Taxpayers Overcharged for Sewer Bricks
City Committee member James F. McElroy claims the city is paying nearly double for sewer bricks compared to private market rates.
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.
At a secret meeting of prominent Democrats held in John Collins' building last evening James F. McElroy, a member of the Democratic city committee and a responsible man, declared that the identical brick which is being used in the construction of the sewers was offered through him to one of his clients for $5.25 per 1,000, while the city is now paying for it $8.00 per 1,000. The specifications under which the brick were offered to Mr. McElroy's client were precisely the same as those under which they are purchased by the city. Here is a difference of $2.75 per thousand in favor of Mr. McElroy's client and against the city. The taxpayers are paying this difference. Who is getting it? A halt upon this business cannot be called any too soon. The taxpayers are entitled to know why they must pay for an article a price almost double that for which it is offered to an individual.
“Who is getting it?”
Corruption in public works contracting was a massive issue in the late 19th-century boom city. This dispute about the inflated cost of infrastructure materials serves as a reminder of the historical scrutiny on how municipal tax dollars are spent.
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