The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-07
SALT LAKERS ARE
BARRED FROM BIDS
Have No Opportunity to Put i'll
Proposal Upon the New
County Jail.
SPECIFICATIONS PREPARED
SO AS TO SHUT THEM OUT
Board of Commissioners Plays
Into the Hands of the Pauly
Jail Company.

'tWhat is the use of law? Why have
statutes? Why advertise for bids for
public buildings in state or county, par
ticularly the county'' The speaker
was Il well-known contractor of Salt
Lake and he was talking to The Stroller,
Continuing this contractor said: "Herc
is copy of tho compiled laws Of Utah.
Section 524 pertaining to commissioners
reads thus:
The board OF county commissioners
shall not erect. construct or repair any
courthouse, jail. hospital or other public
building. or any bridge. the cost OF which
specifications shall have been made there
for and shall have been adopted by the
board. All such buildings and bridges
must be erected or repaired by contract
let TO the lowest responsible bidder
provided, that the board of COM
missioners may reject any and all bids.
Now, that reads nicely and the in
tent of the law is all right, but why is
it not put into practices The board of
commissioners purpose to erect new
Jail for Salt Lake county. It will cost
about 100000 An advertisement ap.
pcared and in compliance with that ad-
verisement a number of local people
have attempted to make bids, but the
plans and specifications have not been
accessible. Why' Only the board
knows.
Plans Kept from Public.
1.-The Tribune has endeavored. so ]
learn from this mornings issue, to see
these plans, but was unable to do so
because no one was IN the Office where
no
But j have been there. / have laid for
the pauper clerk. ] did not want coal,
nor rent, nor grub. j Just wanted to see
the specifications.
Like The Tribune, / made applcn-
tion at the clerk g Office to see them
Not there l was told 'Why?' See
Mr.. Sabine, the paupcr clerk, ] was
told. But he is not the clerk of the
board of commissioners, j replied. The
county clerk is the clerk of the board
under the law. If that parsonage has
designated any one to act as clerk no
one knows il. The fact is, the com
missioners' court of Salt Lake county
has arrogated to itself the real govern
ment of the county. The chief executive
of the state cuts no figure. He is not
in it with either Mackay or Clinton and
even Sabine gets chesty when he is
spoken to. Still Salt Lake county tax
payers pay $500 per year TO these men
to spend their money.
Sabine Seeks Information.
''Thursday morning j called ut the
commissioners court. This little tin idol
called the pauper clerk was in charge,
| asked TO see the specifications
Of the new Jail The question
was since when did you get on
The Tribune staff'' Replying that
| no nf ha-
ing member Of the staff of the only
newspaper printed III Salt Lake, he said
Well. these are the specifications; see
what you can get out of them, and when
you get n contract come and see me.
Then he showed me where L could
see the plans and specifications. ] sat
at the desk which he designated and
read in paragraph ., page /:
No bid shall be considered for the cell
"A speciality of jail equipment. and who
can show ali work OF the magnitude re-
auired which has been In successful op-
GRAFTON Tor at least five years.
''Then I turned the pages, and I
read in the specifications in paragraph
/, page D, this:
The construction OF the cell doors to be
OF the Pauly patent interlockng round
bar construction Of. live-ply tool proof
steel.
Why Advertise?
''Now what is the use TO advcr.
tise, Why ask local bidders TO come
in9 Here is jail building firm which
furnishes specifications. They have an
absolute cinch, because there is pat
euted arrangement upon which no one
but one firm can bid. This is in the
specifications. This is where the coon
under the wood is concealed This is
where the graft is, if there is a graft,
But il effectually bars out anybody but
.he Pauly Jail company.
''This is the company that mt fhe
sells III the state penitentiary So far
tons that. 1t is Of the best. But why
not give some one else chance?
'There are other firms in the coun.
Try that make jails; that do steel work;
that make tool steel. But hcy do not
Happen 10 own the one device which
the Paulv people have, Hence under
the specifications, all others arc barred.
Why?
Not Here for Health.
Now, I happen to know the repre-
sentative of the Pauly Jail company.
who is here and has been for several
weeks. He is not here for his health.
He and / have both buclled each other
n times past Hence, ! say. he is not
hero for his health. Neither does the
oauly Jail company send him here for
The purpose Of improving his health.
nor does that company prepare plans
mud specifications for fun. This is why
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