East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-10-20

OOONIh COUkT OF UMATILI4A
COUNTY.
T. p. Gnllland, Co. Judge.
----- Co. Com.
Horace Walker. Co. Com.
Il will be noticed that the name OF
Mr.. Lee was not attached to this
document
The Law Violated.
The secret contract made with
Eberhart June 25 was in direct vio-
lation of a state law that requires ad-
Verusing for open bids whenever
bridge costing over $500 is to be built.
Here is the reading OF the law:
SS6S. Contract for Bridges Costing
Over $4,000.
Whenever any bridge is to be built
by any county in this state. the esti-
mated cost Of which will exceed the
sum OF 100000, the county court
snail at once advertise for sealed bids,
according to the plans, specifications,
and strain diagrams, to be prepared
under the direction OF the county
court. to be kept on file in the office
OF the county clerk for the informa-
ton OF bidders; said advertisement to
be published for at least three con-
secutive weeks in the official news
paper Of the county. IL weekly, and
twenty days II a daily paper.
Each bidder shall be required to de-
posit with his bid five per cent of the
amount Of his bid, which shall be for
feited to the county in case the award
is made to him, and II he fails, ne
elects. or refuses, for a period of two
Gays after such award is made to |
enter into the contract and file his |
pond in the manner required by and |
to the satisfaction OF the county court
upon the day appointed, the county
court shall proceed TO open the bids
and award the contract to build such
bridge to the lowest responsible bid.
der. and the county court shall enter
into contract with him therefor; pro-
vided always. that said county court
may. reject any and all bids; and pro.
vided further. that said county court
In its discretion may employ a suit
able and competent superintendent
and assistants; procure the necessary
material and cause said bridge to be
without such advertise
ment and in which event said super
intendent shall inspect all material.
as to its fitness, and shall inspect all
bills for the material and labor and
certify to their correctness, before
they shall be ordered paid by said |
court. and upon the completion of /
said bridge. shall prepare and file
with the clerk of said court a full and |
detailed statement, duly
verified. giving the name of the stream
across which said bridge is built, the
name or location of such bridge in
such manner that it may easily be
found, its entire length, width, am
cunt and cost of each kind of ma
terial and entire cost of said bridge.
with brief general description of the
style and character OF said bridge
and of its immediate surroundings.
which statement shall be subject TO
inspection at all times by any one de-
string to examine the same. q. 1903.
p. 262, SO; L. 1909. p. SO2.)
A Contract Bridge.
The law is given in full above How
ever. the last half OF the section does
not apply to the Umatilla bridge for
The reason the bridge was not built
by the county direct under a superin-
.endent but was built under a straight
with the Atlas Bridge Com
)any as anyone may see by reading
The bargain struck between that COM
pany and the county court June 20
and under which the Atlas Bridge
company agreed to furnish the bridge
erected in place" for the sum of 49,
500 plus the concrete work at $40 per
cubic yard.
The records Of the county court
show that the county paid the Atlas
Bridge company for concrete work on
he bridge the sum of $347O thus
the total cost of the bridge
I13,O7o. Competent engineers have
Investigated this bridge and have sub
nitted reports showing that this
bridge as erected should have cost
lot more than $1,000 and that there
ore the county was robbed of not less
han 5000 on this one deal. This
5 point upon which no dispute Is
made and none can be made. Eber-
lart himself has admitted having
obbed the county blind On the first
age Of this paper today appear
tatements from c. II. Martin, county
ngineer, Geary Kimbrell, city engI.
eer and J w. Maloney, county judge. ,
II showing that the county was ,
windled out of huge sum when the
'matilla bridge was built
This closes the first chapter of the .,
tory Of the Umatilla Bridge deal It
the longest chapter but not the most
Disclosures yet to come
ill be far more astonishing than o
nything made public today. Watch 2
)r the rest of the story. =,
Loss OF Appetite.