The Almshouse Arbitration
King County commissioners call upon a committee of prominent citizens to settle long-standing claims over the construction of a new almshouse.
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.
A number of prominent citizens met in the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon in accordance with a call received from the board of county commissioners for the purpose of arbitrating the unpaid claims of John Rigby, the contractor of the new almshouse. The board of county commissioners, after mature deliberation, has selected these gentlemen to make this investigation. The building is now completed, and the county is indebted to Mr. Rigby in the sum of about $16,000 on the contract and about $3,000 for extras. S.H. Piles, representing the board, explained that charges of slander had been made, reflecting on the commissioners, and the grand jury recommended an arbitration committee to report to the commissioners, making such recommendations as they may deem wise and equitable. The committee, including Herman Chapin, J.K. Clough, James M. Colman, and J.D. Lowman, was appointed to investigate the claims.
“The people of King county have built an almshouse at great cost, and in connection with its construction charges were made, slanderous and otherwise, that reflected on the county commissioners.”
The struggle over budget overruns and public trust in government contracting remains a staple of King County politics today. In 1894, the board reached for the elite of the Chamber of Commerce to provide the 'disinterested' veneer of legitimacy that modern public oversight boards struggle to maintain.
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