Mayor Hunt's Foundry Fix
The city’s mayor stands accused of forcing a conflict-of-interest contract for ironwork to his own foundry, costing taxpayers dearly.
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.
With its usual obtuseness, the Union misses the vital point in discussing the Worley flume matter. Mayor Hunt is not blamed for settling the suit brought against the city, but the Statesman has charged him with being responsible for the infringement of the Allen patent, costing the city over $700. Mayor Hunt attempted to make Contractor Worley the scapegoat, but City Attorney Blandford’s own statement shows that Mayor Hunt alone was responsible for the infringement. Not only were the patent fasteners made at his shop, but the mayor drew up the specifications that were followed in the construction of the flume. It is plain that Contractor Worley followed the instructions of Mayor Hunt in building the flume, and that the mayor, not Worley, was responsible for the infringement. Mr. Blandford’s statement convicts Mayor Hunt in spite of the attempt to make Worley the scapegoat for the mistakes of the administration.
“Mayor Hunt had dictated the specifications... from his own knowledge of what a wooden stave pipe should be... and he did not believe there had been any infringement.”
Conflicts of interest in municipal contracting remain a core concern in local government. Walla Walla's history of 'machine politics' mirrors persistent modern anxieties about transparency and whether public officials prioritize community interests or their own bottom lines.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.