The San Francisco call., 1895-08-01
MECHANICS INSTITUTE.
Why Directors Bush, Fisher
and Bardet Resigned
From the Board.
MIR. Fisher Was Deposed as Chair
man Of the Committee on
Fish Exhibits.

The resignation OF three members of the
board of directors of the Mechanics Insti-
tute was due to causes widely different
from those formally assigned.
"The reasons 1 got out of the board, l"
said Alexander Bardet yesterday after
noon, "were numerous. [ had supposed
when 1 was elected that was expected to
work for the good of the institute. found,
however, that was expected to advance
the interests of a certain clique, and that
my vote was not my own. The members
of the clique? Well, Mr.. Cumming is very
active in it. Mr.. Hallidie? No. do not
think so.
"Then there were other reasons-per-
sonal ones-which made my position in
the board disagreeable. For instance, one
member, Mr.. Formulas, told me that was
put in by means of a job. My name was
proposed by Charles E. Mooser, and seven
members of the eight present voted for me.
GAS an example OF the way individual
interest is allowed to interfere in the work
ings of the board l may mention the bids
for the candy, icecream and popcorn prlvl-
| leges. Three bids were received. One
offered 27 per cent of the receipts, another
| 331a per cent and the third lump sum in
cash. Now it does not require mathe-
| two percentage bids the one offering 331s
per cent was the more advantageous. Yet
! Mr.. Cumming actually championed the q
per cent bid. Who finally got the con-
| tract? Mr.. Thane, who offered $2290 for
the candy and icecream privileges. That
was more than by the percentage plan was
realized from all three privileges at the big
citrus fair. Mr.. Thane afterward paid US
$3.50 for the popcorn privilege.
81 believe that when mem Der has sup
plies to purchase Mr.. Formulas goes
around on the outside and gets figures SO
as to know what they ought to cost. The
directors are making it very uncomforta-
BILE for him-in hopes he will resign, l
guess.
| about the decorations? It was this
way: A week ago Friday the board held a
| special executive session to consider plans
| for decorations. The board met again on
| Tuesday and at that time, OH my recon-
mendation, adopted Mr.. Tidball's plan of
| ornamenting the Pavilion with paper flow
ers. Wednesday morning 1 told Tidball to
start the work, and on Thursday l wrote
my resignation.
''As matter of fact the whole transac-
tion was not business-like, for there were
no drawings or designs submitted, and the
contract was awarded simply upon the
written descriptions in the bid"
Mr.. Fisher could not be found last night
ana MT. DdrueG was dsheu Tue redSOu lOr
that gentle mans resignation.
81 Go not know positively, was the re-
ply, "but presume it was because of the
boards action concerning the fish COM
mittee, of which Mr.. Fisher was chairman.
Mr.. Fisher had arranged to have the Fish
Commission supply the trout for the
exhibit. The commission wanted one of
their regular keepers employed to care for
the exhibit, and to this Mr.. Fisher agreed.
The board, however decided to employ
some one else, and as a result they will get
but at the following meeting, at which Mr..
Fisher was not present, they deposed his
committee and appointed another, OF which
Mr. Cumming is chairman"
MY reason for resigning," said Mr..
Bush, "were those assigned in my note.
l have been so engaged with private busi-
ness that have not been able to attend a
meeting for three months"