Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-05
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
The School Desk Fight Again
Comes Up.
DIRECTORS OPINIONS DIFFER.

DIRECTORS OPINIONS DIFFER
A Long and Interesting Session
School Sites and Buildings.
The Supplies.
The Board of Education met last
night. President A. E. Pomeroy in the
chair, and Messrs. Cox, Ellis, Frew,
Gosper, Mcintosh, Powers, Woodbury.
and Whaling present. Mr.. Powers asked
for the suspension of the rules, as he was
compelled to return home at once, and
in accordance with his request, the re-
port .ofthe Supply Committee was taken
up first. In the matter Of the communi-
cation Of Mr.. P. Hirschfeld, referring to
q "tH1st" or combination, which he as.
serta4 had been made to keep up the
price of school desks, he stated that little
or nd satisfaction could be got out of Mr..
Hirschfeld when he called upon him
personally. He then read affidvits, OF
Bancroft and ALI. H. Andrews, denying
that in making their quotations they had
been dictated to by any such combin-
alton. He then read the report Of the
Supply Committee, recommending that
the contract be awarded to the Bancroft
Bros, of San Francisco, for their I'm.
proved Triumph desk, at So 80, and the
Teachers desk No. 311. He said that
the committee had made thorough in
spection of the various desks offered to
them, and although importuned by poll
ticians to purchase other desks, he felt
confident that in accepting the Improved
Triumph the board would be on the
right side.
Mr.. Mcintosh said that if he remem-
bered Alright the committee recon-
mended the same desk of the Bancroft
Bros. Company when the price was
81 800 more than it was at the present
time. 1t was painful to him to oppose
the report of any committee, but he felt
it was his duty to do 80 in the present
instance. After all bids were opened and
read the Bancrofts found another COM
pany had bid under them. They now
come in to the committee and they offer
to screw the desks down to the foors of
ths echoolhousea. 1t was making
another bid and he thought that every
OAO Llubb DUG IL Ill tuO bhulO ilkllbs 410
was not competent to judge desks, but
he had obtained the opinions of several
who were, and he would present another
desk for their adoption, by the purchase
of which the city would save at least 81
on each desk. 1t was in every respect
as good, if not better, than the Improved
Triumph. In support of this statement
he read several letters from County
Superintendents of Schools, of Sacra-
mento, Solano, San Luis Obispo, each Of
whom recommended the Perfect Auto
matte Desk of the Bancroft Company's
manufacture. The principal thing for
the board to consider was whether they
would, by accepting the Bancroft Bros.
Company bid, pay nearly 1900 more for
the desks than would be expended if
other desks equally as good were &C.
cepted.
Mr.. Woodbury. stated that as far as the
cost was considered, the exact difference
in figures between the two desks was
81. 400, and this, in his opinion, was fully
made up by the superiority of the I'M
proved Triumph over the Improved
Automatic.
Mr.. Powers said that in recommending
the high priced desk, the committee was
looking to the future, es we'll as the pres
ent, in that it was the more serviceable
desk.
Mr.. Mcintosh insisted upon his point,
and moved that the report be received
and placed on file, and that all the bids
be rejected and new bids advertised for.
On the matter being put to the vote, the
motion was lost by six to two.
Mr.. Powers motion for the adoption of
the report was, after long discussion,
carried by vote of seven to two, Messrs.
Pomeroy and Whaling voting negatively.
Mr.. Pomeroy, who vacated the chair
in favor of Governor Gosper, said that he
thought the committee was wrong, in
that it called upon the board to accept
the highest bid, and, in his opinion,
there was too great difference between
the bids, because the desks were practi-
cally the same. He was in favor of &C.
cepting the cheaper desk, but did not
coincide with Mr.. Mcintosh as to the re-
lection of all bids.
Mr.. Whaling made q minority report
to the effect that the Improved Auto.
matte desk he accepted. He said he
knew as matter of fact that the desks
could be bought at the end of the year at
a reduction of five per cent. He thought
it would be difficult for the gentlemen to
face the music of counter opinion which
would be brought to bear upon them il
they allowed the public to be swindled,
as they would be were the majority re-
port to be accepted.
Mr.. Mcintosh read a letter from
friend of his in Chicago, who called at
his request upon Andrews & Company,
who said that they would not make any
quotation upon desks until they knew
where they were going to, because there
was an arrangement between the manu-
facturers.
Mr.. Powers said it was very evident
that there was no combination because
there was such large margin between
the prices of the different desks. He
was not afraid to face his constituents,
as Mr.. Whaling had insinuated, because
he had made, as Chairman of the Com
mittee, q study of the desks offered for
his inspection, and he had no hesitation
in stating that the one recommended by
the majority report was unquestionably
superior in every respect to all others.
Mr.. Whaling said that the board
ought to purchase desks for the city as
| its members would for themselves.
Mr.. Ellis said he had advocated the
purchase of the best desk when the bids
were first put in. It was to Mr.. McIn-
| tosh's credit that 81 500 had already