The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-13
A CLOSE CORPORATION.
How the Trustees Of the Helena
School District Gave Out
Contract.
Heating Apparatus in the First
Ward Building Not Adj
vertised For.
There Were Plenty Of Other People
Who Would Have Liked q
Chance to Nld.

The trustees Of the Helena school dis
trict have been running along for some
time without attracting much attention.
This state of inoccuons desuetude was evi-
IDENTIFY distssteful to Trustees Howey, Gil
patrick and Guthrie. They found theil
opportunity for notoriety a few days ago.
The contract for the heating apparatus for
the First ward school was to be given out
Without advertising and thereby inviting
composition, they have awarded the con-
tract TO Fred Gilbert, q former partner oil
Gilpatrick, for $500. Several firms want
ed q chance to figure on the work, but Gill
bert seems to have had the inside track,
and secured the job without any competi-
ton. Those who were disappointed natur-
ally feel aggrieved Mt the action OF the trus-
tees, as they would have liked to put in
bids, and taken chances OF getting the work
themselves. They say IL was an unfai,
proceeding, not only to them as business
competition would have given them all an
equal chance, and might have saved SOM
money to the taxpayers. The action Of the
trustees III the matter of the heating appa-
ratus is in line with their purchase Of the
lot Tor thes school building. Then they
bought Q lot which 1t was charged had been
sold by Trustee Guthrie to another party
ferred to the board. Even if it were not
unlawful this is regarded as a violation Of
the trust which Is reposed in the trustees,
But the board OF trustees Of the Helena
school district seems to be a law unto them
selves, and consider it none Of the public's
business ! now they run their affairs. They
are q close corporation and are evidently
laDoring under the impression that public
Office is a private snap.
Trustee Gilpatrick thinks that the expos-
ure OF the action Of the board WIS due to
disappointment on the part of a man
named Bacon, who expected TO get the con-
tract. II that should turn ont to be the
case, it is hardly to be expected that Bacon
or any other man in the same business will
be blamed much by the public. But Bacon
10 not the only complainant. Nearly all the
firms in Helena engaged in furnishing
heating apparatus are the complainants
ana the trustees are the defendants.
while l was SICK said Trustee Gilpat-
TICK yesterday, Bacon presented a plan to
the trustees for heating the First ward
school. He proposed to heat the building
at zero weather. The trustees talked the
matter over and appealed t. me about it.
odd them the building could not be kept
warm during cold weather if the plant only
called for zero heating. Fred. Gilbert then
proposed to heat the building. BY the
terms of his proposition it was to be heated
to seventy degrees in the coolest
weather. His price was $500. Ba-
cons was less. The matter of
advertising for bids never entered my head.
We are satisfied that the work will be we'll
done, which would no have been the case
with a zero heating apparatus. l have
nothing to conceal in the matter. I have
ceased to take contracts and am going out
of the business"
Trustee Howey denies any intimate
knowledge of the transaction, as he SAYS he
was sick at the time Che contract was given
out. He says the meeting at which the
contract was awarded was attended only
by Fitzpatrick and Guthrie and he had no
knowledge of the affair until some time
afterward: MI. Howey added that he is
N favor OF making bids every time a con-
is to be given.