The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-14
TIME FOR A SHOW DOWN.

TIME FOR A SHOW DOWN.
week ago today we called atten-
tion to the Importance Of the Board of
Education laying before the public a
concise and convincing statement Of
the needs of the schools on which it
| predicates Its demand for the vote Of
quarter of a million dollars in bonds
to erect schoolhouses. 1t is not
enough to have a scattered interview
with one or two members Of the board,
and have them state in general terms
and in a fragmentary way that they
want this or that sum OF money,
and that a schoolhouse here or there
is very crowded, and that if any
body does not believe it they had bet
ter go and see for themselves, or that
property values are on the old basis
without stating also that the tax rate
has been largely advanced. That is an
extremely unsatisfactory way to show
up the need Of voting these bonds
There should be precise statement
showing just where this crowding is.
the board proposes, and where it in
tends to provide that relief It is alb.
surd to allow the question to come
to vote without any better show
ing than IN the fragmentary and indefi-
mite claim that the board needs $3.50
900.
Another thing which we urged, in
view of the proved incompetence of
the board IN the matter of building
operations, was that the board should
assure tho public that the oversight of
the plans and specifications should be
given to some one or some commission
Of practical experience and ability in
building construction. 1t is under
stood that the board is paying large
salary to building superintendent
whose qualifications were obtained as
head janitor in some of the large
structures Of this city. He is, as we
are informed, paid more than the
board paid formerly for the practical
and admirable supervision and con-
structive ability of Mr. William Pin
ney, deceased, who for so long had
charge and oversight of the build
ing Of schoolhouses in this city. The
fact that no one sufficiently competent
to handle this construction is at pres
ent on the board, or in its employ, was
made manifest in the building Of the
Newman school. This structure was
let, not to the lowest bidder, but to the
next lowest, at an advance of $4,000
above the lowest bid. The board
passed on, because Of technicality, to
the next lowest bid, in place Of adver-
tising again, as it ought to have
DONE The procedure Of passing to
the next lowest bid is one which in
vites all kinds of fraud and col
lusion, and invites straw bids. 1t is
the most potent form Of corruption
in the matter Of public building that
could possibly be devised, 1t is abso-
lutely astonishing that any public body
should undertake to follow that vicious
system of letting a contract;
especially when there is such wide
difference between the lowest and next
lowest bid, Again, the specifications
and facings were below standard; they
were not Of the strength which the
ordinance requires for that class of
buildings. The walls, if constructed
according to the specifications, would
have been weak and dangerous. When
the city building inspector called at
teution to this defect in the speei6-
cations, Of course they had to be cor
rected, and this must necessarily in
volve bill Of greater or less dimen-
sions for Hextras." The whole matter
in connection with the building Of this
schoolhouse was wretched botch of
plain incompetence, carelessness and in
attention all along the line. 1t would
be quite impossible for a sane lot
of taxpayers to entrust the expendi~
ture of $250,000 for building purposes
to persons capable of such lax and
vicious methods.
The election on this question occurs
next Saturday. There is yet time for
the board to reassure the public on this
matter of proper oversight in the plans
and specifications for construction. A
competent building supervisor or COM
mission Of practical building men in
the city should be designated for this
purpose before the election, men in
whom the people have confidence; and
who, by their experience, have shown
their ability to build large buildings
and to handle everything in connec,
tion Herewith in n proper and bust.
ness-like manner. And also the first
point mentioned above is of prime i'm
portance. Let the board show where
the buildiugs arc needed and what that