OCR Text |
Show APPROPRIATIONS ROW '.FLARES? COURT ACTIONS ' HINTED AGAIIIST COUIinCIIIEFS, Representative of Taxpayers' Tax-payers' Group Sets Off Battle Wrangling of Salt Lake county ' commissioners brokt forth' anew, Wednesday with at least one rep- ., resentatlva of a taxpayers' group a chance bystander threatening , that unlets commissioners "recti tied records In at least 13 In- , stances of alleged Irregular appro , priations" the group would resort to court action. The row was touched off whea Commissioner J. R. Rawlins sub- ' mltted a long letter reviewing ree . ords In connection with sums provided pro-vided for General hospital W P A projects and moving: "That all forecasts and estimates ot W P A be prepared by the county coun-ty surveyor (George M. Halev and" serforflTThe cosTbT"W P A labor and sponsors' costs In material ma-terial and equipment and that after the project la duly approved by the board a copy of the same be furnished the county auditor." Meres to File Letter Chairman J. B. Mulllns Interrupted Inter-rupted his colleague. Commissioner Commission-er Roscoe Boden, as the latter started to discuss the letter and said: "I mova the letter be flled Richard F. Harding, secretary of " the Salt Lake Real Estate board, who with William F. Langton and V. A. Bettilyon. both of wham arc affiliated with a group of apartment house owners, was an observer, asked: "Would I be out of order to speak briefly on that letter?" "What Interest do you haver Mr. Mulllns asked the taxpayer representative. Mr. Rawlins urged Mr. Harding be allowed to talk and commissioners commis-sioners concurred unanimously la granting the request "The Salt Lake Real Estate board la about to bring legal action on at least 13 Instances of alleged al-leged Irregular acta unless situations situa-tions referred to in .that letter are rectified." said Mr. Harding. "The law requires a unanimous vote of the commission to Increase In-crease aa appropriation." Appropriations referred to were those mentioned In the Rawlins letter for W P A projects. After referring to various preceding pre-ceding actions of the' county commission com-mission providing funds for W P A projects at and In the vicinity of the' General hospital on county property, Mr. Rawlins' , letter states: The commission at regular session, ses-sion, November 15, approved aa allocation of $1L000 additional funds for three projects at the hospital without submitting a proper estimate or tabulation of purposes that the money was to be spent for. This expenditure was made without the unanimous approval ap-proval of the commission and was therefore illegal.'' V AUeges Improper Set-Up The latter also charged a vegetable vege-table cellar project at the hospital had not been properly set up and was constructed without proper approval of the board of commissioners. com-missioners. "It Is evident that there Is ns control of expenditure of thee funds authorized to be spent and that they have been expended for purposes other than authorized by the board." continued the letter. "Therefore, I request that aU ot the records of accounting for county coun-ty funds to be expended on W P A projects be properly prepared and set up in the county auditor's and county surveyor's office and that the requisitions and other expenditures expendi-tures of these funds be properly posted to the various projects in order that the commission and others may determine at any time to what use and to what purpose these funds will be used." Declares 'Stooging' Out "The county surveyor Is out so far as preparing W P A projects for my department We give him something to do besides stooging and snooping," said Mr. Boden. who Is head of the health and charity department and supervises operation of the hospital. Mr. Rawlins Insisted on a vote on his motion which, in substance, sought reorganization of the accounting ac-counting methods on W P A projects proj-ects of the county and the action was defeated by a three-two vote. At conclusion of more discussion, Mr. Boden moved that the commission commis-sion formally request Attorney General Joseph Chez for an opinion opin-ion defining duties of commissioners commission-ers concerning W P A and work relief projects. Mr. Mulllns and Mr. Boden voted to make the request of the attorney attor-ney general. Following the commission session, ses-sion, the real estate board members mem-bers conferred in a closed meeting with Mr. Boden and Mr. Mulllns. |