The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-17

bidder, If the book keeper, who prepares the es-
timate should act IN collision with the bidder.
The amount required of some articles might be
underestimated and others overestimated, and
by appcrtioning higher price on the underesti-
mated articles and lower price TO the others, the
total bid would be lower, while as to the goods
considerably higher. The awarding of contracts
is a matter resting almost entirely in the discre-
ton of the board, and upon the good faith OF the
book and stoork keeper and his assistants, who
compare the articles furnished with the requisi-
tons and samples so far as this Is done at ALL
Instead of on.bining the acquisitions for sup
plies made by the several superintendents or the
Insane Hospital, Deaf and Dumb Asylum and
the Blind Asylum, and advertising for bids on
the supplies in bulk, the supplies for each insti
tuition are bought separately, and therefore, more
dearly; and yet the bids are opened at the Same
time, in the same room and by the same persons.
Although the superintendent nominally ap-
proves the estimates and acquisitions, audits the
accounts and formerly signed the vouchers, this
Is merely perfunctory act on his part. In his
report for November. 1885. the superintendent
asked the board to define his relation to the de-
partment OF hospital supplies, and asked "By
what law is the superintendent compelled to
sign vouchers as being correct when he cannot
know, neither having made the contracts nor
having inspected the goodsg'
An examination of the boards minutes
veaed to the committee that in lines of goods
OF which the hospital requires supplies every
"a
have been pretty constantly successful. In the
matter of produce most of the contracts were
awarded to John e. Sullivan, the Democratic
candidate for county clerk. Between May and
during 1884, Sc, To TO- in 1885. So s74 80, and up
to July l of the present year So, SAG. co. total
since May. 1888 of $26 4205 So for produce A
claim of $47625, allowed Jan. 8, 1885, was pre-
sented to a former board of trustees, consisting
of John Fishback, B. F. Spann and r. Fl. Tarle-
ton, at meeting held May 4, 1882, and
was then rejected. as shown by the
following extract from the minutes: s'The
amount claimed by j. E. Sullivan included
charge for ,175 pounds of butter, which. upon
investigation, the board believes to be oleomar
garine, or some other kind Of manufactured
butter. instead of that required by the contract
The board allowed the claim. after deducting 10
cents per pound, as shown by voucher No. 254
OF this date"
'After his claim was disalowed,n the commit
tee state, Mr. John E. Sullivan made open
political war upon Mr. Fishback and the other
members of the board. He lobbied actively in
the corridors of the Legislature for the passage
of the Brown BILL which was to legislate his
enemies out. and after its passage gave dinner
to his friends in honor of the event Then Mr..
Sullivan presented his rejected claim to the new
board, and the claim was paid by Thorn, although
more than eighteen montha had elapsed since it
had been disallowed by the old board, under
whose management the supplies were furnished.
Your committee are informed that at one time
Sullivan bid upon butter and did not furnish 1t,
and refused to furnish it when called upon so to
do; that the store-Keeper Captain Stansbury.
went into the market and bought it at higher
rate charging Sullivan the difference; that
Harrison forbade Stansbury to charge this diff
ference to Sullivan. but that Tarleton insisted,
and the charge was sustained. Mr.. Sullivan is
an influential political supporter of DIR. Harr
son. Mr.. Arthur Jordan, a large dealer in whole
sale produce. and competent bidder, says:
THE first instance that recollect in which. being
the lowest bidder, was not awarded the contract
was early in the Harrison management. The claim
was made that had not put in any samples Of the
butter to be furnished. l know we were the lowest
bidders for l told so by the steward Captain
had samples of the butter to be furnished. Previ
Gus to that time samples had been required. The
next month submitted samples. although no other
samples were exhibited there except mine; stil the
contract given again to j. E. Sullivan was told
that the lowest bidder. The butter rejected
because tub. in their judgment a little too
Sullivan for that month His bid was submitted for
good butter. according to the requsition, and
getbe There We're other bidders think But that
month they threw out both of our bids good but
ter and awarded him contract for creamery butter
at % cents pound. The requsition for country
butter and they gave him the contract. think my
bid for country butter that month for 10 cents
pound. do not know whether there were other bids
than mine They did not let the contract for any kind
of butter that month but bought the creamery butter
of Sullivan at 25 cents pound Then the newspa-
pers got hold of that. in connection with other
things, and Hines wrote up the whole matter in the
Journal Those articles out just before the let
ting of the contracts for the next month and that
occasion they gave me coneract for that month In
that month do not know whether was the lower
bidder But they did not call OF me for any butter
until between the 10th and 18th of the next month.
In the meantime Sullivan furnished butter up to that
time in my month at 20 cents pound and he put in
1O-cent country butter at 25 cents pound
OWN you please state how you know that9
Al had not furnished contract for Them and
went out to the asylum with the first load to see
everything satisfactory. asked them to let
me see some of Sullivan's butter. The steward Mr..
left and that they had used it up Clean SO waited
awhile for the driver and them to weigh the butter
beef and they opened the cellar to put in stepped
inside. and found tub full OF butter with fancy
butter printed on the tubs l asked them if they
had not overlooked that l asked the store room man
there-this man Roth. He said he did not know it
was there. asked him to let me look at it. to see
what kind of grade butter it SO opened one
OF the tubs, and tried it with the fryer found it
very common kind of country butter which Mt that
time, think, could be bought at and 8 cents
pound. and he was furnishing it at 25 cents pound
as creamery butter. That same plan carried out
afterward frequently In the letting Of bids the
contract would be let for butter and at the
extreme market price and the contract would be filled
with country butter; but, of course, responsible
bidder that bound to furnish what he had agreed
to furnish could put in this cheaper grade of butter
Therefore, necessarily he could not compete against
that kind of bids.
"Q-State other instances of that kind, if you
know any?
"A.-.That is the only instance of which have any
definite knowledge. But know by examination of
butter at various times, by seeing loads that were
booked to go to the Insane Asylum, and by seeing
these tubs that Sullivan was not putting in creamery
butter although the contract had been distinctly let
for creamery butter But that only continued through
the summer months. When winter came he had some
other expedient, and he began to put in butterine
purchased at Chicago. l the butterine at the
asylum. could tell it furnished by him because
knew he had the contract for that month. knew
yvare a me kubq had
by my store from the depot and hauled to his store
and afterwards delivered to the Insane Asylum. The
matter went far that Hall stated to that they
had been receiving butterine and Hall said he did not
care whether it was butterne butter, so long as
they did not kick in the wards. The consequence was
we could not get any contract unless would take it
at price at which would be compelled to put in
very inferior grade of poor butter and the risk any
one, except the initiated. was so great that
would care to take a contract on those Terms.
, "Q.-How long has he furnished butterine in that
way?