The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-01

recommend that the instruments be
charged to tho contingent fund. What
| on earth Is the sense of charging
| them there7 1 recommended that they
| be charged to the instruments and tools
| account of the engineering department,
| ard l did SO for the reason that the city
would then have check on them. The
way the engineering department charged
| them to the bond fund, leaves It perfectly
easy for them to be stolen. without any
ono being the wiser, Mr.. Fernstrom's s
unmltigated Ignorance. as displayed In
| his report" both OF the various &C
| counts of the city and OF tho plain lam
guage OF my report Is only equalled by
| the Intense admiration he appears to
| noriy report
Used Elegant Language.
Again, Mr.. Fernstrom assails me by d.
recting attention to what he is pleased
to call my Sublime and stupendous gall
and stupidity the chaste and ele
CANT language OF this Salt Lake City
Chesterfield. Has the Statesman from
the Third ever heard Of boomerang? IL
not. he may be surprised TO learn that
he threw one that time. The above beau
tiful and loving expressions are used In
connection with the comparative figures
given in my report, showing that the en-
wood conduit, during 1904 and 1905. were,
proportionately. 100 per cent greater than
the engineering charges for the first half
of 1906 / have to confess my surprise
that the member from the Third under
stood sufficient Of my report to get even
this figure into his head. Perhaps the
phenomenon may be explained by keep
ing in mind Mr., Fernstrom's statement
that he neglected. his religious duties to
get up his report" However, while he,
In a moment of Inspiration. actually rea-
Lies that the figures represent 100 per
cent, he totally fails to comprehend why
the figures were given.
Why They Were Given.
They were not given for the purpose
of making any inyidious comparison be-
tween any past, present or future city ad-
minlstration. They were given for the
sole purpose of showing. as the report
states. In such unmistakable terms that
even the brains OF this member from the
Third ward ought not TO misunderstood
them, the extreme improbability OF all
the special payroll charges TO the bond
fund being properly chargeable there.
That the engineering department made
errors in charging the Big Cottonwood
conduit with all the amounts shown on
the special pay-rolls, is demonstrated by
the fact that the engineering charges
Gently been, This was the point, and the
only point / desired to establish and
am wondering If even now l have made
the matter clear enough for MIR. Fern
strom's mind to grasp.
AN Absolute Necessity
Mr.. Fernstrom. in deliciously ingen-
uous way, says, relative TO the incidental
expense account, shown on the report:
THE records In the Mayors and City
Recorders office will show that every
dollar of those expenditures was an abb
solute necessity"
Mr.. Bill Nye ate breakfast once at a
roadside hotel and the proprietor charged
him So for 1t. On Nye's asking why
he was charged such price the pro-
prletor leaned over confdentially and
whispered: Say, pard, TO tell the hon
est truth, IT'S because l need the
money" Every cent of the S. charged
to Nye was, therefore, IAN absolute ne
cesslty''
Mr.. Fernstrom, whose political career
is, OF course, without stain or blemish,
asks why l did not state that interest
was paid TO the city. by local banks. for
bond funds Oh deposit, during 1905 and |
why did not also state that the money |
is not at present drawing any interest.
AS matter OF fact, / state both cir !
explicitly. in the report SO |
-ne question becomes more Inan super |
luous. Can II possibly be that Mr. Fern |
strom thought that II he had been In my |
place. he would not have mentioned these !
facts and that consequently he took ii |
Tor granted I had not done so?
There are several other items in Mr. |
Fernstrom's report" and, considering |
that he took so much trouble to draw il |
up, 1t seems almost a shame TO ignore |
them, but as they are all on the same |
broad minded. DlilOSoDhlca1 aralo
those already noticed, / must reluctant
y forego the pleasure. Yours very
truly J. WILLIAM EDMUNDS.