Commissioner Resigns Post to Secure City Contract
A Bellingham civil service official chooses a lucrative water main contract over his honorary public position.
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.
Rather than lose an $8,000 water main contract on which he was the lowest bidder, but which was not awarded to him because of his official position, J. L. Likins, a local contractor, has resigned as a member of the Bellingham civil service commission. His resignation was accepted, and the contract was promptly awarded to him. The position of civil service commissioner carries no emolument except the honor, and Likins lost no time in making his selection between glory and real money.
“Likins lost no time in making his selection between glory and real money.”
This is a classic conflict of interest story that remains a staple of municipal reporting. It highlights how the boundary between public service and private gain was policed in the early 20th century.
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