The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-30
CLAIM Of MORAN
IS NOT DECIDED
Council Refuses to Accept Re-
port and viii Settle 1t
Later.
COMMITTEE LOSES ITS JOB
WILL HOLD RECESS MEETING TO
DISCUSS BILL.
COMMITTEE LOSES ITS JOB

seeing no nope In settlement OF the
claim OF p. J. Moran for $40. 45S.67 for
casing the wooden stave outlet sewer
pipe with concrete, which had been left
to a special committee Of six from the
council, the city fathers last night took
the matter out of the hands OF the
special committee and will thresh the
matter out Thursday night at 1850
o'clock at a recess meeting.
Two reports from the committee were
before the council last night-one from
three of the six members turning down
the Moran claim and virtually telling
the contractor TO go to court for his
money-and the other from the other
three on the committee submitting a
bill Of $4,000 which they approved. The
compromise claim was agreed upon at
a meeting of the speciaf- committee in
Mayor John S. Branford's office yester-
day afternoon.
The first report was signed by Coun-
Gilman George II. Raybould, James ID.
Murdoch and l.. Z. Hall. The second
was signed by the original committee
of three-Councilmen L. D. Martin, T..
r. Black and r. s. FernstrOm, with the
addition Of Mayor John S. BransfOrd.
An effort was made to have the cOun-
ell act upon this latter report, as there
were four signatures, but the members
took the stand that Mayor Bransford
was not one of the council committee
and therefore had no right to sign the
report. Then J. J. Stewart tried to
have the matter taken out Of the hands
OF the special committee and given to
the finance committee. But W. Mont
Ferry, chairman Of the committee,
bucked at this change. On the finance
committee are Ferry, LOTin ]. Wood,
7. r. Black, 1. d. Martin and F. S.
FernstrOm.
Mr.. Ferry proposed that the matter
be taken from the special committee,
made special order Of business and
fought out on the floor of the council
at a recess session to be held Thursday
night at 1880 o'clock. This proved sat
isfactory and was accepted at once.
History of Claim.
The history of the Moran claim re-
veaIs one OF the hardest fights il years
in the council. When the wooden stave
outlet pipe refused to quit leaking,
Chairman II. Q. Mcmillan of the board
OF public works, Mayor John S. Brans-
ford, and L. e. Kelsey, then city en-
gineer, gave orders to Moran-Or some
Of them did-to have the most leaky
part of the pipe encased in concrete.
and then submitted a claim for about
$22. COO. This was too high, and the
contractor reduced it TO 0,45S.67. And
he refused to cut it down another cent,
threatening to so into court if the city
did not pay his claim. The board OF
public works and the council could not
get together on the matter, and at one
time Mayor Bransford came near de-
handing the designations of II. G.. Nc
MILAN and c. D. Rookidge of the board
because they bucked against the claim.
Finally the board Of public works
asked the council to name three men
to go into the matter and report back.
President A. J. Davis named 7. r.
Black, L. D. Martin and F. S. Fern
strOm- The three met once or twice
and then agreed that the Moran claim
was all right as it stood. They report
ed to the council, and a roar went up
at once. As a result, President Davis
added James d. Murdoch, George H.
Raybould and I. Z. Hall to the COM
mittee.
There was such q wide variance be-
tween the figures of the inspectors of
the board of public works and those of
Moran, that the committee practically
decided to report back to the council
that it was impossible to reach any fig
ure and to advise Moran to establish
his claim in court. This was agreed to
by five members Of the committee,
Fernstrom being absent.
But when the committee report came
before the council there were only three
signatures-Hall, RaybOuld and Muir
dOch. Those of the original committee
went back on their word and when the
matter came up on the floor Of the
council they had taken their hats and
coats and departed, not wishing to hear
what the other three cared to say about
them. FernstrOm escaped a flashing be-
cause he pleaded that he was not at
The meeting and did not know what was
considered.
The claim was, therefore, sent back to
the committee. Several attempts at
compromise were attempted, but the
three stood out against it, Yesterday
the committee came together again and
compromised on $4,000 This went be-
fore the council Jast night, but the
whole matter will be taken up Thurs
day night to be settled