The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-19
Mayor Cotner's Message to Voters


that the peopes money had been squandered in reckless
and nladvised for the city That the peoples
money diverted from its proper fund where II
should have employed for the interest OF the whole
aone into prvae enterprises of favorite friends OF the
administration.
That had been given over to the gamblers ana
jonkeepers That for some unknown reason the record
Of the votes cast in meetings of the mayor and board
of commissioners where vital matters concerned the peo
ples welfare such the expenditure OF money, SHOWS
Dawson upon side and the concentrated weight OF
the mayor and other commissioners upon the other That
the mayor and board of commissioners were respohSioe
for all OF the ills of the city.
Now then the only thing support this platform since
it was promulgated has been his speech at the courthouse
Friday night Let see if he made good these charges
in that speech He nowhere made direct charge of
incompeency mismanagement corruption, as in his
letter platform he made few insinuations.
Here are the nsnuatlons He said that contract had
been the building of the septic tanks with r. D.
Meredith Company that after this contract had been
made some dispute between the board of commits
sones the contractors as to whether or not the con
tract made upon unit bid or for IA lump sum bld
That commissioners and contractors agreed
that the contract should be considered one based upon
lump sum bid that s that the contract should be for
the sum of S2 that when the last estimate was
allowed these people that they put in Dill ior about one
thousand dollars extra work that he Mr. Dawson, voted
against allowing thousand dollars for extra work. and
h'''''N'' va
the board of commissioners had voted for it.
Mr. Dawson in this like all his other statements, was
unfair He did not tell the whole story. would like to
ask him why that he did not read the contract to
audience the terms of which gave the engineer te
right make any changes in the plans at any time or
the of these tanks Why did he not state the
facts as they existed? That after the tanks under
construction the engineer found that the elevations that
were given the city engineer were wrong and that
necessary to make these changes on that ac
count? the contract provided that any changes that
that neCessitaed extra work should De paid
for at actual of material and labor furnished together
with IS per added? Why did he not tell the people
that this matter was referred the city attorney who
gave opinion saying that the city was absolutely bouhd
by contract and that there was no more escape from
paying this thousand dollars which had been done and
ordered by engineer than could avoid paying one of
its warrants legally issued? Why did he not say that all
of this money paid for extra labor and material which
put these tanks That this supplemental contract
which read and which agreed to by the contractor
and all members the board of commissioners went
only to that work which in the original plans and
specifications?
Why did he tell the people that these contractors
although they lost money on this contract put III the very
best mat eria throughout that they had excellent
piece work for the city and that the price paid was pe
low the agreed by the engineer Mr. Maxcy and
that the city still retains something like twelve hundred
dollars of the money belonging to the contractors p j.
Meredith 4 Company and that the city will hold that
money for the period of year from the time of the
completion Of said contract in addition to the bond to
guarantee the material workmanship in said tanks?
If Mr. Dawson thinks that the city lost money in
this deal any other has the right to prevent
the payment this money and the matter can be easily
settled by the district court
Had not the city paid this money when it did would
have had a number damage for emptyng our sew
other peoples property and it might have cost
the city great of money for the contractors would
not let the city the sewage into the tanks and the
city had temporarily turned the sewage on private property
any thinks that the action of the board of com
missoners wrong he still has the right
to prevent the city from paying this money.
The next insnuation that the mayor and other
members of commissioners had let the con
tract Erchsen the high bidder. on the filtration
plant the city thirteen hundred dollars more
than it should have cost. Again he is unfair
He knew that he opposed construction of the flra
ton plant with all the power he had and because he did
get plant planned by himself that he tried to make
of the plans adopted by the other members of the
board of commissioners That he got Shnke 4 Dashell
of Oklahoma City make report the plant proposed
by the commissioners. and that they reported
unavora6ly they had reported unfavor
ably he have Dashiel the contract so
that the plant coald be made failure.
To prove this to submit letter from Scaife
Filter company which addressed TO George Erchsen
and which is selfexplanatory to wit;
"Pittsburg, Pa, May g. 1910
"Mr George Erchsen Ardmore. Oklahoma
Dear Sir Your telegram received Wire best price
hreeeisht by twenty pressure filters two hundred
pounds f b.. Ardmore' In reply wired you as
follows Answering telegram. quote fortyseven hundred
dollars delivered without air wash and sand-see letter
"Tnis based 3Sx2O-foot filters withstand 1S0
pounds working pressure This requires the shells to be
very heavy material less than 916inch and