Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-03-18
THE FACTS ABOUT
THE 1907 SEWER PIPE

TER under The GATE or SATURDAY..
March 18th, 1909, ga Tax Payer" asks
for an explanation of alleged graft in
the purchase of sewer pipe by the
City in 1907, stating that the johnson
Hill Company contracted to sell to
the City No. l sewer pipe and de-
livered instead, No. two sewer pipe,
collecting from the City the full con-
tract price of No. One.
For the benefit of ga Tax Payer
and all other citizens, the following
information is given for the purpose
Of setting this matter right and show.
ing that there was no graft on the
part of the Johnson & Hill Company
Mr.. E. W. Ellis. w. E. Wheelan, or
any other party in the purchase of the
sewer pipe in 1907.
Mr.. E. w. Ellis, as chairman of the
Sewer Committee, in the summer of
1907 submitted the purchase of sewer
pipe to competitive bids and ,received
bids from the Johnson & Hill Company
and the Centralia Hardware Company.
The bid of the johnson & Hill Com
pany was to furnish the City the
sewer pipe at exactly what the sewer
pipe company charged for the same,
plus $500 for each Car handled, this
being the profit of the Johnson & Hill
Company on the sewer pipe business
for that year. After considering both
bids, Mr.. Ellis decided that the John
son 81 Hill Company's bill was lowest
and entered into an agreement with
them for the furnishing of the sewer
pipe. The City of Grand Rapids in
the summer of 1907 bought 20 car
loads of sewer pipe, 10 of which were
furnished by Johnson & Hill Company.
The other carload was bought from III.
A. Barkhausen of Green Bay, Wiscon-
sin, For the 10 carloads purchased
from the Johnson g. Hill Company,
the City paid S3645.24, plus $500
Johnson & Hill Companys commission,
making total price paid to the
Johnson & Hill Company S374O.24, on
which their profit of $500 per Car
amounted to , Clio per cent. 1t is
true some No, Two sewer pipe was
furnished. The Sewer Committee
had knowledge of the furnishing of
No. Two sewer pipe as it was done by
their order. During the summer of
1907, it was very difficult to purchase
sewer pipe as all the factories were
rushed with orders. The City had
three jobs on its hand and in order to
get sewer pipe with which to finish
The work, the Committee authorized
the Johnson & Hill Company to order
some No. Two sewer pipe. Upon such
authority, one carload of II inch pipe,
consisting of 600 feet and also l32 feet
of No. Two 20 inch pipe, were fur
nished. Instead, however, of No.
One prices being collected for this,
it was charged for and paid as No.
two sewer pipe, as will be seen by the
original invoices now on file and
which have been on file in the office
of the City Clerk.
Should any one care to see these
original invoices from the Red Wing
Sewer Pipe Company, they are at Ii
berty to examine the same in the Of
fee of the City Clerk.
Further. if there is any information
about any City work or any municipal
money matters which any tax payer
wishes to have, they will be Welcome
to call at the office of the City Clerk
where such information may be had
and where it should be looked for
The office of the City Clerk is open
each and every day, and the Clerk will
be glad to give any tax paper any In.
formation which pertains to the
| CIty'S business.
Dated at Grand Rapids, Wisconsin
March II, 1909.
G. E. Boles,
City Clerk.
[The above explanation should be
perfectly satisfactory to the inquiry
made by "a Tax Payer. Editor.