The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-06-07
PETTY GRATING IN
THE CITY COUNCIL
SMALL sum IS INVOLVED
SearchIght Thrown on Small Graft lhduls.
ed in BY City Executives. Business
Transactions. Effort to Repeal
Aucioneer Ordinance u

When the city buys dirt it pays 25
cents yard for it, and considerable
excavation has been done in connec.
tion with filling low places in the
streets. The chief of police directs
them where to dump the dirt, and
measures the excavated space to de-
termine how much to pay for it. In
some cases dirt Is taken from lots
that are too high, and that is count
ed by the load for dump wagon.
The question was gone over at
some length, and it was decided that
no hard and fast rule could be laid
down for getting at the matter exact
ly, and that it was desirable to get
dirt in various places and conditions
at about this price.
Trying Them Out
A bill was presented for SIT for
filling in Bingham street between
Main and Shilling, the work having
been done by Geo. Drew under direc-
tion of Geo. F. Gagon who had to
either fill in or run his auto through
pond to get into or out of his ga
rage, until the city got ready to make
the fill. Twelve dollars was for team
work and $5 was for laborer' shov-
cling dirt into the wagon. Mr.. Ca
gon had paid the bill and presented it
for reimbursement. The council dis
cussed the matter and seemed dis
posed to pay all but the SIS for shov-
cling, that not being quite their meth
cd of loading, to have one man load
one wagon, and 1t was thought to be
more expensive as it kept the team
idle longer.
Byrd Trego rose to say that he had
done considerable filling around his
home under similar conditions, and
that at the next meeting of the board
he would present his bill for it. Also
that he had had a large amount of
dirt and sand and manure hauled to
form a parking of about the usual
width, and that the city had cut the
parking down about half, and part
of this material had been used to fill
the street He would make his bill
to cover all this expense which the
city was getting the benefit of.
Mayor Capps said he had been fill
ing in around his home at times for
the past seven years, and had filled
in his alley over a foot, all at his own
expense. and he had never been re-
imbursed. He thought if the city
went to allowing bills for these things
they would soon find themselves in
deep water.
The bill was referred to the street
and alley committee.
Small Timber Graft
That the council will bear watch
ing is indicated by a circumstance
that has passed into the records.
When one member of body Is per-
mitted to put his thumb in the pie
and no objection is made by others
who observe it, their action is only
to be accounted for on the theory
that they have not the courage to op-
pose it or that they have a thumb of
their own that they have used or are
intending to use.
The matter cropped out at the
meeting held early in May when bill
for digging out roots on pavement
line came before the board, and one
member asked why the city should
remove trees or roots or in any way
prepare the base for somebody's
pavement. Mayor Capps rose and ex-
planned that It was for Mrs. Killing
worth's pavement where the row Of
big trees had to be removed, and that
It was a big job and he thought as
she was q widow woman and was not
here to look after 1t herself that It
was nothing more than right to let
one of the city laborers 60 and dig
out the roots II was in the hill of
George Shut. filed April 80, and 1t
read For grubbing sage and digging
trees" but 1t was not quite clear just
how much Of the $3.50 was for dig
ing trees or where 1t was done. The
statement of the mayor backed bv his
high personality and his wish that the
city extend its generosity to the wild
ow, silenced all objections or ques-
tions that might have been raised 9TH
erwise, each man perhaps being un-
willing to oppose widow, and the
bill was allowed. Others who had
paid for the removal of their trees
and the preparation of the base for
their walks have expressed annoyance
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