The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-13
CONDUIT GRAB CLUBBED
\ THROUGH CITY COUNCIL
American Party Caucus Whips Re-
calcitrants Into Line for Contrac-
tor Moran's $4,000 Bill.

BY a strict party vote, the 'Ameri-
can" leaders in the city administration
put their $4,000 conduit grab through
the council last night. The caucus
whip was resOrted to yesterday morn
ing, and three American" councilmen
who were opposed to the Kelsey-Mo-
ran grab were forced into line by their
colleagues.
When the grab went through last
night not an American" made a
speech in defense of it. All sat still
I'm their seats while COuncilmen Fern
strom and Tuddenham vigorously as
sailed the proposition and the Amer
lean" star chamber methods, and then
voted as unit on roll call. Later the
council refused to Increase the salary
of the woman nurse at the pest house
from SO to 500 a month, although she
has to care for over twenty patients
at the present time.
MuIVey and Martin Desert.
Contractor P. ]. Moran controlled
the American" caucus yesterday
forenoon because Councilmen l. D.
Martin and NJ. E Mulvey, both of
whom have posed as opponents Of the
grab, suddenly lined up in the Mo-
ran column. G. J. Crabtree, another
American who has limited that he
might oppose the grab, also lined up
with Mr.. Moran.
The caucus was held in Mayor
ThCmpson's Office, and the mayor was
there to see that the Moran grab went
through. So were City Engineer KEEL
sey and Assistant Attorney Dinniny.
There was a three hours discussion,
and, according to cOuncilmen present
tie lineup was as follows:
For the Grab-Black, Crabtree, Mar
tin. MuIvey, President Davis.
Against the Grab-CarteT, Ferry,
O'Donnell-3.
Absent-Hobday.
The three american" opponents of
the grab submitted to caucus dicta
ton. and voted with the others in open
council last night.
Tuddenham Denounces II.
When the order of unfinished bus
mess" was reached in the council last
night, Councilman Black, the Amer
fcan' leader, moved that the recon-
n1endatiOn of the city engineer in IA
vor OF the grab be taken from the Wa
: terworks committee, and placed be
More the council. The motion carried
without objection, and then Mr.. Black,
AConded by Mr.. CTabtTee, moved that
fs1z~ recommendation of the engineer
= be concurred in, and that the expendi-
ture be authorized.
Tuddenham spoke vigorously in op-
position.
There is no necessity to increase
the thickness of the walls" he said.
1T may be necessary to thicken them
ir places. but to say that over $33, 900
should be spent to thicken them the
entire distance Of the conduit is alb
surd Under the specifications as they
stand the engineer is empowered to
thicken them where necessary
Touches Up Martin.
Then Mr.. Tuddenham took a shot
AT Martin. who had deserted to the
Moran side after taking contrary pO-
sitiOn in a newspaper interview
Mr. Martin told me last Saturday"
said Tuddenham. that he was op-
posed to plastering the inside Of the
conduit. I know and every practical
man knows that to plaster the con-
duit is utterly unnecessary
Mr.. TudJenPam closed by denOunc-
ing the proposed expenditure as Who'll
" uncalled for. No American" at
tempted to reply to him, although
Councilman Mulvey, at the meeting
held a week ago last night, declared
emphaticalIy that he would be guided
by Mr.. Tuddenham's judgment in the
matter, because he regarded him as a
practical man who understood con-
duit work.
Fernstrom in Opposition.
Fernstrom began his speech in oppo-
sition by saying that when the work
was first projected under the last ad-
ministratiCn, if was known that 81,
600 900 could easily be spent on the
conduit. The old council. however,
had taken into consideration the fact
that the west side was demanding a
sewer, and that other public improve
rnents were necessary, and had cut
the garment according to the cloth.
The conduit as planned, FeTnstrom de-
clared, was good enough, and would
so be declared by any practical and
unprejudiced man who might examine
it.
Fernstrom charged that Engineer
Kelsey had misrepresented the facts
when he said the leakage in the con-
duit. under the old plan, would be
100000 gallons a day. According TO
KeIsey's own figures, he pointed out
It would be less than 17S,000 gallons a
day before the silt stopped up the
pores in the conduit.
Mr. Fernstrom declared that the
people of Salt Lake would never stand
for such an expenditure unless com
petent and unprejudiced engineers
were called III to pass upon it. Con-
sulting Engineer A. F. Doremus, he
pointed out, had condemned the bill
for extras and their necessity rested
upon the bare opinion OF Engineer
Kelsey.
Scores Caucus Rule.
Warming up to his work Mr.. Fern
strom vigorously denounced caucus
rule.
u suppose that it is no use to talk, "
he said. I'VE are informed by the
evening papers that the majority par
~ has held a caucus and determined
TO adopt this plan. 1t is the first time
IN the history of this city that the
Citv's business has been done behind
locked doors, and as a member of this
/ council I protest against IT."
4 Mr.. Fernstrom read the law which
Il REQUIRES the council to hold oDen ses-
sions and to keep a journal Of its pro-
lceedings.