The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-08-26
MAYOR PROMISES TO
PROTECT TAXPAYERS
CnV VIII Pay Amount OF Alleged
Graft In Sewer Construction If
Charge IL Substantiated.
$4,000 SUM INVOLVED
Report Of Engineer IL Awaited 10
Dccidc-Contractors to Bc Sued
n Discrepancies Found

Mayor Hubbard stated Monday
afternoon that II developments show
there was graft In the construction
OF sewer systems In Orchard and
Bellvicw additions to the extent OF
$50 900 the city viii reimburse the
taxpayers and file suit for amount
of reimbursement Against the con-
tractor who did the work. The firm
OF Tibbetis 4 Pleasant is said to
have done the sewer work In ques-
tion.
In a statement issued from his Of
flee Monday afternoon tho mayor de-
clared that 1t has always been the
intention Of tho present city admin
istrluon to rec tify any irreguldrity
~ the contracting for and supse %
quent construction OF sewer systems
in the districts about which citizens
recently complained to bhe courts
and that concerted steps toward an
adjustment OF the difficulty will be
taken by the administration as soon
rs report OF the engineering de-
partment is filed.
Engineers Report Necessary
The mayor explained that the city
can do nothing until report on the
exact amount OF excavation and ma
ture oL. same done In the sewer dis
triCts Is turned In. The city has been
attempting TO get this report for
several months, according TO the
mayor. but the engineering depart
mcnt has been swamped with other
work and as yet the report is not
begun In It's official form. A recent
change In tho personnel OF the de
par'ment viii require additional
time on This report. said the mayor.
Although the sewer work IN ques-
.!ou was contracted Tor under the
former administration, the city Is
bound TO assume responsibility for
she acts OF It's officers. The present
administration had no hand In this
work except by ordering that test
holes be sunk on The various grade
lines OF the work In question as
ncar as We could locate 10 the. old
stakes
These holes were sunk 10 vari-
Gus depths up % l6 feet We found
that the earth in these districts. ln
many Instances, ls OF a hard nature
and requires shooting before 10 can
be removed. IL IS neither shalc or
rock but ~ an exceptional texture.
W hen exposed 20 air or subjected
70 water 10 becomes soft and Crumhly
bur in the condition found when
excavations are first opened % re-
gulrcs blasting
Mayor Attempted settlement
Contractor term an excavation
either rock or shsle n the earth is
hard enough 20 require blasting %
is reported as rock That ls one item
which many persons do not under
stand nu' there may have been ir-
rcrularitles In the report ~ the
amount of excavation shwcr in
4pcCtors under the former admins
tra'iou made the reports on the
amount 81 excavation. All these
items will he dealt with in the report
- fho present engineering depart
mer' whom 10 is filed.
~ there we're discrepancies and
are testified 20 hy the engineering
report the city VIII speedily roiw-
hgrar 'hn tlvnayers involved and
bring su.r against fre contractor FOR
rna difference
.T attempted 'o make a settle
rrrf with the citizens who are com
ratr.~r hIt they would nor lrh'.
'ratr SOM. ~ them would NOT 90.
rtf fhat fh. excavation was any
.r"rr hu' soft earth