Show I I CITY GOUGED FOR GROCERS DillS BILLS Councilman Barnes Shows Up Weakness and Incompetency cy of Health Department HE FORCES A REDUCTION BLACK AMERICAN LEADER SNEERS AT IDEA OF ECONOMY That Th t the city is being gouged systematically systematically in the purchase of gro groceries grocerIes ceries cerles and other supplies for the iso isolation IsOlation lation lati n hospital was demonstrated by Councilman Arthur F P Barnes In a hearing g before the council sanitary I committee last night Councilman T TR TB I R B Black leader of the Americans in the council sat sat and sneered at Mr Ir Barnes ideas of economy throughout the hearing but in the end he sec see seconded seconded a motion to cut 1135 off a bill of presented by D B Black Blackmar Blackmar I Imar mar a grocer for tOl supplies furnished furI shed during parts of March and February II Councilmen Barnes and Holley both bothof bothof bothof of whom are supply dealers declared i that from 40 to 50 could have been cut off oft the bill and still leave Mr I Blackmar a a fair margin of profit i Councilman L D ID Martin was the only I Ito American to take a stand for tor econ economy economy omy and he read the riot act to Mr I Blackmar for overcharging the city Mr Ir Martin says sa s he will vote against i allowing the bill when It comes up for final action next Monday night I At the conclusion of the hearing Mr lIr Blackmar assured the councilmen that II he was still a good American not notwithstanding notwithstandIng notwithstanding withstanding the fact that his bill bilI had i been cut down I Barnes Presents Figures The Blackmar BI bill was read over Item by item The first item jumped by Mr lIr Barnes was one where 15 cents a pound was charged for ham h m The retail price at that time Mr Barnes declared was 12 cents Mr lIr Barnes next questioned a a charge of for fora fora a sack of sugar The proper pruner price he said was A sack of corn which Blackmar charged 2 for Mr Barnes declared could be purchased for A 3 charge for turnips Mr Barnes declared was too much The same amount he declared dec could have been bought at the same time for 75 cents A washing ashing machine which Mr Blackmar charged 8 for it was point pointed ed out could be bought for 7 Double Price for Pickles For a keg of sour pickles Mr Black Blackmar Blackmar Blackmar mar had charged Mr Barnes declared that any housewife in Salt Lake could buy them at retail for 75 cents A case of Gold Dust D st for which Mr Blackmar charged 6 should have been sold the city for Mr Barnes asserted A case of soda for which Blackmar charged 6 could be bought for 5 by anybody it was declared A Aca case ca e of ot soap billed blUed at could be bought by householders for Mr Barnes also charged that Mr Blackmar was getting g too big a rake off on prunes He charged for pounds whereas the prop proper er price was A case of canned tomatoes for which Blackmar Bl charged 3 ought to have sold for ac according according according cording to Mr Barnes figures Agrees to Retail Price Mr Barnes said he was willing illing that Mr Blackmar being a retail dealer should receive a retail price for his goods He lie charged however that in inmany Inmany inmany many instances ho had charged more than the retail price He also con contended contended contended tended that where he sold full cases ho should not charge the full fun retail price The city he pointed out could do much better by buying wholesale Itself Nobody disputed Mr Ir Barnes fig figures figures figures ures except Mr Blackmar himself Mr Black sneered and Mr Hobday argued strenuously that it being a along along along long distance to the Isolation hospi hospital hospital tal Mr Blackmar was entitled to more than he would ordinarily receive Profit on Outside Goods Mr Martin demanded to know why Blackmar hid had charged a profit on stuff which was not properly in his line and which he lie bad had purchased out outside outsIde outside side It developed that as a matter of convenience to the hospital he had purchased incandescent globes and a washing machine to be delivered along with his groceries and that in each instance he had charged a profit You do that to any private private private vate customer on earth declared Mr Ir Martin If you did you ou hold bold his trade The bill was finally allowed with a reduction of 1135 It was recommended recommended recommended ded that hereafter the health depart department department department ment have its supplies delivered to the city and county building and haul them itself to the isolation hospital and that wherever possible it buy in incase incase Incase case lots from wholesalers Stewart 0 O Kd the Bill Health Commissioner M R it Stewart 0 O Kd I d Blackmails bill without crossing out or questioning a single item The action of or the council com corn committee committee in cutting it down is tanta tantamount tantamount tantamount mount to convicting g the health com corn commissioner commIssioner missioner of dereliction of duty There is a strong disposition around the city hall hail to criticise Dr Stewarts admin He does not put In three hours a week eek in his office and Dr S G Paul his assistant puts in lit tle tie more than that It is a matter of common notoriety around the tile city cIt hall hail that Dr Stewart knows little or nothing about what is going on in his department that he signs bills and vouchers with no inquiry as to whether or not they are correct that he pays no attention to the collection of garbage which is accumulated all over the city in sickening smelling srn sm heaps and that he lIe gives few if any ny directions to his subordinates tes about anything |