Omaha daily bee., 1888-12-04


on the Capitol grounds work thero viii
probably be legislative committee appointed
to look into the matter There is no question
of doubt but what there Is grave discrepancy
between tho work he is doing and the
plans and specifications governing tho con-
tract he Is under This is patent to any half
disciplined eve. Just why the board Of public
lands and buildings has allowed his estimates
from time to time is another matter not
altogether clear. The whole business possi-
bly, needs raking fore and aft The board has
eyes and can see. No enc claims that tho
work corresponds with the specifications.
The most claimed for II is that IL will prove
durable. hut the state contracted for u
piece OF fine work as well as piece of work
that will stand wear and tear. Under the
specifications II should be fine as we'll as
durable work, and IL wholly lacks the first
essential. When the bids were made for the
contract the architects plans wCrc submitted
for intelligent consideration, and when tho
contractors figured on the work they thor
OughN understood every cXaCtiOn of the
specifications, and in their bids agreed 10
abide by them, Lanham's bid proved 10 be
tho lowest and the work was awarded TO
him. The gentlemen competing for the work
stated at the time and state now that Ian.
ham must lose money Ii he docs the work in
any measure corresponding TO the plans
agreed upon. Ono of the bidders said TO Mr..
Lanham at the time that he was bit and ad-
vised him to get the board to change tho
plans so that be could use artificial stone At
the time he received the contract his bungle-
some figures led the board TO believe his
bid to be $4,000 instead of $4,000
and correction was cxacted and made. Even
then his bid was over $4,000 less than the
next bidder, and over 600 less than the
highest The highest bid by some is said to
be none too high foc the class of work the
state contracted for, and has reason to ex-
peCt. No one cares to see MIR Lanham lose
money in his venture, but the feeling is that
he should closely approximate his agreement,
so that the state may not be abused. The
taxpayers have rights i'll this matter that
both Lanham aud the board ought TO respect.
Since THE BEE has called attention to this
matter there has been patient waiting to see
what kind of an excuse Mr.. Lanham would
bring TO bear 30 vIndicate his course. His
silence is taken as suggestive, and a number
OF persons have said to mo during the past
day or two: Str him up again; he owes
the state an explanation ] have no de-
sire to do Lanham injustice, and there
may be conditions that do not understand.
But the specifications are at the capitol and
his work on the ground can be compared
with them with very little trouble. 1t can
then be seen that am not complaining with
out reasonable cause.
AN IMPORTANT ARREST.
Some OF the thieves who have been doing
the city in divers ways during the past few
weeks are coming TO grief II is a notorious
fact that there has been an unusual amount
OF petty thevng going on here for short
time past Complaints come to the notice of
the police force almost every day. Some of
them are serious. Valuable articles have
been stolen. Arrests have been maze
from time to time but proof in
many cases has been insufficient TO
hold them, and the court has been compelled
to discharge them Some of the dens in
vestlgated have brought forth fruit. some
stolen articles have been recovered. but in u
majority of cases it has been impossible to
recover them. The thieves have done their
work usually well. But the arrest to-day Of
Eugene Hughes and Richard Doran, charged
with stealing clothing from /. Il. Iscnhart, is
thought to be au important one, as they are
believed to be leaders of a thoroughly Or
ganized gang that in fest the city Hughes is
a graduate OF the reform school and an eX-
convict 1t is to be hoped that the right
parties are in the tolls, and that the band Of
thieves that has been so successful in evad-
ing officers of the law will all come to grief
CITY NEWS AND NOTES.
District court will be called again to-mor-
row morning at o'clock Judge Chapman
will preside. He failed to materialize this
morning. The reason is unknown.
The officers elected by the Lincoln Typo
graphical union yesterday are as follows
President, Will Sullivan; vice president, w.
w. Robertson; secretary, j. NJ Thompson;
tee, j. L. Howe, j. H. Corrick, J. r. Balm,
G. NJ Jones, A. G.. Young sergeant-at-
arms, G.. Morath.
The annual diocese and convention of the
brotherhood of st, Andrew will be held next
Sunday at the Episcopal church. The con-
vention will continue over two days. Order
of services will be as follows: Holy COM
munion at the Church of the Holy Comforters
ats q. IN. Confirmation services and sermon
to the brotherhood by Bishop Worthington
at 1890 a. m. at the Masonic temple. Busi-
ness meeting at 3 p. m. at the Church of the
Holy Comforters. Evening services and al
dress by Dean Gardner at the same place at
Sp. m.