The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-08-12
ATKINSON COMES BACK

'pIlOn upon the three gratulty granted him
the purchase price of the plant of the Bismarck Water Sup
ply company, Mr. T. r. Atkinson had read into the record
last evening letter statement to the commission stat
ing that ne paid MIR. Harry Thompson $500 to supervise
the laying of sanitary and that Mr. Thompson failed
to return the "w{e' book Mr. Thompson informs The
office.
The motive Of Mr.: Atkinson is very plain Criticised
himself for insisting three per cent ee seeks
infer that Mr. Thompson accepted $500 the per
paid on construction work blame attaches to such
He hired Mr. Thompson capacity as plumber to do this
work and paid him out of the five per allowed him by
missioners in their capacity businessmen sell the city
supplies every month and their bills the bills
of the firm they represent
Mr. Atkinson does not explain satisfactorily to the public
tack Commissioner Thompson no bearing on the
$685. 900 the $3.50 gratuy The fact that the wye"
book has not been located does not explain the
CT why was necessary to pay three cent
It is true out Of the five cent paid Mr. Atkinson for
assist him whom paid out of his own pocket
ne did Mr. Thompson The legality of such arrangement
rent light heat telephones all free has been severely crit
czed by but be that may the three per cent fee
upon property purchased is defensble and burden
upon the taxpayers.
There is no contract precedent for such action
- Mr. Atknsc, to think that facts concerning his
fees are not public business matter newspaper dis
cussion Upon the publication of the bare fact that
he received this fee he rushed into print with the accusation
sion tainted news and that The Tribune had charged
Larson, French, Lenhart and Henzler with grating
Whether MIR. Atkinson B. E. JONES' official apologst
and agent for T. r. Atkinson devised this remarkable
defense of the $3.50 grauity disclosed or whether
Atkinson after due consultation with his kitchen cabinet
decided that putting the blame of the absence his "wye
boob upon Harry Thompson would mitigate the taking of
The fee before had been legally determined he was entitled
to it. not disclosed but the public mind will hardly be d.
verted by the childish communication filed the auditor
upc" MIR. Thompsons motion.
The whole asco should point plainly fact that the
taxpayers of Bismarck would have saved thousands dol
lars in the past city engineer had been employed upon
fixed salary. When the budget fixed again that should
be done.
Just to show how this five per cent operates we have
only to look the records to what has cost the
taxpayers of Bismarck When Mr. Atkinson drew plans for
the water works system showing how system could
be built or teup with the present plant made he was paid
flat fee of $4,000 for these plans and additional So
we to be paid the plans used This of course
IS IN addition to the $3.50 grauity paid the purchase
price of the old plant.
survey of the records shows that Mr. Atkinson has
been paid in salary and commissions public work in Bis
ma"rk from JAM l, 1914 to December 1919 SAL $685.
Since then $4,000 or more has been paid
bringing his salary and fees for services we'll the $4,000
mark An average the ten years doubtless would
in excess of $1,000 year. heavy burden upon the tax
payers and than the services worth and much
nor than the city needed to pay for such work.
The city commission stop this leak and take long
step toward tax reduction by putting the city engineer solely
salary basis In making this suggestion The Tribune
is charging with graft that inference has been raised
by T. r. Atkinson and his non-tax paying man Friday