| Show THOMPSON CANNOT KEEP HIS PROMISE Pledged City for Debt Which Council Is Not Able I Ito t to Pay CONTRACTOR HOLDS SACK Ordered Goods eu on Major Assurance That Contract to In Engine En lne House C Was ns Valid Mayor Thompson has promised something something some some- thing thIns that he cun can not deliver morally binding the city for Cor a debt It dare not pay In The IH head t d oC of the American Reform administration promised to toI toa I a contractor the work of oC erecting the fire cn engine house on Ninth South street between Tenth ga East t and Eleventh East streets which Is now dying a slow but bit sure deatH In one of ot the he council committees committee's pigeon pIgeon- holes In promising promIsing- the work to 0 O. Chytraus the mayor 10 Induced that contractor or to LO spend about 1000 on oil material which can cannot cannot cannot not be used for nn any other building an and since Mince tho the fire en engine engin ln house will not be he built the material WI will vill be a dead loss to 10 ll the iho contractor At the council meeting last Monday nl night ht the proposition of oC constructing an engine house was referred back to tho tue committee for investigation That ref re- reference ref ref- rence was an excuse c. c The matter has been Investigated ted b by the proper elt city au- au the site silo has lias been Indorsed h by C. C r T. Vail Vall chief of or the fire Ire department by iy C C. J J. J Crabtree of oC the ell city council and b by other officers officer But nut there thero Is HOmoney no HO money in the city elt treasury with which to pay for Cor the work and as a subterfuge subterfuge fuge Cuge the American party part councilmen Monday londay referred the project back to the committee Ga e C Definite mn Mayor Inor Thompsons Thompson's connection with the matter lies in the fueL fact that he lie told Mr Chytraus two weeks welt ago ngo that the contract contract contract con con- tract was as valid and that the thc work would he c ordered b by the council Mr Ir Chytraus went vent to the mayor maor und and asked him If IC the contract was was vas certain to be bo ratified h by the council Ho lie gave as his reason for COI ask ask- ng ns that f t there was nn any uncertainty lie he ic would not ol order er the material which he ic did not have In stock i Go ahead and order your OUI stuff said the mayor maor I will vill see that It Is all I right The building will be erected and your contract is s good You can start work vork at once Mr Ir Chytraus ordered his material consisting consisting con con- of cedar blocks for Cor the floor and heavy Joists which he did lid not have on onland hand land here hert The rue bill will come to something something some some- thing over o TOO OO O and when no ne pays freight on the material he will have Invested about bout 1000 He expected to 10 start to work at once In anticipation of the arrival of or orthe the lie material Material on lie Hie Way ar Soon after he had ordered the tue material and ind about the time lime that tho the Amerl American reform clique found that the fl figures ures of or the city's financial distress would become become be- be come ome public property Mayor Ia ol Thompson told old Mr Chytraus that he would better belleI cancel the order for material as It was not likely that the tho building would be ordered or or- dered It was then too late the material was on the tile way a and anti Mr Ir Chytraus was placed In a I. I position where he lie could not yell weH retreat from the bill when presented 1 bythe company n from Crom which he ho made the lU purchase I Mayor Thompson knew that there was wasa a x deficit In the city treasury and no lie I knew that without funds the coune council could not order the construction of oC anything any any- thing that would add to the tue expense Hence he told Mr r Chytraus that he would better recall his order But It was too oo late hate and nd nd the contractor has lias Incurred a debt which Is entirely the fault of o the reform mayor maor Even If Sf the city could scrape crape up enough enouch mone money to pay the named In the contract It would be he soy soy- erah ral mon months before Mr Ir Chytraus realized on n his Inv Investment ami anji his bis loss would not be small General Fund But the city will sta treasury stay depleted as s long as ns the present administration I in is inn in n power The Tho general funds are arc fX cx- hausted and there Is only a scant half- half mill lev levy yet et remaining that can be turned against the tho deficit and Increasing Mr Ir Chytraus sl signed ned n a new contract with the thc city elly Monday which differs from hIs ils old contract only In that the new Instrument Instrument In- In strument Includes tho thio name o of the city en engineer as one of ot the tho officials who must pass ass upon the tue building before It can be bo accepted b by the tue city Long before the sl signing of oC the new contract the city officials knew that the building not h be constructed But the they hey let the contractor go ahead and spend spent his money The city Is morally morall bound to order the construction of oC the building Immediately Jut there the are arc no funds with which to Ia laor pay la for or the work and moral obligations dont don't count with the tho present reform crowd any anyway Way Like Llie Other o. Pl The promise promse made to the contractor which at the time Mayor Thompson knew would not and could not be ful fulfilled ful- ful ul- ul filled tilled Is In line with the rest of oC the promises made by the city administration The Thc promises made last fall have been heen broken with as sweet Indifference to 10 decency decency de de- de- de and honor as the promise to the contractor The Tho city Is in the hole financially finan finan- daIly and a fortune has been dissipated In n the four tour months that the American crowd has hus handled the reins With the income from gambling antI and other sources being diverted into private channels and the he added expense of or running the city i It t is little wonder that the council goes goe back on a contract And It would be ue I strange Indeed If the reformers told the truth In Instead tead of smothering a prop prop- under the plea that the they wanted to make further Investigation I |
