The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-22
WILKINS FLAYS
FRED ]. LEONARD
Attributes His Removal to the Spite
of a Revengeful City
Contractor.
HE REFUSES TO QUIT JOB
CHAIRMAN OF BOARD WILL BE
FORCED TO REMOVE HIM.

W. II. wilkins, secretary of the
board of public works, yesterday with
drew his letter of resignation, which
he rendered to Chairman Z. ]. Leon
ard at the latteT'S request a few days
ago. Mr.. Wilkins says that when his
resignation was first requested he sup
posed it was because his place was
desired for an American" party
worker Since then, however, he has
learned, he declares, that the enmity
of a contractor on city work is reSpon-
sible for Mr.. Leonard's determination
TO remove him. The contractor in
question is P. P. Ford. between whom
and Mr.. Wilkins there is a feud.
What Wilkins Says.
Mr.. Wilkins letter to Chairman
Leonard withdrawing his resignation
is as follows:
About Feb. l, in a conversation
with you in relation to 2. newspaper
article headed, wilkins will hold on
to his job I had the honor of tender
ing you my resignation of such job for
the following reasons which l then as
signed to you:
''F'irst-The article did not correctly
state my position and was unauthOr-
| lied.
"Second-I desired to relieve you Of
might arise from the fact that l did
not support the present administration
! during the last campaign.
I'm said interview you assured me,
however, as a man who never says a
| thing unless he means it, that 1 was
not to pay any attention to the article
in question, that I was not feel in the
slightest degree any embarrassment;
on the contrary. before assuming the
] Il
position, you had made sufficient in
ouiries on the subject and had decided
not to make any change in the
position OF clerk of the board of public
works, and therefore desired 10 retain
me in said position, which conclusion
I then stated to you would be agree
able to me. and the said resignation
then offered was not accepted. Your
position in this respect you also stated
to others, openly and publicly.
Mayor Wanted His Scalp.
81 was therefore greatly surprised to
hear you state on the 18th of February,
or in less than two weeks, that there
is considerable criticism in regard to
my retaining you in this position from
the members of the board, for which
latter 1 do not care, but the mayor
expressed himself along the same line
yesterday, and I cannot stand against
the influence of the mayor.
Believing that this opposition to me
and pressure for my resignation came
from political sources and for bona hide
political reasons, I assured you at once
that my attitude as to causing you
embarrassment for such reasons was
unchanged, and I therefore rendered
you my resignation, the same to take
effect April 1.
Il think I have sufficiently outlined
our various conversations on this sub
iect to make it apparent that it was
from possible embarrassment, RE
STITING FROM MY PARTY AT
FILIATIONS DURING THE CAM
PAIGN that 1 was anxious to relieve
you. and for this reason 1 unhesita-
tingly rendered my resignation, as
stated. I have since learned, however,
that unwittingly, l believe, so far as
YOU are concerned, the party affilla-
tions allegation is Ostensible merely,
and is but sham and a pretense to
cover up and conceal the actual rea-
son, which results from the open and
revengefuI efforts of a city contractor,
disappointed in repeated instances in
obtaining extras unwaTranted by his
contracts. and not justified by any
consideration of the interests of the
taxpayers of this city for which dis
nointment he does me the honor of
holding me personally responsible.
Contractor Made Threats.
sSThis state of affairs was unknown to
me ~ the time when you requested
forward TO you my reslgnauon- hdu
up TO that time considered all this on SAID
Contractors part as threats, or empty
hastings but I now learn that the
change in the political situation has been
seized upon by him to further his own
ends in this regard and thus accomplish
his revenge and it certainly seems to me
that his efforts should meet with re-
huke from all the officials connected in
any way with TINS aoIIlInl EI raI oi1il a.
we'll as from all fair minded citizens
However that may be, these facts, 10 my
mind, change the entire situation and
make different condition from that on
which I supposed my resignation was de-
sired / therefore, as l said to you in
conversation this morning, hereby with
draw the said resignation as would not
for a moment contemplate acqulesclng IN
the wishes of a disappointed and revenge
fuI contractor by resigning in accordance
with his openly expressed desires
Roast for Contractor.
81 shall regret very much if the with
drawaI of this resignation should cause
YOU any temporary inconvenience, but at
the same time 1 cannot allow the said
resignation to stand or to be acted upon
will say however, that some time in
the future when this mans pursuit OF me
has entirely ceased, this subject may
again be taken up out at present can
not believe that the honest endeavor of
2 public official to safeguard the inter
est of the taxpayer in the Withholding
of unwarranted extras. as well as at
tempting to enforce an honest completion
of contract work should be looked upon
as sufficient reason for anything but re-
buke to the contractor who represents the
same as an evidence of his open and
avOWed enmity. said contractor being
known by all city officials as one who
has been at all times ingeniously at
tempting to evade the spirit and letter
of his said contract and having no fur
fher interests in the welfare of this city
than any other nonresident"
Will Probably Scalp Him.
In city official circles it is believed