Show j MUCH IS SAVED I BY COUN COUNCILMAN James D. D Murdoch Calls Halt Halton I on the Contract for Water Meters STOPS LOSS OF I American Party Members Are Caught Sleeping at the Switch The party members of ot tho tile Salt Lake Loko council who In a n. careless moment Monday night allowed th the tho minority members to slip through a resolution that awarded a contract fox for water meters to the lowest bidder and saved tile the city of ot Salt Sult Lake on a It single sing bill are still sUIl wondering what will become of ot their organization If It tho they permit such dangerous precedents in handling the city's business It was only b by a combination of good fortune clover clever management and persistent effort on the tIle part of or James D. D Murdoch that Salt Lake Lako will got cot Its I next consignment of water vater motors for tor torIS IS 60 Instead of ot paying 1355 1856 for or them and tho the contract was finally a awarded warded to tho the lowest bidder att after r J J. J A A. J. J Davis and IL It T. T Cowburn Cow- Cow burn other members of ot tho the water committee corn corn- ha had tried repeatedly to throw the contract to the tho highest bidders About bout February 1 Salt Lake Loke needed some water meters BO so urgently that there was not time to present this need ned to the water committee of the tho council before giving the ord r. r Tho The order was placed with tile the Notional National Meter I company b by Thomas Hobday a superintendent superintendent superintendent of ot water works Later when all of ot the members of 01 tho the committee lad had been James Jam I Informed of ot this action Murdoch a II member of tho committee protested against allowing the tho water superintendent placing this order without without without with with- out asking for or bids and he Induced theother theother the theother other members of ot tho th committee to Join JoJn In cancelling the order and anti requesting tho the superintendent to call for rot bids Opens hubs A mooring meeting of ot the tho water committee was hold heM March S and bids wore opened by Hobday HY These showed u a difference of ot In favor of ot the Trl Trident ent CrestIe Crest Meter Ie tel company A AB As soon as 08 these bids were considered E. E ODonnell O'Donnell chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of ot the committee and Councilmen A. A J Davis ls and Cowburn overruled Councilman Murdoch's protest and voted to award the tho contract to tho the National Na Na- company compan at the higher figure because tho order had already y been sent to that company One week ago Councilman Murdoch offered a resolution to tho the council that the tito bod body Investigate the awarding ofa of ot ofa ota a contract to tho National company compan which was at ot a l loss ss of or to the city A. A J. J Davis ls president of ot the council saw tho the resolution and n asked Councilman Councilman Council Council- man nn Murdoch to withdraw It it saying that the bl bids s would woul be con considered at nt atthe atthe the next meeting of ot the tho committee Mr 11 Murdoch consented to 10 this and the tile deal was buried for or a n. time When the bids were Considered at committee meeting h two o reports were made mado out one by J. J M. M r. r Murdoch and J. J J. J Stewart Ste recommending recommending recommending mending that the contract bo awarded to t the e lowest bidder and the other recommending that Salt Lako pay a few v hundred undred dollars extra fur for tho meters When th the or order or for meters next appeared ap I It had been Inert Increased to Include about double tho tile number of meters l so 50 0 the success of or Mr r Murdoch in putting put put- tin ting his resolution saved ed Salt Lake Lako Instead of or 80 l |