East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-10-26
EXCESSIVE PRICE
WAS CHARGED FOR
BRIDGE MATERIAL
Bridges Investigated Show -Four
Cents Per Pound Paid for Steel
Above Prices Now Paid. EbeT-
hart Tried to "Sting" City But
Was ThwaTted.

That the taxpayers of Umatilla
county were swindled out Of a to-
tai sum in the neighborhood Of
$4,000 by the "Eberhart system"
of contracting for bridges in vogue
during the Gilliland term as Judge
is indicated by data that has been
given the East Oregonian today
by a man of integrity and know
ledge of the subject.
The conclusions as to the prob
able total amount of graft are
based upon the known facts re-
ghrding several of the most inn
portant bridges erected by Eber-
hart. These facts show that the
first truss bridge erected by Eber-
hart for the county was sold the
county on a basis of six cents per
pound for the steel, erected in
place. That is the only bridge
found upon which such a price was
given the county. Other bridges
Of similar nature Investigated re-
veal prices ranging from nine to
10 cents per pound for steel.
Now the price Of steel Of the
character used in the truss bridges
should have been about six cents
erected, the price charged for the
first bridge built by Eberhart. The
Joe West bridge, which is said to
he the best built bridge in the
county, and was erected by the
present court, was bought on a basis
of six cents per pound for the
steel erected in place. The Main
street bridge in Pendleton, erected
by the city through contract under
competitive bidding, cost on a basis
of five and one half cents per
pound. The Matlock street bridge,
erected by the city under similar
competition, cost six cents per
pound for the steel.
FOUR CENTS TOO MUCH
Therefore it is to be seen that
from the information secured thus
far it is evident the county under
the "Eberhart system" was charg-
ed from three to- four cents per
pound too much for the steel
bridges erected during the Gill
land term as county Judge.
Computing the swindle upon
this estimate it is figured that up
on the truss bridges erected by
Eberhart the county paid from
$4,000 to $4,000 more than it
should have paid. This of course
is exclusive of the Umatilla bridge
which is a girder bridge, not a
truss bridge. The known graft
upon the Umatilla bridge as has
been shown and can be shown con-
clusively was not less than $4,000.
Therefore the total swindle worked
upon the taxpayers under the
Eberhart system may safely be
reckoned as in the neighborhood
,of $4,000.
TRIED TO "STING' THE
CITY.
At the time the Main street
bridge was erected in Pendleton
Ebcrhart sought to have the city
let him draw the plans as he had
been doing for the county, He
did draw a plan and attempted to
have it adopted but was unsuccess-
full, largely because of the opposi-
tion Of City Engineer Geary Kim
brell who entertained suspicious
as to Eberhart. 1t is said that the
plan submitted to the city by Eber.
hart called for a very inferior
bridge as compared with the Main
street bridge and yet would have
cost almost as much as did the
powerful plate girder bridge that
was. built. 1t is estimated that
had Eberhart succeeded in getting
the city to adopt his plan the tax
payers of the city would have been
"stung" to the tune of not less