The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-30
AIM TO WIN VOTE
THROUGH SEWERS
Kearns Party About to Make
Hurrah Over AdminiStra-
tons B0tCh.
SCANDAL is PLAIN TO ALL
WORK WHICH SHOULD HAVE
BEEN COMPLETED NOT DONE.

At last the intercepting sewer is to
be put into commission! At the meeting
of the board of public works last night
it was announced that connections would
be made from the laterals next Monday
and that at once several hundred cOnnec-
tons would be made.
Monday is chosen to install the i'm
provement, as that is the day before cleo
ton and the voters Will hardly know in
time whether the sewer really is in good
condition. The American party intends
making a great hurrah about the COM
graft, incompetence and hardness which
has stamped this as one of the worst bum
giles of city administration.
1t is now expected that the good people
of the west side, the thousands who have
paid good money for the work and have
grown weary with waiting for the COM
pletiOn of the sewer. will throw up their
hats and yell for the American party.
Among other things, it is hoped that this
VIII be the one thing that will help Ed
ODOnnell out in the cOuncilmanie race in
the Second ward, where he awaits GER
tain defeat at the hands of John Elk
man.
That work. which has cost more than
$4,000 over the contract price, should have
been done a year and a half ago. The
intercepting sewer has been idle for two
years, and only through investigation by
L. G. Kelsey, erstwhile city engineer was
had been left out and that other glazing
Oversights traceable to the inspection sys-
TEN of the board of works had not been
remedied Time after time the contractor
and chief inspector have promised that
the work would be completed in ten days,
two weeks six days and a few other
specified times. 1t was just two months
ago when W. j. Halloran asked the con-
tractor, Mike O'COnnOr, when the sewer
would be ready for the laterals to be
turned in.
Promise Every Fortnight.
about ten days, or two weeks at the
very outside" said the contractor.
And it was just three months ago when
Mr.. HallOran, then hearing rumbling from
the west side. asked that same Ques-
ton.
"Oh, should judge we will have every
thing finished in two weeks" the genial
contractor responded.
But it was not finished either time. Mike
Fitzpatrick chief inspector, knew nothing
about the work, how much was done,
when ii would be completed, or what kind
of shape it was in. Neither did any men,
Der of the board, with the exception of
Chairman H G. McAillan-and he re-
fused to say.
But at the time when they were find
ing fault with the big sewer and it looked
as If it would be completed only a year
after it was promised to the taxpayers
on the west side, it was found that the
wooden stave outlet pipe, running from
the Ninth North pumping plant to the
river, was leaking so badly that 1t could
not be used. This work was contracted
for at $4,000, or a little more. And of
this amount all but little more than
5000 has been paid.
When the trouble was found, Chairman
Mcmillan Of the board of works Mayor
BransfOrd, and the city engineer, then
L. 9. Kelsey, looked it over. 1t was seen
that if the contractor, A Campbell, were
compelled to take out the wooden slaves
where they leaked and put in new slaves,
that the work would not be completed
for months more. So Mayor BransfOrd
gave the order to P. J. Moran to plaster
the outside of that wooden pipe, and the
contractor used cement two feet thick
all around the pipei
He sent in his bill TO the city for So
ass. Is, and it came near getting through,
when Councilman James D. Murdoch, now
Republican candidate for mayor spiked
the whole matter and forced an investi-
been held up. What will be done with
It after election is a question which is
known only to the American party mem
bers of the council.
Plot to Catch Votes.
Now it is declared that on next Mon
day connections will begin to be made.
Taxpayers have been suffering all sorts
of inconvenience as result of the tardy
work, which should have been completed
according to contraction July of 1908.
With the announcement that this night
mare has at last been put out of busi-
ness-Which may not be true-it is hoped
that hundreds of voters who have bolted
the party through the sewer fiasCO will
return.
It has been felt that many votes were
being lost on the west side because of
the slow work and the scandals in regard
to the sewer. This fine little political
stroke, however, it is hoped, will help out
in the Second ward. The contractor, Mike
O'Connor, superintendent Of the James
Kennedy Construction company, has been
working large forces of men for more
than a week, repairing the poor work and
patching the sewer together in the hope
that it can be made ready. He was told
that it must be completed before cleo
ton day, and was given all kinds of
promises for future work If he did the
work on time. And he delivered the goods
-maybel
In addition to sounding the glad It'd
irgs in regard to the intsTcepting sewer
which caused a sigh of relief from every
member of the bOard-the board officially
accepted sewer extensions Nos. 1S2 and
1S5. Extension 1S5 runs east of Main
street to the gravity sewer, and Exten-
sion 1872 runs between Main and Second
West streets, south of Fifth South
The board took up the matter of build
ing an elevator on the city side of the
city and county building. but put it over
until the next meeting.