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Show DEFEAT THAT CONTRACT. The people of Salt Lake have some pressing business on band that demands their immediate attention. The first question is, do they want a f 145,000 paving contract let to a company com-pany that is not the lowest bidder? The second question is, do they want homo companies, home capital and home labor to be defeated in a fair competition com-petition where they honestly won the award by putting in the lowest bid? The third and, perhaps, most important import-ant question of all i, do they want a bold and unscrupulous monopoly, which has become obnoxious to a score of American cities, to fasten its clutches on the throat of Salt Lake in defiance of the fact that they, have been underbid by our own citizens? The Times does not believe Salt Lake Is ready to return affirmative answers to these questions, but if her people do not want the Barber Asphalt company to secure this contract they must act promptly, vigorously and decisively. The Times prints today interviews with many citizens protesting against the outrage which it is proposed to perpetrate upon local interests and local taipayers. The Times also shows tip the methods meth-ods of the Barber company and the results re-sults of their alleged paving in various Western cities. It is notorious that this company has everywhere arrayed itself against local interests, and that by methods "peculiar "pecu-liar to itself" it has repeatedly overcome the peoples' protest and carried its point with the two or three active city officials who generally pass upon such matters. But it would make no difference if the Barber company were composed of angels &nd if their work had always given satisfaction. They have been underbid in a fair and square competition by responsible home bidders, who propose to use Utah and California material and pay decent wages to home labor. That is enough for our people to know, and we only refer to other phases of the matter in order that Salt JLaka may know that it is not the first city that has dealt with this very question. ques-tion. The Times calls upon the citizens who agree with it in this matter to Xnake a vigorous protest before this contract comes up for confirmation at the hands of the city council tomorrow night. The Times also calls upon members : cf the city council to give the subject a careful investigation, and then to earn the public gratitude by knocking out this insolent and daring monopoly and giving the work to our own citizens, who put in the lowest bid. I |