Spokane Victory for Day Labor
A permanent injunction halts a private contract, forcing the city to hire workers directly.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The temporary injunction against the letting of the contract for building the new water works to H. L. Cooper was made permanent by the superior court today. Cooper’s bid was $220,000, which was nearly $100,000 higher than the lowest bid, which was offered by J. L. Martin. The latter subsequently withdrew his bid, and the board of public works decided to let the contract to Cooper. Owing to irregularities in the Cooper bid and a desire to have the work done by day labor, the injunction was secured. An ordinance will be introduced at the next meeting of the council providing for doing the work by day labor. Injunctions and other contingencies have delayed work on the water works for over two years.
“Owing to irregularities in the Cooper bid and a desire to have the work done by day labor the injunction was secured.”
The push to move away from private contracting toward 'day labor' directly managed by the city mirrors ongoing modern debates about municipal procurement, labor standards, and the privatization of essential infrastructure.
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