The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-01
THE COST or PUBLIC woRI<.

THE COST OF PUBLIC WORI\.
Tho suoject Of discuaslon before tho tax
payers league the other evening brings TO mind
once more the dlffculucs attending every effort
10 get public work done economically aa phi
vatc work Is hnbHualy done. Tho spcnkcrs
at that meeting had much to say concerning
the sewer work In district 1G6. with tho in-
temperate observation Of some speakers, man
festly inslnccrc and for political or personal
purpose. we have no concern; FOR the principle
Involved we have considerable concern. The
mayors later statement concerning this sewer
Job was amply explanatory and rendered nugn-
tory tho vicious assaults made upon the ad-
minlstrston, but did not disturb the fact that
under the existing practice governing the letting
OF contracts, supervision and measurement there
Is ample room for the very thing the speakers
at the taxpayers league suspect, probably with
Justlfiable ground for their suspicion
The private individual In letting contract
for work gets results because he IN alert, keeps
on the Juh supervising Il and IL not dependent
some third party to tell him what Is being
done. The mayor points out what cvery one
at all familiar with the practice knows to be
the case clerical employe acts as the eyes and
ears OF the city officials both In respect to the
quality OF work being done for the municipality
and tho final appraisement OF its value. The
opportunity here for fraud is ample. because
It means nothing TO the employc how much
cost IL assessed against tho abuttng property
In the case OF either pavement sewer.
The mayor spaks the literal truth when he
asserts that 1t is impossible for the mayor com
missopers or even the city engineer to per-
sonally attend to all OF these details which
raises the question as to why the affected clti-
zens--thosc who must pay the entire cost do
not keep as aertly an the job while the work
is In progress and at the time final measure
ments are to 10 taken, as they Invariably are
when they themselves are contracting out a
piece OF work.
The answer Is easy enough, but likewise Il
supplies the very reason why public work Is
extremely expensive and not infrequentiy fun
OF graft and constructive faults The remedy
Is not going to be secured by merely changing
the personnel of the administrative officers
This Is proven amply by the fact that no matter
what administration IS In power this Same con-
troversy over costs of municipal improvements
goes on.
The property owners who IIay the costs must
assume their rightfl part IN WORK OF this char
acter, thus rendering Impossible all such con-
troversies in the future; likewise making GER
tain that graft attempted, II lteis. will be speed
fly detected and as speedily punished.
How? In the most natural manner imagn-
able The property owners OF every paving
district or sewer district should at the moment
petition or ordinance for either ls filed select
committee OF three to represent all This
committee will experience no difficulty what
ever In receiving recognition by the duly con.
stituted officials at the city hail. Such COM
nittce would be charged by the property owners
with overseeing In general way the manner in
which paving Is laid, whether II ia in accord
with the specifications, and above all the actual
measurements OF both paving and sewer ditch
No ordinance Ia necessary for this action on
the part of affected Taxpayers No official
recognition by the city officials other than their
agreement to require that said committee be
advised that given piece Of sewer ditch ia
to be measured and classified so that it may be
present hold tab on the process and see that
the official figures square with actual conditions
OF course It will he Impossible for a crool, cd
contractor 10 corrupt such a committee for men
do not conspIrc to defraud themselves And
II a city engineer or subordinate wanted Co he
crooked such committee would completely
checkmate such individual Improper apecifi.
cations FOR public work would avail nothing In
such circumstances because the property own,
''s committee would not need concern Itself
With specifications, except iu paving bcoaus,
IN" uophle In sewer matters arisos over IN,
rh suli conditions actually encountered In III,
work and the final measurements
Here is the simple way for the propert,
owner 20 protect his interests adequately ir
paving and sewer matters regardless OF m,
character Of tho men charged with auperIn
tending the work officially And no matte,
how ornate an official structure may be ser II,
to do the same thing, 1t is tho only surely SAT,
way,