The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-17
PROBING CHARGES
AGAINST ENGINEER.
Government Official, W. D.
Ross, Appears to BE Under
a Cloud.
MAKES STATEMENT AND
DEMANDS INVESTIGATION
Matter Affects Selling of Big
Contracts for the Reclama-
ton Service.
Special to The Tribune.


BOISE. Idaho, March l6.-The com.
mission composed of engineers which
is TO meet in Boise next Wednesday TO
investigate certain matters in conncc-
hon with the Reclamation Service will
DE made up of Charles E. Wells, Super
visng Engineer for Nebraska, of Craw
ford, Neb.; ". S. Sanders, Consulting
Engineer Of Mitchell, Neb,, and A. J.,
Wiley, Consulting Engineer for Wash
lngton, Oregon and Idaho. of Boise.
1t 10 not certain that this commits
sion will 60 fully into the charges made
against Engineer d. w. Ross and 9TH
ers relative TO contracts on government
work filed Mt Washington by General
Greene. the governments s special rep
-esentative.
Government Engineer D. ". Ross of
Boise, against whom charges of collu'
sion with contractors connected with
government reclamation work were re-
gently filed by Special Agent Greene
at Washington. makes the following
statement regarding the matter:
Statement of Accused.
1.-The dispatch which appeared in the
News states that Secretary Garfield
would not discuss the charges, the re-
port of his special agent being strictly
confidential / cannot discuss the
charges, in view OF the fact that Spe
sial Agent Greene did not seem neces
sary to call on ME during his visit in
this vicinity. / have only vague
idea of the matter from statements
which he is said TO have made to Others
considering the confidential nature of
his relation to the secretary. the occa-
sional leaks which have evidently oc-
CURED here have more the appearance
of steady flow, with a decidedly
greenish color
"The United States has under con-
Struction irrigation works in this state
costing about S3,500000. Nearly all of
this work is being done by contract
is well known to the public, all bids
being publicly opened and sent TO
Washington, the work In every case
going to the lowest responsible bidders.
Some Of the bids were far too low
Like most contracts for work of this
kind, large powers were given the en-
gineers. But the relation of the en-
gIneers to the government is not the
same as it frequently is In the case
of similar work done by private cor
porations. No one representing the
government, not even the secretary
himself, has the power to odify any
essential feature of these contracts. or
waive any of the rights OF the United
States, Many complaints have been
made to me against rulings Of the en-
gineers in charge Of the work. / could
only refer them to their contracts.
at is common mode of attack TO
discredit the one whose judgment must
be first overruled, before an unreason-
able claim can be rcconsidered or al
lowed by the next one higher in au-
thority. Not even to those whose
coarness and indiscret discussions Of the
subject have made them conspicuous in
lobbies and bar~rooms in Boise for four
mouths
having been made, I shall demand a
investigation, covering everything that
could possibly have any bearing upon
The subjects for the charges are, in
effect; charges against all the engineers
IN any manner connected with this
work.
"Hubbard and Carlson, Government
contractors, mentioned IN connection
with the case, say they are ready for
an investigation, for full and immedi-
ate investigation of the charges. -
Will Increase Tax Burden.
The Judges of the Supreme court to-
day appointed Mrs. n. W. Dunton State
librarian Governor Gooding has signed
the bill increasing the salaries of GER
tain State officers. OF course this bill
will increase the take burden of the
people, yet the statesman says that the
passage of the measure was one of the
good things done by the Legislature.
The take burden of this State is nearly
as CALLING as the tithe burden in Utah.
Heretofore the State has managed to
get along with a State tax Of five mills
on the dollar, but this year it will be
ten mills. This is what the people get
at the hands Of a mon-controlled
administration,
The Federal grand jury is grinding
away on matters before it, but nothing
Of definite character has been given
out.
Several witnesses have been called
from North Idaho and Boise Basin, al
so Norman Jackson of Weiser. who was
chief clerk of the State land depart
ment during overnor Harrison S admin.
istration. 1t is thought sensational
findings will soon be given out.