The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-08-21
IS THIS THE ANSWER?|
Do Contractors On City Work Win Favors at Peoples
Expense By Buying Mining Stock from Chief Inspector?
Does This Explain Why Inferior Work Has Been Ac-
cepted? Council Will Investigate


ises to explode bombshell under
Commissioner MeGregor and his
system of inspectorship of public
improvements may be started at
the city hall by members of the
council.
The basis for the investigation
Is the report that j. B. Croak,
chief inspector, has been selling
mining stock to various contrac-
tors doing work for the city and
to inspectors under him, it
being intimated that those who
bought stood a show of receiving
much better treatment at the
hands of the commissioner Of
fee.
Inspectors Dissatisfied.
For some time there have been
yumbl.ngs of discomfort among
the inspectors. Many of the old
experienced and competent men
have had their heads Topped off.
Incompetent men have taken their
places and an investigation shows
that in some cases at least the
men discharged had refused 20
buy mining stock from Croak and
the men who stayed had bought.
Chief Inspector Croak has
charge and supervision of all the
inspectors. He works directly
under Commissioner McGregor.
Complaints of Poor Work.
Recently there have been many
complaints of poor work. The
big Barber Asphalt company job
In the North End raised commo-
tion and the council has refused to
accept the work. 1t was discov-
cred by the councilmen that Joe
Wells on the concrete culvert un-
der Pacific avenue had not placed
the amount of steel in the arch
required by the specifications and
that the cutting down of the
amount had been sanctioned by
Commissioner McGregor.
Councilmen Become Suspicious.
This week at the council meet
ing another evidence of poor work
came up from the South End
where councilmen had discovered
that inferior brick were being al
lowed to be placed in the South
End fire station with the knowl-
edge OF the commissioner and in
spector on the job. All these in
cidents and other similar ones re-
Gently have started councilmen to
investigating.
They have discovered that many
of the old competent inspectors
are either missing or have been
given little work. They have dis
covered also, they assert, that
Chief Inspector J. B. Croak has
been working the contractors and
inspectors under him to sell them
mining stock.
Inspector Pendergrant, who was
recognized as one of the best men
on the force, was not assigned
enough work to keep his family.
missioner McGregor was ap-
pealed to to know what was the
matter and McGregor said Pender-
grant stood in with certain Italian
contracting firms. Later McGre-
gor admitted that Pendergrant
had never inspected any of the
work for the Italians.
wouldn't Buy Stock.
Pendergrant finally told that
Croak had been to him and asked
him to buy mining stock and that
he had refused and from that time
on he had been given practically
no assignments to work.
Did Concannon Buy?
Contractor P. ]. Concannon
used to have all kinds of trouble
with the city over his jobs. Late
1y everything has been going
smoothly. Just recently he got a
contract extended. the administra-
tion agreeing. Now the council
men want to know If Concannon
bought some of Croak's mining
stock.
A long list of inspectors and
contractors, 1t Is said, will be re-
xealed by investigation, who have
felt 1t to their interests to get un-
der cover by buying some of the
stock from Croak.
Some of the councilmen think
this is one reason for the poor
work that Is now bobbing up In
local improvements.
Councilmen are getting thor
oughly aroused. Their personal
investigation of some of the pub
lie improvements lately has caused
them to feel insecure and to have
no confidence In the inspection
that is given the work and there
promises to be shakeup at the
city hall that will make things