The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1916-11-07

sells of the secretary of the taxpayers league the
did enter the contract with Lee and the work
was only recently completed
Lees Arrest Stops Payments |!
From time to time bills for material and labor have
been presented the commissioners by Lee and the claims
have been allowed Yesterday have been the day
final settlement but Lee arrested before the commits
soners allowed the final Claims and is believed that
the balance unpaid it will be possible the alleged
excess charges previously made. 4
According to the complaint filed against Lee by the
prosecuting attorney his practice have work
men sign blank receipts for their pay and fill them
with amounts greater than those actually before pre-
sent1ng them to the commissioners
Taxpayers League on Job
Following the refusal of the county commissioners
take his advice with regard the navisab by of entering
into such an agreement Lee proposed Secretary Thomp
SON. OF the Whitman county taxpayers league, kept him
se informed on the progress and cost Of the work and
discovered apparent discrepancies which led arrest
County Records Are Vague
So fragmentary the official records of Lataa in
its transaction with the Union Sand & Gravel company
and vague the terms of the contract with the Spo
kane firm that the public will find difficulty in learning
how much of their money thus firm doing
business in the state of Washington and still greater diff
cuE in learning what the outside sand and gravel actual
ly cost per yard delivered on the Latah roads.
No sand pit found who had been given
opportunity to quote the county price gravel for
the roads which the washed pea gravel bought from
the Union Sand & Gravel company of Spokane was used
Arnold Lyon, according sand man, told him that
another sand pit owner had been given chance make
price, but Mr. Lyon did tell what price if any was
referred
to. third sand pit said that Mr. Lyon told him
that the Spokane washed gravel $50 yard the
Moscow search of the county records fails
reveal what the cost of the gravel per yard really
Attorney Criticises Contract
In considering the contract supply sand and gravel
the county for the Ito miles Of road of sub
mitted by the Union Sand Gravel company of Spokane
has been disclosed that the board of county
sought the advice of the prosecuting attorney the
authority OF the board award such without the
necessity of calling for bids In his reply to the board the
prosecuting attorney calls attention the vagueness Of
the submitted holding that the contract
good form, contains specifications whatever to
how the work shall be done or by whom it shall be ap
proved In the letter bearing the subject the prosecut
ing attorney says:
Il will say, however, that the contract is good in
form, it contains specifications whatever how
the work shall be done by whom shall be approved In
other words it leaves everything undetermined be de-
termned by the other contracting party, the Union
Sand & Gravel company"
$4,000 Sent Out of County
From the commissioners minutes it is impossible to
get idea of the real relations Of the commissioners and
the Spokane firm far prices that may be compared
with local prices concerned The minutes record pay
mentof $134333 the gravel company, June IT, $444H
on June 3Oth, and $77oo3, July Sd, and payment of
S020 81 to the Inland railroad for freight gravel
June 3Oth
More than four thousand dollars out of the
county pay for gravel far inferior i'll quality to the local
gravel according experienced road and to people
who travelled roads made of native gravel and roads
on which the imported gravel has been spread