The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-02-06
HEATED PROTEST
FROM TAXPAYER
Addresses Some Pertinent
Remarks on the Sewer
Contract Deal


Editor Daily Leader.
Dear sir. am a citizen of Guthrie
and Republican in politics. ! make
this explanation at the outset. so that
1t cannot be wrongfully charged that
politics has in any way influenced the
writer In giving voice to the following,
for politics has nothing to do with it
-it is Just simply a ia,a case Of a
tax payers right to protest against the
actions Of mayor and city council
who have violated the confidence Of
the people Of Guthrie.
The city administration from the
mayor down have proven themselves
wholly incompetent and untrustworthy
in the manner they have handled the
moneys derived from the sale Of the
water WORT d sewer bonds
The present Aaty government started
ont as business administration.
They had important matters TO nego-
tiato and carry out, and mp to the pres
ent time they have made miserable
failure Of everything thA undertook
The contractors took possession
they have been in control, and in a
measure dictate the policy Of the city
government
twenty-five thousand dollars was
expended last year on the water works
and an officer of the city government
remarked last week that the biggest
part of this sum was lost. for the peo-
pie have not received any value for
their money He said we had not
enough water to supply a city Of TO-
600 people. "a
Now comes the sewer deal. and any
one who has the interests of Guthrie
at heart cannot but resent the stand
taken by the State Capital in its edi-
torial of January s1st. In this editor
ial It states that the prices charged
for the lateral sewers were not exces-
sive. / wonder if the editor of that
paper is short sighted enough to inn
agine for a moment that he can fool
intelligent people by making such a
statement, with the real facts existing
as they do
Notwithstanding what the State
Capital says. no matter how much
that paper defends the contractor,
city engineer ald the mayor and coun-
Gil, the fact still exists, that the mayor
and council ist a contract to Ford TO
construct lateral sewers in Guthrie
consisting of eight inch pipe, for the
sum of 81 so to "a so per foot The
responsibility for letting this contract
must rest where it belongs. Still the
State Capital says the contractor and
the members Of the council are hon
est. ask the editor of the State
Capital to ask Mayor BAH what he said
about a year ago in relation TO the ac-
tions Of prominent member Of the
council in regard to the negotiations
in disposing of the water works and
sewer bonds.
Let us lock into the honesty OF let
ting this lateral sewer contract and
see If there are any ear marks 2i
Doodle or corruption attached to it.
Some time last spring the mayor and
council let a contract to Ford to con
struct certain main sewers. composed
of IS inch pipe for the sam Of 81 II
and 81 20 per foot Three or fouI
months later they let a contract tc
the same contractor to construct lat
eral sewers consisting Of only eight
inch pipe for the sum of 81 so to "a g
per foot. and Mr. Lille in a public
meeting defended the achon - 'hC
council Now It seems to me as a bus
mess proposition that this last con
tract should be investigated. for thel
let this contract with their eyes wide
open. II means deliberate pillagl