Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-13
COUNCIL PLAYS
FRE|::E||z.E|-0UT GAME | H
Attempt to Establish a Contract
ors' Combine Precipitates
A Big Wrangle.
.FERNsTRoM FOR RES oLUTloN.
Accuses Davis & lIcuscr of Bribine an,
Inspector to Pass on II
Defective Pipe.

u ~ < { l. 1 o. s
After an inconsistent wrangle for
more than an hour last night, the city
council killed the resolution Of Coun-
Gilman II. r.. Black in which he sought
to establish a contractors combine and
freeze out a few contractors who have
taken contracts with which they had
trouble ss
Fl Councilmen Stewart and Recdall rail-
lied to the support of Davis & Heuser,
who are In disfavor on account of the
delay of the work on the North Temple
street aequeduct Besides this they Sc
cured work which was wanted badly
by r j. Moran and James Kennedy
who appear to form the combine.
In the interests of fair play, Council
men Murdoch, Hall. IIodgson. Ferry
Martin, Holley and Wood opposed 1t
and succeeded in having the resolution
filed. Councilmen Black and Fern
strom were the SWo members who We're
iii favor of the drastic resolution.
Councilman Black introduced his re-
solution o. week ago andEit was laid
over for a. Week. It provided that the
board of public works be instructed not
to open or consider bids from any con-
tractors who had at any previous time
been in default on a contract. This
would place Davis & Heuser and tho
Campbell Building company. who are
the only competitors of Moran or Ken
nedy. under ban. besides a number of
other small contractors.
HALL, RAISES "A POINT.
III opposing the resolution, Council
man Hall raised the point that the
board of public works had no knowledge
of who the bidders We're until the tend
3ersS We're opened. He also stated that
the council was taking away the pre-
negatives of the board Of public works
The city engineer. and the board OF
public works We're responsible for the
default of some of the contractors on
account of their mistakes. Mr.. Hall
declared that 1t was not the contract
5ors' faults that the city officials made
mistakes. and on .hcse grounds he said
he opposed it.
"a Councilman Murdoch said that twas
going too far to Introduce such a reso-
luton. He pointed out that the coun-
Gil did not, have to confirm any con
tract awarded by the board OF public
works; Martin. Holley, Ferry and Wood
also characterized 1t as drastic
&S Councilman Stewart declared that it
was aimed at Davis & Heuser because
they had ia ken a contract in which the
city engineer#lad made a vital mistake.
This effort to pass the resolution, he said
was to put them out of business and
give the work to the favored contract
5ors. He also mentioned the Campbell
Building company as. another firm
Which had trouble on account Of the.
mistakes made in their contracts.
FERNsTRoM FOR MORAN. ~
hen Gounciimd II Ferfistrorn secured
the floor. he declared that tile resolu-
ton should be passed. In q sewer.
contract taken by Davis & Heuser. he
declared that it had been proven that
the firm bribed an Inspector to pass
defective pipe but that the pipe was
caught in time and condemned. He
declared that since that time he had
that the Campbell Building company
had made Il bad Job with its contract
and it was time that the city refused
to give any more contracts to men who
had failed to do the work. 5
Whenever there is a contractor who
is thinker you will always find
Stewart defending him. Fernstrom
said. 1t has been the case before and
always has been since he has been in
the council I'll
.s SWEET BELLS TANGLED.
Councilman Stewart jumped up and
accused Fernstrom of saying Salt Lake
City only needed two contractors. re-
3ferring to Moran and Kennedy. Fern
sstron, denied this. however. The
&wrangle continued in this manner un-
til every councilman had spoken twice
or three times on the question. When
the vote was put, Black and Fernstrorn
were the only two in favor of 1t.
The proposed Improvement of paving
Fourth East street from South Temple
street to Third South street was de-
feated by the taxpayers. The residents
protests amounted to more than half
of tho AUDITING property by 35 feet.
The contract Of T. j. Moran for the
paving of West Third South street was
approved by the council At the re-
quest OF the property owners, the stres..
will be made 81 feet In width instead
of so as required inthe plans and specl-
sfications. This street will be made Il
business street in few years and the