The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-09
PERCIvAL GIVEN
LARGE CONTRACT
City Council Finally DiSpoSeS OF
Controversy of Long
Standing.
SURETY BOND REQUIRED
MEMBERS INDULGE IN PERSON.
AL REMARKS.

The city council last night granted 10
7 ". Percival the contract for the year
7e97 for water main extensions, amount
ing TO approximately $4,000, provided
mat he file a 5000 bond as surety that he
will complete 12O0O feet of his 1906 con-
tract.
The approval of the contract came af-
fer long debate in which Councilman
zT,4Iyev took occasion TO tell Councilman
Tisrtin that his insinuatiOn that certain
members favored another contractor was
- of all decenCy'' and not before the
american" contingent had got INTO such
. baIpIpss muddle that 1t even forgot TO
s,,stain one of President Davis rulings
md elected the remark from that Alder
nm that if they did not watch out they
would all make fools of themselves.
The PercivaI Contract.
The first intimation of an effort to side
Eek The contract came when Councilman
Fernstrom moved to amend it with
proyisign to the effect that the board of
nubIic works cannot settle controversies
.itb contractors without the approval of
tbe council The object of this move
.re,,ed evident to Councilman Martin,
mo ch9mpioned PerciVals cause. as he
stated that il would mean that the con-
tract would have to go back to the board
Of public works again, If II were amend
ed and that il would ultimately result
i'm its being thrown out and new bids
asked FOR WHICH, MI -hdA III AiAAAAAelAtb1
might rebound to the benefit of GER
tain wen known and favored contractor,
Opposes PerciVaI Plan.
Councilman Black told why he opposed
the Percival contract He said that Per
riyal had told him that he did not have
no complete his 1906 contract and that he
had been so advised by his attorneys. He
NOW comes here said Mr.. Black, land
warts us to give him this new contract
no will pnmnlpTp
his old work. We have given him two
weeks time already to show US that he
will do this work, but he has not done
tap I don't believe he ever intends 10
carry out this agreement. and is only US
ing this as a blind in order to secure the
1897 contract.
Il have heard that speech several times
before" commented Councilman Ferry.
THE bubble is made that he won't begin
his work. As matter OF fact, he mas
received no orders from the board OF pub
Die works to begin, and he don't have to
until he is so ordered I believe that he
will make good and L don't see any use
I'm wasting any more time. 1 know he
won't begin until this other contract is
awarded him. for. according TO the Opin
ion of the city attorney, he doesn't have
10 do this work.
Give Their Endorsement.
That's right. that's right" came
chorus including COuncilmen MulVey,
FernstrOm, Crabtree and Black.
Councilman Crabtree in explanation of
his approval of Mr.. Ferry's assertion said
that he knew that Percival would not
complete his old contract unless the new
one were given him. and he felt that this
was simply an attempt at "hold-up' on
the contractors part
Councilman Martin had been getting
more excited all of the time. and when he
arose he addressed some rather scathing
remarks to some of his fellow "Ameri-
cans
Confidence in Mr.. PerciVsI.
Il worked for Percival four years in
Omaha when he was doing more bust
ness and doing it better than any man in
the contracting business here said Mr.
Martin. and / know that if he gives
his word that he will do this work. il is
as good as his bond In fact. | am so
sure that he will fulfill his obligations
that / will give 5000 to any charitable
institution that the council may direct
me to if Percival does not fulfill his
obligations to the letter. L don't see
what all the trouble is about, but then,
again. 1 do see. l know that there is a
favored contractor and l know some
other things
This intimation by Mr.. Martin that he
knows something" was not well received
by Councilman Mulvey, who said:
Out of All Decency.
Il wish to pay my compliments to Mr.
Martin. | don't like his insinuation'
Then facing the man who is fighting +
J. Moran Mr.. Mulyey said: You have
no right to insinuate that you know any
thing. You say you can't see and then
that you can see. You can see when you
want to. Your remarks, l think, are out
Of all decency."
Mr.. MulVey accompanied his statement
with sort of a weird musical effect pro-
duced by pounding his hands on his desk
with considerable VigOr.
The matter originally came up on the
adoption Of a committee report. This was
divided into two sections. the one grant
ing Percival the contract and the other
stpulating that he should go on with
his 1906 work. President Davis wanted
this voted on in sections, but Mr.. Ferry
appealed from the ruling of the chair and
it was all taken up together.
After considerable desultOry argument,
in which everybody. including Mr.. Fern