Imperial Valley press., 1909-02-20
Curb Committee on Public Morals InStigateS Pro-
 traCted GabfeSt,
Why Contractor HubbeIl Busted No Heads and the City Engineer Was Not Sentenced to the Chain Gang For Lese Majeste-cement Work on Streets Approved by Inspector.

At the meeting of the city trus- tees on Friday night of last week, Q long talk fest was melted by the pe- tition of Ira Aten and others for the recission of resolution fixing the fees of the City Engineer for setting grade stakes and for the appoint ment of an inspector of cement curb ing and sidewalk.
 J. w. Colson told the Board that work done by c. F. Hubbell on Broad way under private contract for MT. Bill was not LID to specification and that he and MT. Aten had thought 1t best to stop the wor6,' which they proceeded to do. MT. Hubbell, he said, got mad about it. ordered them away and threatened to bust their heads but didn't do it. Mir Colson said he knew Mir. Hubbell wouldn't bust his head; he knew MT. Hubbell had bet ter judgment than to resort to vio- lence
 Mir. Colson did not go into the pain full details of the fracas. He did not tell the board that the gentlemen who thought it best to order MT Hubbell's men to stop work on a curb they were putting in for MT. Bill also thought it best to arm themselves with re- volvers when they returned to argue with MT. Hubbell about their right to interfere. The influence of six shooter exhibitions on the judgment of MT. Hubbell in the matter of bust ing heads was not dwelt upon by the committee on public morals.
 MT. Colson insisted that the work on the curb was not up to specified tions, and he wanted it stopped. If others were to be permitted to put in skimped cement work, the petitioners wanted the privilege of doing the same.
 MT. Aten, Mir. Garren and Judge Tout criticized the work and support ed the petition, and the discussion soon developed into an attack upon the city engineers schedule of fees. Mir. Aten declared the fees excessive, and demanded that an, inspector be on the ground to watch the cement contractors.
 Trustee Pellet looked over the pes tition and wanted to know why per sons living outside of the city had signed it. MT. Aten and MT Colson explained that it was because they had the interest of the city at heart.
 Trustee Pearson told the spokes- man that he didn't think they pro- ceeded properly when they interfered with MT. Hubbells workmen; that there were better and lawful ways of making their objections known. He suggested that if citizen entered in- to contract with a man in whom he has no confidence, he should re- quest the board to designate an in spector.
 MT Colson gave the board lec- ture on its general incompetency and proneness to blundering, and Trustee Pearson resented the remarks with some asperity, telling MT. Colson that the board had not been coerced by anybody and did not propose to be bullied.
 Trustee Brown said the statements made by the petitioners were correct in the main; that he considered the city engineers fees too high, although he had voted for them; that the city engineer should inspect the work, and that the request for appointment of an inspector was entirely proper. lApplause,]
 MT, Hubbell said he was heartily in favor of inspection. He had told the petitioners that he would pay half the cost of inspection if they would pay the other half.
 The talk went on for an hour or two longer and 1t became apparent that some of the petitioners were not so anxious to see that their neigh bors had good curbs as they were to get the scalp of the city engineer. Eventually 1t was made clear that the "exorbitant fee" complained of was intended to cover the cost of in spection, and the city engineer set tied the wrangle by announcing that he would pay an inspector and ap- point anyone named by the petition