Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-03-23
Nall Says the Reprehensible CuI-
prit is at Home in the
Departments.
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
RESOLUTION Adopted by Council last
Night Provides FOR Official To De
Appointed by the Mayor.

Under the stimulus Of heated dis
,ass.on. direct charges of graft weio
mad, aeulust tho heads of departments
and a council committee last night by
corrcilmcn L. T. Hon and j. u. Muir
dock in meeting of tho city council
Asa result OF the exposure of the score.
methods employed On purchasing city
,,ppies IL is possible that purchas-
ing department and store house win be
sso7ted The first steps were taken
last night when HANS resolution ask
.rc the city attorney to draw up am
oraInancc providing for q supply de-
f8rtrnent. the head Of which shall be a
r,irrhnsIng agent to be appointed BY
mo mayor and hold office az his pleas
uve without confirmation Of the city
.ounrU was passed COuncilmcn r.
NJ BLACK. l.. J. Wood and L. D. Martin
we're the only members who finally OPP
roscd the measure.
In his opening remarks Councilman
uaU declared that there were whole
sale houses represented I'M tho council
er.r which supplies were being pur-
chased he stated further that the
orders of the council were openly vio-
lated hy the heads OF departments who
refused 90 ask for bids ON supplies as
tfa council had recommended.
If is rum0rcd' be declared. chat
nere is rake-of ON the purchasing
of supplies. There is ono thing cer-
fa.n. however. the city pays more for
ii. supplies than any other company
on corporation which has a purchas-
ug assent These FIRMS which I have
reason 90 believe are represented by
employees Of the city are given these
orders al their own price without COM
petition
BLACK is RESENTFUB.
This seemed to hit Councilman Black
who is directly Interested IN the Salt
Lake Hardware company he sharp
Isl resented &C. He said that his firm
ouIy wanted all IT'S dealings on BUSH
ness.ike basis.
In an instant Councilman Martin Sc
cured the floor and in a bantering man
uer offered the city $4,000 for the posi-
ton of purchasing agent He declared
that the position was susceptible 70
graft and that ne would Ike 20 Doe ape
pointed 20 handle the department for a
year or two
When Councilman j. ID Murdoch OBJ
tanned the floor he gave two instances
IN the watcrworks department where
shady dealings were suspected
"On one occasion be said. 'the wac
ter department ordered a car load of
lead pipe without the knowledge of the
council or the waterworks committee
as near as ] can find out. After the
pipe was standing ON q car on the side
track in the oregon short Line yards,
q cquistion was presented to the coun-
cu p0r pipe I believe that this car
load of pipe represented several reQuisi-
HHfH N1aa
cil month after month
ANOTHER CASE
an February the superintendent OF
the watcrworlts bought some meters
without asking permission Of anybody.
Whom the reouisitiou came In, / asked
IL bids had been solicited. When 7 found
that they had not I demanded that
bids be called for and the order cam
ce.lod This was done and after ask
ing for the bids Councilmen oDonneh
and COwburn wanted 20 give the order
20 the highest bidder Myself and
Stewart objected and finally won out,
saving the city Sl35.50 on seventeen me-
ters
Then on another contract for sup
plies In the water department ON BRASS
fitting and connections the city was
saved 1927 by simply asking for bids.
W. Mont Ferry was at first opposed
20 the department saying that politics
would enter the appointment under the
conformation Of the council and would
place too much power IN one mans
hands. After Il was agreed that the
mayor should have the rfght to APP
point a purchasing agent and romovo
him without the confirmation Of tho
council. Councilman Ferry voted I'm fa-
v0r Of the resolution.
FRANCHISE IS GRANTED
The oregon short rlnc Railroad com
pany and the salt Lake and Ogden
Railway company were granted "a Joint
franchise over Third West street from
South Temple 10 Fourth South street
This brought forth bitter opposition
between the councilmen, and Efforts
we're made 20 amend tho franchise so
that Il would not DE acceptable to
either company. Mt Black viii ask
Tor a reconsideration Of the matter AT
the next council meeting.
on account OF the pending legislation
which Is stin IN the hands Of Governor
Rprv. the council took 30 action on
tho milk ordinance Tho liquor ordi-
nance was laid over % come mp this
next woek. Tho ordinance win NOT
have 10 be changed now that the cover
nor vetoed the liquor bin which was
passed by the legislature.