The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-29

ANOTHER BOOK GONE.
Kinnard. Who Painted the
State House Can't Find
His Order Book.
HIS PARTNER ALSO MISSING
Master Painters Say He Was Paid
Many Times the Value Of
the Work.
HIS PARTNER ALSO MISSING
rn...-ziotnc Ia. .ev % Ncapc.

----> tGF SNs ~ (-sJ- sStNs M
TRENTON. March 20, 1S95.-The session
of the Senate Investigating Committee
yesterday was a disappointment. Henry
Couch. the man who put in the Senate
and new Assembly Chambers the systems
of heating and ventilating which Elk
pert Seymour swore the other day cost
the State much more than they We're
worth and were utterly useless. was in
the Chamber and it was whispered that
he would go the stand and tell a tale
which would surpass anything yet brought
to light by the committee.
Mr. Couch did not appear, and in
stead the examination of Hugh Kinnard,
vino painted the State House. was con-
tinued
Mr.. Kinnard identified the bills render
cd and checks received, and testified that
he had been asked to submit an estimate.
Later, Superintendent Ford interfered,
n it was decided to lave the work done
by the day. There was no contract with
the Capitol Commission. Kinnard's part
ner, Merrick Martin, had liked the prices,
while kinnard supervised the work.
ANOTHER BOOK MISSING.
Mr.. Kinnard brought his books before
the committee, and it was discovered that
the jobbing book. which contained a de-
tailed account of the FIRMS transactions
with the State. was missing. Kinnard
discovered the loss only last night, when
he got his books together to bring to
Trenton. He said his partner. Martin,
had charge of the books, but Martin had
disappeared from Newark last November
n nothing had been heard of him since.
He lac made no settlement Of the firms
business before going away.
Senator Skirm thought it singular that
in every case inquired into there should
be a missing partner, who was the only
person possessing knowledge of the rams
portant books were also missing. He
questioned Mr.. Kinnard closely, but the
latter's answers appeared to be truthful,
and the committeeman were satisfied that
in this case the missing partner was
the only person having the information
they, wanted. Kinnard promised to make
to send it to Counsellor Corbln If found
MORE OVERCHARGE
Henry J. Bennett Of Trenton, a master
lied that he had done work at the Capt.
toll and gave the prices. He had gone all
over the building, had made measure
prices paid to Kinnard & Co. We're ex-
~cessive. For what kfnnard had been
But 1855 1855 P Thaf, he so eaia, nS Wo,,i sha hgse
given him ninety per cent. profit. More
than a thousand pounds of white lead
a aftee mlt Gents Sai a po aia 0eS Whie eh'a Bennett eGr It
said cost but six eents a pound.
For painting the exterior of the Capitol
Kinnard had been paid $1,444.95 for two
coats of paint. Bennett said he had put
on three coats when aod the work was new,
II see by this pill that Kinnard & Co.
charged for 1898 pounds of paint for
lhaI WORK. could al fhat nave been
erush.s replied : Bennet t. : .rsay mig might
have put it on with a owe:."
L.. A. Berod. a fresco painter. said tina
the actual cost of decorative work for
which Kinnar had been paid 81. 916 was
$1.o2S, and he had offered to do it for
$3.50 per day when the current prices
were So and s225 per day. The prices
paid for colors We're from 50 to 100 per
cent. above the cost and 2o-cent picture
moulding had been charged for at SIS
EXTRAVAGANZA IN SEEDS.
In a discussion among the committee
men it was stated that there had been
no power to authorize this work except
in the Legislature. and Senator Daily
added that the State Comptroller and
Treasurer had no right to pay the bills.
He again brought out the fact that Major
Anderson and John j. Toffey. both Re-
publicanS. had approved some of them.
Mr.. Coroin made a statement showing
the extravaganza in spending moneys
for grass seeds and flowers for the Capi-
toll grounds, but said there was no reason
to believe there was anything crooked
in the bills. 1t was simply extravaganza.
The grounds had a frontage of 25 feet.
of which 100 feet was taken up by the
building. For seeds and plants and fer
t~ilizers the State spent s431 in 1890. $685.
in 1891, 1913 In 1882, 1898 in 1893, and ST.
800. IN the spring of 1894.
Mr.. Corbin then mad a statement
summarizing the testimony concerning
the heating and vent:lating, which he
said cost SIS, 1885, 70 for the Assembly
Chamber and $21, 625 for the Senate Cham
Der, or a total of s47,521 rs. Henry A.
Gouge of New York, the President of the
company that did the work, had come
to Trenton TO offer himself as a witness,
but he had nothing to tell hat differed
from the statements of Architect Moy-
Ian, except that there bad been plans
made for the work. The contract re-
quested a guarantee from the company
that the apparatus should work satisfac-
torily, but the testimony showed that it
did not.
Mr.. Corb.n said that on next Friday
he would finish up the matter of heating.
ventilating and furnishing supplies to the
Capitol. A large umbe of smaller mat
tiers had been brought to his attention,
but he did not think it advisable to so
into them. as it was difficult to procure