The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-11-17
The HEARING STILL ON.
What the Smead Company Did Send
Mr.. CottreI and Why.
THE LETTER MAILED BY MISTAKE.
what the Representative Of the Household
Sewing Machine Company and the
Ashes Remover Said to the Commit
tee-Also What the Boston Furniture
Company Had to Say.

The investigation of the City Property
committee reopened at o'clock yesterday
afternoon.
Superintendent of Public Buildings
Cottrell was asked again in regard to the
letter which he had received from the
Smead Company several months ago noti
flying him of an assessment on stock,
which he had returned. He said that was
the only letter he had received from them
of that nature He wished TO correct his
staten ent made last Wednesday when he
said the macintosh coat was the only
present he had ever received from the
Smead Heating Company; he had dis
posed of some old junk for the company
on one occasion and had been given the
proceeds, some $35 or $40.
In regard to the employment of super
visors to look after the building of certain
city property last summer he thought it
was the first time they had been employed;
he had never known of season when
there were so many public buildings in
progress of erection.
AS to the amounts for extra supervision
Mr.. Cotterell was unable to state the
figures. He thought with two extra men
he could attend to all the supervision of
the buildings without paying for experts.
These extra men must be practical me-
chanics and would probably cost $1,000
year.
Mr.. Batchelder was recalled and ques-
toned as to the allowance of IL per cent.
for supervisors services. He could not
say when the first order was passed max
ing this allowance. The object of the COM
mittee was to get the building completed
as soon as possible. The committee had
never, to his knowledge, passed any vote
allowing this extra money for supervisors
services except to accept the bid on the
work which included this allowance. He
was certain that 1t would take at least
half dozen extra assistants To the
superintendent to accomplish the work
that three extra supervisors had done.
President Matterson of the Household
Sewing Machine Company stated that
until "A year ago his company never had
chance to bid. He had not been treated
fairly by Supt. Cotterell. He had never
had any dealings with the city property
committee until recently.
A letter from Chairman Batchelder to
witness, written last July, was here intro
duced, in which Mr.. Batchelder exIsssssed
regret that the Household Sewing
Machine Company's bid had been higher
than that of the Boston firm, which
necessitated the rejection of his bid,
"As the committee had no choice in the
matter when both parties were response
ble."
Mr. Cottrell was recalled and stated
that on more than one occasion the firm
of Whitcomb a. Co. had been invited to
bid for work, and that no other firm was
asked to bid.
Mr. Whitcomb of the Boston firm was
then called. He stated that his firm had
furnished the city with furniture for sew
eral years past, first during Supt Slade's
administration and also under Mr. Cot
trell.
About year ago the Household Sew
ing Machine Company began to bid
against and got two or three contracts.
Then he decided that that company must
cut its prices If they bid against him and
he cut his down to cost.
The largest amount for any one contract
from the city of Providence, he thought,
was about &, 500. That was during Mr..
Slade's administration. He could not say
that he had received any contract over
$500 since Mr.. Cottrell came into office,
but he thought he had.
Michael Ward, who claimed to have
been refused the contract for removing
ashes was next called. He said his fig
ures, 1890 on the work were less than the
other man, and he offered a good, reliable
bond.
Mr. Badger for the Smead Heating
Company stated that Supt. Cottrell was
not, nor had he ever been a stakeholder
in the company; that the letter notifying
Mr.. Cottrell of an assessment on stock
had been sent by mistake; that another
letter had been dictated by him 10 Mr..
Cottrell that day, and that the stenogra-
pher had mailed the notice of assessment
on stock instead of the letter.
WIN. Harris, the lumber dealer, stated
that he had bid on lumber several times,
but had not received any contracts in the
last three years.
Mr. Batchelder stated that the men who
bid against Harris had furnished better
samples, in that they were clear faced"
while his were only clear"
Mr.. Church, u clerk in Mr.. Cottrells of
flee, said that in his opinion abont $1,000
had been paid in the past year for expert
supervisors services. He thought il would
be better for the city to have two good as
sistants to the superintendent of build
ings.
He stated that he had by mistake opened
two personal letters to Mr. Cottrell from
the Smead Heating Company notifying
him of an assessment amounting to Sll5
on stock, The second letter which Mr..
Cottrell had denied receiving came about
four months after the first one. Mr.. Cot
trell was not, in his opinion, very regular
in his attendance at his Office. He would
be gone three or four days at time, but
when he did come back on such occasions
he usually made up for lost time
In 1883 carpenter work on the Benefit
street school amounting TO nearly 5000
had been given to Spencer Il. Read with
out any order from the City Council, as
was necessary under the ordinance
The committee adjourned until Wednes-
day at 3 o'clock.