The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-06-18


qualified from further serving
as n county com nn i.sionrr of
King county. md u L. our rec
ommendstfon that he resign nj
once. and In the event that he
doe. not resign mt once,
recommend that the recall law
be applied 10 his ease without
delay.
E1HuMING AND CHENA-
TION OF THE PAIPEH DEAD
After a careful and thorough exc
animation Of the letting by tho
board Of county commissioners 81
the contract FOR the purpose Of ex-
humlng and Transporting the bodies
Of the papper dead from the potterT
field 10 the county crcmatory. the
jury find that the contract was en-
tered into under the following con-
ditiouH
without calling for public bids. a
mum Der Of undertakerH, including H.
Is Soice and Huierworth a.. Sons.
were notified incidentally that the
county wished 10 let contract for
notification. bids were received ~
the board OF county commissioners,
one coming from Butterworth d
sons through an employe. and an
other coming from the American
Contracting Company at the instiga-
ton and request OF r. : Noice The
first bid mentioned was for $500 per
body and the second for S2.50. which
bids were both In writing. on Octo-
Der 20 1919. the board Of county
commissioners, BY resolution. let
the contract for the cIhuming and
transportation OF said pauper dead
20 the American Contracting Com
pany. and said company Immediately
proposed form OF contract which
was In the main accepted and adopt
ed BY the board OF county commis-
sionerE. and later ~ that contract
WAS assigned TO Frances q. Soicc.
contract and assignment; Mr.. Noics
started TO work and removed ths
bodies to the crematory. keeping ac-
count thereof. and reported the re-
moval Of $3.50 bodies Mr.. @. ID. Ar
mold. a county employe. had been
placed in charge OF the crematory
and was instructed by the clerk ~fs I
the board OF county commas oners
to keep check on the count OF the
number OF bodies delivered by Mr..
Noice. hts check 10 consist OF count
ing the number OF skulls. This Mr..
Arnold failed 10 do. but through no
fault OF Mr.. Noice. and the jury fur
Their find that no criticism can be
made OF the manner in which Mr..
Noice obtained or performed this
contract
The Jury find that the letting
OF said contract was done by the
county commissioners without
due regard To the protection Of
the county. md without properly
safeguarding the Interests of
the county Hereunder; that
contract of such magnitude -
the enc I'm question should hnvs
been let after publicly calling for
hesfs. and then only after consuI-
tntton with, and careful prepsra-
ton Of the contract by. the legal
department of the county.
NEW COURT HOUSE
Ar. A Warren Gould Is the archi-
tect who entered into a contract with
the county commissioners for draw.
ing the plans and preparing TIE
specifications for the new county
court house. The jury find that Mr..
Gould wrote his own contract and
presented IL to the board OF county
commissioners, and the contract was
accepted By them without consulta-
ton with the prosecuting attorneys
office
The unbusinesslike way of
handling this matter by the
county commissioners VIII. NO
doubt. cost King county thou
sands of dollars of needless ex-
p~nse. ne well ms years OF delay
In the erection of n new county
court house. which IL badly need
ed at this time.
THE PORT COMMISSION
on Friday, June Is. 1919. the atten-
tion OF the Jury was called TO an AL
legged charge made by one OF the port
commissioners. namely. Robert
tempt was made by certain persons
To influence his official action in re-
lation 10 an agreement which was in
the process OF negotiation between
the port commission and the Pacific
Terminal Company.
An investigation was made OF the
charges. and the jury find that a
prominent business man OF the city
OF Seattle interviewed said Robert
Bridges. and during period OF some
4 tfatn
Bridges 20 change his attitude toward
said agreement. withdraw his oppo-
sition and give IL hts support using
language in his argument to the eff
feet that there will be money in II
for you tmeaning Mr., Bridges) and
the rest of as too"
This expression was taken by Mr..
Bridges TO mean that he should 30
amenahle to the dictates ~ the bust.
ness man and his associates. and that
such an attitude would result In
profit to himself.
The prominent business man ex-
plains that his meaning simply re-
fers to the general prosperity which
might result to the whole OF the peo-
pie of King county, and not TO Mr.
Bridges in particular This promi-
nent citizen also Informed Mr..
Bridges that HIS change OF attitude
In reference to said contracts would
result I'm the support 81 his asso-
ciates and two OF the daily news
papers OF Seattle. but II he contin-
ued to oppose the said contract he
would be severely criticised and con-
demned by the same parties.
The claim by Mr.. Bridges that the
prominent citizen offered him a
bride had no connection with tho
Chamber OF Commerce or tho Pacific
Terminal Company. as the prominent
citizen was simply trying To sell his
land direct to the port commission.
and sent his agent 10 see Mr.. Bridges
at his real estate office In tho New
York block to talk with Mr. Bridges
about the matter. II could not ho
learned that the agent offered AIR.
Bridges part OF the commission he
was to get In case a sale was made.
hut the Jury feel that. inasmuch as
Mr. Bridges was engaged In the real
estate business, II would he hut
nat.ral Tor the agent 10 otter Mr.
Bridges half of any commission he
might receive.