The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-11
Statement by Martin.

L. D. Martin, one of the accused. last
night made the following statement:
THE remarks of the Rev. Mr.. Goshen
were certainly interesting, but | cannot
see why he has mixed me up in this
First South street business. ] have al
ways favored Utah asphalt and have said
so time and time again on the floor
Of the council. I cannot understand WHY
he picked Mr.. Black and myself out as
the particular ones to attack. as fourteen
of the fifteen members of the council
voted for the contract which he objects
to- am no more guilty than any one
of the fourteen. IN addition, / desire to
say that the trouble with Mr.. Goshen is
that his visionary scheme OF putting ma
cadam on that street was turned down
by the council, and he has been angry
ever since. In regard to the cost of
paving being s1.56 in Washington. | know
better He probably has reference to the
cost of resurfacing. which would be about
that amount. The whole affair has been
most absurd, and the council should
never have paid any attention to the first
outbreak of the reverend gentleman"
What Black Has to Say.
T. R Black issued the following state
ment:
Mr. Goshen first appeared before the
committee as an advocate of macadam
and was given a hearing on two occa-
sions. and was against any kind of as
phalt whatever. Then afterwards he
switched to Utah asphalt His talk for
macadam was unsupported by any facts
whatever and in regard TO Chicago streets
was positively untrue.
THE board of public works advertised
for bids from September to February
giving all contractors plenty of time to
prepare bids and present them at the
proper time. But one contractor. =. j.
Moran, presented bids. After some delay
the council approved his contract, giving
property owners the choice of two kinds
of paving, as follows: Where all were in
favor of California residium asphalt, that
material would be used. and where they
were not the Utah would be used. The
council then required the contractor to
give an additional indemnifying bond for
100000. which was done.
In this matter of First South street
paving | am perfectly willing to stand
by any actions in every form and pass
it up to the people to judge the results
as against the unsupported statement of
an inexperienced idealist whose literary
training in his case seems to have led
him away from practical affairs and bars
him from having proper grasp of NUM-
cipal government. The matter has been
fully threshed out on the floor of the
council chamber and the councils action
was only protested against by three prop
erty owners along three miles of paving
and was passed by fourteen of the fif-
teen members and approved by his honor.
the mayor. showing that my actions in
the matter were indOrsed by my col
leagues. regardless of party
Comments by Others.
There was nothing new in any of Mr.
Goshen's remarks" said Councilman g.
b Raybould. The same facts and data
which he presented have been threshed
out on the floor of the council time and
time again, and the details are perfectly
familiar TO the public
AS for my attitude" said Councilman
Fernstrom. 81 have always wanted Utah
asphalt, but because of the great diff
ference in the price. and because ninety
nine property owners petitioned that we
let the contract the way we did as
against ten on the other side | voted
to have the work go on. Besides. with
any other contractor the work could not
go on. as Moran has consented to wait
until next year for. the city's portion.
which could not possibly be paid this
year. To do anything other than we did