Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-11
GO AHEAD AND INVESTIGATE,
An Expert On Clocks Talks to
the Supervisors.
Facts Which Are More Eloquent Than
Buster and Resolutions.
The History of the Brady Contract to
Furnish Time Pieces to the Court
House-Mr. Platt's Straight
Talk on the Subject.

The board Of supervisors OF this coun-
ty held session yesterday, and it was
an unueual and an extraordinary one.
The board arose in virtuous indignation.
Supervisor Davis voiced the sentiments
of himself and confreres by presenting
the following resolution:
Whereas, The Los Angeles HERALD,
in its issue of this date, published an
article in relation to the county court
house clocks that, in effect, charges this
board with venality and corruption;
Resolved, That while this board de-
nounces the said article as baseless, and
a falsehood from beginning to end, that
it hereby respectfully requests the dis
trict attorney to at once call the said
matter to the attention OF the grand
Jury, and ask that it forthwith proceed
to investigate the truth or falsity of said
charges, to the end that justice may be
speedily. done.
SOME EXPRESS ENGLISH.
The article printed by the HERALD
was also referred to yesterday by the
evening Express. The paper stated, in
its simple, kindergarten style, that there
never was "a contract with Brady for
clocks. On the original contract the
board of supervisors retained $4,000 on
account OF clocks" Now, if there never
was any contract with Brady for clocks,
why was $4,000 held out on the money
due him ION account of clocks"
1t is true that the board did advertise
for bids for the court house clocks and
the tower clock. The bids were opened,
and that of Montgomery Bros. was .ac-
cepted. This well and favorably known
firm is to furnish 15 separate clocks and
one tower clock for $1125. But, if they
furnish four dials for the tower clock,
they are to receive 5000 additional, or
$2025 all told.
PLENTY OF ROOM FOR INVESTIGATION.
The board of supervisors, in adopting
the resolution of Mr.. Davis with such
remarkable unanimity, in which they
call upon the grand jury to investigate
the clock transaction, did nothing sur
prising. The grand jury could with profit
investigate all of the transactions of this
board since January /, 1891, and if the
bottom facts were secured the revela-
tions would be simply astounding. If
the channels into which 81 ,347 ,550. "a of
the peoples money, passed during the
year 1891, could be fully explored, and
every fact connected with the expendjr
ture of this vast sum explained, it would
furnish interesting reading, and, perhaps.
work for the courts. The county auditor
states that during the year 1891 the
grand total of county government ex-
pepses was as above stated-$1 ,347,-
550.54.
MR.. BRADY's CONTRACT.
But to return to the court house clock
contract. This board Of supervisors has
had the happy faculty of mixing and
complicating the contracts it has to let
80 that it would take Philadelphia
lawyer to unravel them. Scarcely
contract has been made that has not
had string of some kind to it. But
few contracts are let in an open and
plain way, worded in language that can
be understood by the average taxpayer.
There is always condition or clause in
serted which provides for something that
the ordinary reader would not think of.
So with the courthouse clocks. In the
first place Contractor Brady was to have
put in the clocks. He did put in sys-
tenn Of electric clocks. They never went,
and were useless. He demanded his
money, and the board was about to pay
him for the useless clocks, but a great
howl went up from the press and they
refused to do 30. They held out $4,000
and told Mr.. Brady to fix his clocks go
that khey would run. Mr.. Brady did
not dosso. They then notified him that
if they were not put in order within
certain time, they would put them in
order themselves and take the money
out of the $4,000 they still held belong
ing to him. Mr.. Brady let the matter
go by default. The board then. with
great consideration for Contractor
Brady's interests, advertised for bids for
clocks, and accepted that Of Montgomery
Bros. at $1125.
HOW ABOUT THAT CONDUIT.
If the board had been spending the
peoples money instead of Mr.. Brady's, it
is not at all probable that they would
have advertised for bids. Competition
would probably not have been invited.
At least last week when the board came
to let the contract for the conduit
through the courthouse no bids were
invited. Nobody was notified that the
work was to be given out. Itwas simply
So. .65 per lineal foot.
Inasmuch as the board wac go consid-
crate when they were spending Mr..
Brady's money and advertised for bids,
a reporter of the HERALD yesterday
asked one member why they did not ad-
vertise for bids when it came to spend
ing the peoples money in building that
conduit through the court house. The
reply was that "the amount was too
small" Well, the conduit is 25O feet
long, and at 50 65 per lineal foot it
amounts to $662.50.
But this is not all. There is string
to this contract. The county furnishes
the sand, cement, and makes the exca-
vation. This is peculiar, but still it is
done. The contractor does the brick
work for his $662 30. All told there is
involved in this work, as was previously
stated by the HERALD, about $4,000.
THOSE TELL-TALE DIALS.
Once more back to the clock. The
four dials that are now in the tower
were put there by Mr.. Brady. These
are all right, and can be used by Mr..
Montgomery if he can purchase them of
Mr.. Brady. Those dials are worth $90O
Mr.. Montgomery, If he gets the dials of
Mr.. Brady, will not be put to the ex-
pense OF purchasing new ones. If he
does purchase new ones he will receive
5000 more. This is about all that there
is in it.
MIR. PLATT's STRAIGHT TALK.
Mr.. @. d. Platt, a well-known local
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