Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-09
city Council Discusses the Effect
or New Legislation Re-
garding Contracts.
HOLIDAYS BRIBERY STORY,
Saws lie Was Offered s100 to Allow
Certain Parties TO Lease n City
Gravel Pit

the members OF the city council argued
and wrangIed over the contracts for
public improvements to he made In the
city this year and discussed the effect
Of the new legislation upon the con-
tracts awarded by the board of public
works Just few days before the new
scrip law went into effect AT the meet
ing in the afternoon Mayor Thompson
presided and the discussion was inror-
NAL and participated In by counciImen,
members az the board of public works.
the city attorney and city engineer
The general sentiment is that all of
the contracts for sidewalks, sewers and
street paving awarded this year VIII
have to he readyertised In conformity
with the new scrip law However that
question Is now being investigated bY
City Atty. Eflles and an opinion VIII b"
forthcoming in few days.
The council last night practically de-
ctaed to release S. Birch from hts con-
tract for sidewalks this year and 20
return to him his certified check which
accompanfed his bid. This action would
have been definitely taken In regard to
the Birch contract and the sewer con-
tract OF j. NJ Kennedy too, had il not
been for the fact that he offered to
take the matter IN court and get
final decision on the subject from the
supreme court He was awarded the
contract by the board OF public works
Just n few days before the new law
went into effect but his contract had
not been approved by the city council
and hence was not effective However
he wants 10 make a test OF IL on the
ground that the board had accepted HIS
bid and he had signed the contract he-
fore the new law was approved ana
went into effect. His proposition on
this matter was referred TO the citv
attorney for advice, AS WAS also the
matter of the release OF the Birch con-
tract
IMPROVEMENTS HELD UP
1t was contended by the majority NJ
the council that the new law means
that public improvements In the city
will be at "a standstlll for the next two
years for the reason that every petition
for sidewalks. sewers and street pay
ing must he advertised separately and
separate contracts drawn I'M for each
instead of NIL such improvements being
advertised for I'm blanket form for the
year and yearly contracts awarded as
heretofore II Is claimed that the add"
tionnI expense Of advertising In thlS
manner will keen many property own
ers from petitionlng for the improve
| ments.
After an argument lasting more than
an hour the council approved the con-
| tract with r. w Percival for All water
| main extensions for this wear. Fills con-
| tract Is not effected by the new law as
such Improvement is paid for by the
| CITY out OF the waterworl5s fund and
1 not by special tax assessment against
\ the property owners, a hard fight was
| made by Black and Crahtree to delay
| the matter with the evident intention
| OF knocking out the contract and read
! versIsinr the Improvement and thus al
| lowing Movan to get another chance
10 bid on the work.
PERcIvAL Is WILLING
Percival agreed to complete 1000 feet
OF wetermains under his 1906 contract
when the city approved his new con-
| tract Black and Crabtree both con-
| tended that he had been promising that
for two weeks but had failed to do any.
thing ON his old contract 50 far and
| they did not believe he intended TO for
| the simple reason that his attorney
| had advised him that he was not
! bound further by the old contract. They
| tried 10 have the contract laid over for
| a week more to give Percival an OPP
portunity 10 show good faith by start
| ing work on his old contract.
| Ferry WAS satisfied that Percval
| would do the work under the OLD con-
| tract as agreed and declared that he
had not been ordered by the board of
public works TO begin work on II and
was not bound 10 begin until so ordered
! He could not see any need Of further
delays and was heartily IN favor of
4 adopting the report OF the finance and
waterwOrks committees recommending
| that the Percival contract be approved
| with the understand ding that he
| should complete 10000 feet Of Water
| mains under his old contract
FERNsTRoMs OBJECTION
Fernstrom made an objection to one
| clause In the contract which gave the
| hoard OF public works final say In re-
gard to disputes arising over the com
tract, He said that the law did not In
tend To give the board any such au-
| thorlty and he moved to amend The
contract by making all decisions OF the
board In such disputes subject TO the
approval OF the city council.
The members favored making that
amendment In future contracts, but
they Thought Il would cause a delay in
this contract and opposed II for that
reason. Fernstrom finally Withdrew
his amendment
MARTINS ARGUMENT.
Martin made strong argument for
cInrod that he would be willing 10 for
felt $500 to any charitable institution In
the city II Perciyal failed TO finish his
old contract as he agreed to do. He
had worked for Percival for several
years In Omaha and had always found
him to be a man whose word was as
good as his bond. He said he thought
he could see through the opposition OF
some counc linen Ia The contract as they
desired 10 knock out the contract and
re-adyertise for bids so that anO ther
contractor might ger the benefit OF 1t.
MULvEY is SARCASTIC.
Aiulvey paid his respects TO Martin by
referring TO him sarcas ticAlly as watch
dog OF the treasury and the .taSpay-
ers friend and declaring that his In
situations that other members OF the
council are favorlng other contractors
were beyond az deeeney ana entirely
out OF place, Mulyey stated that all
contractors looked alike to him and that
ho wanted Pcrevnl 10 have the cOn-
tract but be- wanted him TO finish up his
1906 contract hrst,
Holiday offered an amendment, which
was adopted after considerable discus
sion. providing that the Perciyal con-
tract for 1907 be approved upon him
giving tho city additional bond In the
sum Of 5000 for the combustion OF ne
Il, 600 feet OF watermhins under his
Fernstrom said that he was not half
aa much afraid Of Perclval as no was
OF the board or public works, He was
informed that PercIval was ready 20
begin work on the old contract but the
hoard OF public Works wonld not let hitn
ana hence II had blocked tho work.
40 rRARTRIcE SEES III.