davis with lot of eX-
plantations. The superintendent stood
by his pay roll on the plea that he
would never consent to clerks not of
his choosing to write I'D the water as
sessment rolls. He had confidence in
the ability and integrity Of his son and
his clerk to do the work right, and he
added the work on the tax rolls was
done after office hours and at nights
The cost this year would be less than
it was before, and he wanted the ar
rangement whereby extra time is al
lowed continued till the work was COM
pleted.
Overworked, Poorly Paid Clerk
Jodey came along with the state
ment that for six years, long before
he became the departments regular
clerk. he worked at nights on the Wa
ter tax rolls, and gave such satisfac-
ton that he doubted if his equal could
be found in town.
This logic made an impression on
the chairman, and after he had been
famed back to consciousness he aD-
proved the pay roll, but with the stiD-
ulation that hereafter no extra time
would be allowed. The councilman
laid down the proposition that if the
work of writing the tax rolls involved
such large amount of overtime, extra
help should be employed and thus do
away with the likelihood of the graft
being abused.
Once more JOdey was happy that he
would get paid at the rate of $127.50
month his compensation since the
middle of May, for working for the city
and preparing for his campaign run
ming for the nomination of county
clerk.
Disciplining the Auditor.
But the gantlet had not been entire
" run. Chairman Robertson of the
finance committee withheld his aD-
Reiser had drawn a warrant on the
treasury on the assumption that the
roll had been or would be approved.
The auditor showed. however, that the
money was in the hands of the city
treasurer and would not be paid out
until all objections had been removed.
Then Councilman Buckle of the
finance committee declined 10 be one
of three to approve over the finance
committees chairman, and there the
matter rests While the boys are wait
ing for their wages.
Commenting on Buckles refusal to
come to the rescue. Jodey said that it
! looked a bit inconsistent, because be
| fore now the president of the council
/ has winked at his overtime graft
/ Superintendent Hines did not like the
/ turn things had taken. He thought il
was intended as a reflection on his adj
ministratiOn of the department.
! Graft Will Go No More.
! In the opinion of other city officials
! the holding uD of the WaterWorks pay
/ roll was but the legitimate result OF
/ the uncOmplimentary references at
! tacheS of the water DEPARTMENT had
! frequently made i'm public about the
/ heads of other departments of the mu-
niciPality when the extra time" graft
! is not cOuntenanced. although there is
claimed to be stronger reason for seek
: ing the allowance.
! The prediction was made yesterday
around the municipal offices that JOdey
! himself had killed his graft and that
no more extra time would be allowed
/ ''overwOrked" clerks or other en-
I plOyees.
QUEER FOSSILS FOUND.