The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-07-23
CHARGES OF CRAFT IN
ST. PAVING PURCHASES
One City Official Swears He Was Approached
By Local Firm With Offer of easy
Money" For His Approval of Certain
Commodity

ton with Elizabeth Clty'S 81
735,000 public utilities and
street paving program are be-
ing whispered around and the
whispering may eliminate in a
noise that will blow the lid off
things in Elizabeth City at an
early date.
Elizabeth City has always been
graft town. When this newspaper
entered the town Is years ago it
was a notorious fact that the city
could not make a purchase Of any
knid without some one taking rake
off. A policeman to hold his job
on the police force had to pay some
politician in power for his job.
The Independent made such war
on the grafters that they ceased to
he bold i'm their practices and the
city has been comparatively free
from graft for several years. But
the expenditure Of nearly two mil
lion dollars for civic improvements
is too much for lovers Of Easy
Money to resist.
This newspaper has had infOrmn-
tion for some time that almost every
contracting and supply firm seeking
business with the city are approach
ed by certain local citizens who
claim to have unusual influence
with the Board of Aldermen and
who demand a commission OIL con-
tracts in return for their influ-
ence with the Board of Aldermen.
Contractors and supply people
have had a lot of say about this
among themselves. They claim that
, they are forced to pad their bids
ten per cent or more to take care oe
the gentlemen who control" the
Board Of Aldermen.
1t has caused members Of the
Board of Aldermen to be talked
about and some Of them are getting
tired Of 1t. This newspaper has
been trying to get at the bottom OF
things for weeks and this week one
member of the city administration
spills some beans.
This newspaper uses no names this
week. merely presenting what it,
/ has heard. The citizens of the
town will do the rest and before
another week is over the truth about
the graft lin street paving contracts
and the purchase Of materials will
probably be uncovered.
Says this mel.ber Of the city ad-
ministration who has agreed TO
talk:
Wculd Split Four Ways
"Yes. l have been approached
with offers of easy money. A mem
ber of a well known firm in this
town came to me recently and urged
me- TO use my influence to have the
city purchase certain kind OF
gravel from TarbGrO. \. {. con-
Germ. He said there would he side
profit of 10 cents ton in the trans
action which he would split four
ways. Our requirements are for
25.OOO to 10000 tons Of gravel and
this 10 cents ton runs into a
handsome figure.
81 pOnted out to him that
would be impossible to use the Ta
boro gravel because it does no
nearly come up to the specification
of our engineers. We have deter-
mined upon a gravel suitable for o.
penetration and the Tarboro grave
doesn't have the penetration.
"The gentleman then came back
at me with n proposition TO pur-
chase Ellington gravel. He said
he had deal with the Ellington
folks too and could split ten per
cents a ton four ways on con-
tract for Ellington gravel.
81 told him that l didn't see how
7 could do that because the decision
WAS up to the Board of Aldermen
and majority Of the Board would
determine what gravel should he
used.
"He told me not to worry about
! that: that the whole thing would
hinge upon the recommendations Of
tbe Aldermanic committee compos-
cd of Davis, Morgan and Hughes.
lie said he could handle Morgan
and Davis.
Il thought I would string the
gentleman along, so I told him to 90
and see Morgan and Davis and then
report results to me. He came back
a little later and said he had seen
Morgan and that Morgan was all
right: that Davis was out Of town
and he couldn't see him right away.
hut that Davis could be counted
upon.
"Sure enough. when two bids for
gravel were presented to the Board
last Thursday night. one Of thea
for Ellington gravel at a pricf -