The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-04-02


see the sewer contractors obtain
$72,276 and one cent from the city for
extras" Citizens will note that m
Guided Gone cent" over and above The
1926, for it. shows how careful
and conscientious the contractors
were to get the amount "just right.
Details of the attempted raid and
the circumstances leading up to it were
given today by Mayor Head.
The first / knew of this remark
able document said Mr.. Head, yves
when Mr. White, Of the contracting
firm, presented bill for sewer extras
that almost foored me. 1t made an
itemized demand for such large sum
that / at once suspected scientific
padding.
"My suspicious were confirmed when
made careful examination of the
items that went to make up the as.
tonishing claim for $83, 443. 1 noticed
this item:
" Ill ,480 feet board measure of
sheeting and bracing in rs inch sewer
left to protect work, at actual cost IN
position amounting to $4,000
II knew at once that this was a
gross overcharge, for I remembered
selling the contractors, from my own
firm s lumber yard before [ was elect
ed mayor or ever thought of running
for the office, that same lot of lumber,
Gull hemlock, at $1,000 per thousand
feet. Yet here it was, before my eyes,
charged up to the city at $40 per 1000
feet, actual cost. In other words,
just for leaving this sheeting and brac-
ing in the ground, the contractors,
who under their contract were authoriz-
ed to charge Kenosha with the actual
cost, were asking the city. to pay them
profit of nearly 300 per cent!
" Nothing doing, Mike 1 tolt
Mr.. White.
But the sewer and. materials
have been accepted insisted Mr.
White. THE city is obligated to pay
the BILL
" impossible I replied. There
hasn't been any acceptance.
"'Yes there has, declared White
1--we got it in writing
Show me-, I said. I'm from
Missouri on this matter.
'EThen he told me that the doens
ment signed by Mr.. Scholey, City En-.
gineer Baltzer and Chairman George
r. Wade Of the council committee on
streets, alleys and bridges, the. three
composing the street assessment com
mitteek which unaer the contract with
The sr contractors, was authorized
to pass upon the question of the con
tract ful6llment, was in the posses
sion of Engineer Baltzer. The com
mittee could condemn or give an o. K.
"This document, which 1 obtained
from Mr.. Baltzer, staggered me for q
moment, but only until noticed that
it was dated April u, 1912. :.
:" 1T isn't worth the paper its writ
ten on, told Mr.. White. 1T is dated
after | qualified as mayor. Mr..
Scholey therefore was no longer mayor
and his signature is merely that of a
private citizen. You will never col
lect any $S3,0O0 from Kenosha as i1ug
as | am mayor
With that, I thrust the paper into
my pocket and later put it away IN
a safe place"
"Did the contractors, Mayor Head
was asked, "indicate that, through the
assessment committee s signed accep-
lance of the sewer and all the ma
terials, they expected to obtain the
full amount of their claim, including
the 'extrasg'
"They certainly did," replied the
mayor
"What, in your opinion" the mayor
further was asked, twas the object
of Mr.. Scholey and his committee as
sociates in signing this acceptance TO
the advantage of the sewer contrac.
tors?p
81 don t know and I don't like to
guess on matter of such gravity,
replied Mr.. Head. every citizen is
entitled to form his own opinion. !"
All / know is that, when / sought in
formation, never was able to secure
a satisfactory explanation.
Because of the eager though bolat-
ed acquiescence of Mr.. Scholev ana his
committee aids in the sewer contrac-
tor big bill for I" extras the original
sewer contract has been put under the
microscope of friends of DR. William
Mr.. FAIR, formerly mayor of Kenosha,
who this year is candidate against
Mr.. Scholey. The idea was to deter
mine how it ever was possible to run
up such a bill for extras and to learn,
if possible, how the contractors
hoped to slip it along to final legal
acceptance without publicity.
Several interesting discoveries re-
warded this search.
1t was learned that, under the terms
of the contract, every power of super
vision and even final acceptance mad
been delegated by the council to the
street assessment committee. In other
words, if the committee had been as
wideawake as it was anxious to oblge
the contractors and if its member had
not delayed action until the mayor
elect had qualified, the signed aeeep.