The labor world., 1911-08-12
Investigation Shows That City
Officials Were Exceedingly
IS Vigilant.
CITY ATTORNEY FESLER
CLEARS CLOUDY SKIES
Contractor Did not Get Pay for
Extra Work as Charged By I.
Accusers. 81

company was put out of, business by
Henry Truelsen, Duluth has been free
from municipal scandals. sl,s.z s.
3 Since the adoption of the city
charter in 1900 the citizens Of Du-
luth have prided! themselves on the
purity Of their local government
So when Hugh Steele sent:his let-
ter to the city council in which he
indirectly made vharges against GER
tain city officials, and when the daily
newspapers played up the letter; in
glaring three column head lines, It
came to the people Of Dulutfi, like
a thund erbolt from a clear sky.
Men familiar with the provisions
of the city charter relative. to the
letting of contracts were slow to be-
neye that there was any truth in the
charges Of Mr.. Steele s. q zs9s.ss53
Council Free from Graft.
I So far as the council was con-
cerned,e for eight years past its COM
mittee on streets, alleys and side
walks was headed by Watson s..
Moore, and since March last by Aler-
man 2. D. Scott. It goes without
saying that these worthy public. Of
ftcials would not for a moment toll
crate graft in the slightest degree.
So. then If it were not the alder
men it must have been the members
,pf; the Board Of Public Works who
are guilty. Investigation has shown
that there were two administrations
during the period covered by the
charges preferred by Mr.. Steele. It
also showed that tie Board of Public
Works in awarding all contracts has
been guided by the City charter and,
the advice Of the city attorney.
City Attolney and Engineer. !,
Then Il It We're not the aldermen
or the Beard Of Public Works tie.
next to. be accused are, the city engin-
eer and city attorney. The former
passes on the estimates and the:
amount to be allowed for extra. work
on each contract while the latter
either approves or disapproves their
legality. !, :ss5 $3.50
: The Charges and the testimony
thus far received by the committee
are Of such uncertain character that.
they sound much like the idle gossip
Of a country village. The evidence. Of.
O0AsA &sSSOA S0AAAoAA 1A0A1SS a SlE1hsf
ing example. He did not make q
single statement that would have
been accepted by; court. His whole
testimony was Of the "heresay'' or
der. except that occasionally ne would
by inuendo leave the impression that
graft existed, but 1t did not pay
him to give the gang away His.
testimony was the most disgusting
feature Of the. investigation
McGilvray Is Clear.
City Engineer McG1lray related
without moment Of hesitation the
part played by himself and his corps
Of assistants In overseeing all Of the
contracts under the charge Of his
department. He gave a satisfactoryS
explanation Of the method pursued
in allowing, estimates to contractors
and in approving for extra work. rs
A number OF people. about town,
when the investigation had proceeded
forstwo days and when 1t was seen
that nothing startling had developed,
openly declared that the big graft
was for extra work allowed to Con-
tractor Mcdonnell. One man de-
clared to the editor Of the Labor
World that Mr.. Mcdonnell was given
the, big sum of $4,000 for extra work: