The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-24
COUNCIL REBUKES
Mr.. CLAWSON
Votes That His Asph itum State
meHt Is Untrue.
DENIED PRIVILEGE OF FLOOR
CLERK KEGLER ACCUSED OF IN
PROPER WORK.
DENIED PRIVILEGE OF FLOOR

''In the matter Of the charges Of the,
chairman of the board OF public works
g. the public press. Of a loss of $500 TO
the city through the sale Of a lot Of
Rsphaltu IN to p. j. Moran, the state
mente are untrue. unjustfahle and in
correct in every particular"
BY a vote OF ten 10 one the city coun-
eli passed that motion last evening.
It was made by Councilman Fernstrom.
[ pom his direct charge that there is
reason to believe THAT Clerk Kegler Of
the board of public works had some
thing % do with the substitution Of bids
in connection with the sewer contracts
for 1904, the council voted TO give the
clerk hearing al the meeting Mon
day evening.
Clawson Denied the Floor.
The session. of the council was the
stormiest held recently, and during its
progress Chairman Spencer ClawsOn Of
the board of public works was denied
the privilege of the floor for an time
10 come if an objection is entered, be
cause he spoke OF Councilman Fern
strOm as a man for whom he had the
utmost contempt" In retaliation the
councilman called the chairman of the
q
During the evening Chairman ClaWsOn
attempted to reply TO some caustic re-
mark of Councilman FernstTOm, and
Thomas, in the chair. was forced to re-
mind him of the fact that he was not
st liberty 90 speak.
During the progress of the discussion
on the motion 10 rescind the vote not 60
award the sewer contract to Kennedy
d Co.. Il was stated that there was a
possibility that the original bid might
have been substituted for another
Draughtsman Reed of the city engi-
neer's Office. under oath, said that the
bid which City Engineer Kelsey
brought up TO the Office for checking up
read % cents in figures and writing on
the bid for eiEht-inch pipe. Chairman
Clawson, also under oath, said the bid
ne held in his hand. which read 80 cents,
was the original bid.
Fernstrom Makes Serious Charge.
It was then suggested that perhaps
Draughtsman Reed and Mr.. Kelsey
were right. and that a substitution had
been made. Councilman Fernstrom
was quite positive of it. for he said:
THE clerk of the board has lost let
tcrs before. and the same thing could
happen again. On the very face Of #.
It shows that there is some crooked
work. You can't make me believe that
is the original contract. I believe that
someone friendly to the contractors
changed the figures when he saw that
he had made a losing contract"
Then the question is. who raised
the fgures?" said Councilman Hew-
lett.
They were raised between the time
the contract left the city engineer s
Office and the time the contract was
signed by Mr.. Clawson," said Council
man Fernstrom. THE change could
have been made if the company was
friendly with the clerk"
James y. Murdoch, member Of the
board of public works, admitted upon
examination, as did also Chair
man CiawsOn. that it was possible, but
highly improbable. for any substitution
to have been made.
Asphalt Charges Looked Into.
Councilman Thomas said the council
must take cognizance of the charges
made. give the aCcuser an opportunity
to prove his charges and afford the
accused a chance to defend himself
After voting not to rescind its former
action. which means that Kennedy q
Co. do not get the contract, over the
protests of Chairman Clawson, il was
decided to give Clerk Kegler an oppor-
tunity to be heard Monday evening.
Then came the inquiry into the as
eertion made at the last meeting OF
the board Of public works by Chairman
Clawson that the city had been de
prived of $500 on the sale Of some as
phaltum to p j. Moran by the city
engineer being too OficiOus. After ar
hours discussion 10 was shown thai
the city received a fair price for the
material; that the sale of the asphalt
Um was not irregular and that Mr
Moran made the first Overtures for the
sale. II was then that the chairman
Of the board tried 60 show by letters
that the city had lost about s6 per tor
by the deal He figured on a buying
and not a selling price. In his ex
PLANTATION as 20 how he came to make
the remark which he did, Chairman
ClawsOn said he intended to say the
city had lost Sc per ton by the deal.
Personalities Are INDUCED In.
The resolution mentioned above wa.
then introduced. That brought forth
the remark from Chairman Clawson
referring 10 Mr. Kelsey. that ne knew
that the confidence placed I'm this mar
SIS misplaced" a little later he sale
ne had no intention to cast reflections
upon the council because he had 'th'
utmost respect for fourteen of its mem
bprs"
A causuc remark from Councilman
Daveler that perhaps ne was the IN
lucky fifteenth drew from the chairman
OF the board the assertion that COun
Gilman Fernstrom was the fifteenth
member for whom ne had the "utmos
contempt
That raised a tempest. and the ef
forts of some of the members 90 have
Chairman ClawsOn insert over his owl
signature I'm the papers a Statement
that he did not mean to insinuate tina
the council had robbed the city Of $500
was voted down. Then the first motion
or Councilman FerustrOm passed
Councilman Thomas voting no. Couu
rfImen A. J. and f.. III. Davis, Eardlel
and Cottreu being absent.
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.