The herald., 1897-03-11
City Dealers Pertnrbed Over the
KimbalI Company's Offers
A DIRECTOR OF THE BOARD
Is the company's Local Agents. He
Disinterested 2
A Claim That the KlmbaIi Plano Is consider-
erabiy 0verpriced-SeveraI Unkind
Suggestions f1ade

The piano dealers of the city are in
a considerable state of perturbation
over the supply of twenty-nine pianos
to the public schools. and if what some
of them allege cannot be denied, the
public should be perturbed also.
At the time of A. q. Bartlett's nom
ination for the board of education there
was a storm of adverse comment, and
many unkind suggestions that his anx-
iety to serve was not entirely dis.nter-
ested, in view Of the fact that the schoo!
piano question would be one of the first
matters for the new board to take UP.
Mr.. Bartlett was. however, elected,
and it was Mr. Bartlett who last Mon
day night INDUCED the solid SIX of the
board, in that fine disregard of prece-
dent and discretion which has already
characterized their proceedings during
their brief term OF Office, to refer the
bids for the twenty-nlne pianos to the
committee on furniture and supplies,
with power to act This was done de-
spite the vigorous protest of Mr.. c. c..
Davis who, with Messrs. Braly and
Conrey, form the stalwart minority
against the Vaccinations Of the "solid
SIX"
The aforesaid committee consists OF
Messrs. Conrey, Webb and Adams.
Among the bids is that of w. w. KIM
ball & Co. of Chicago, whose offers were
as follows: The Kimball upright plano.
1866; total, ,$78S5; the Whitney piano, $1S6,
total, $5452; and the Lyndell hano, Sis,
total, $3422.
pa rtIett Rros are the recopnized and
sole agents here for the Kimball piano.
Mr.. Bartlett, as director Of the board,
could not put in any bids.
The piano dealers claim that the bust
ness has its recognized ethics, and that
no manufacturer would dream Of invad-
ing territory against his agent, unless
the agent desired him to do so.
They point out that Kimball & Co. 5
bid is the only bid from manufacturer
themselves, and that all the others are
made by resident agents.
The suggestion that Director Bart
lett Is interested in the bid of his prin
cipals is so obvious that 1t requires no
further enlargement.
The piano dealers have. however, a
still more serious charge to make.
They claim that the Kimball piano Is
of inferior grade; that the same piano
as offered at s265 is to be purchased at
the Chicago factory for $3.50. Allowing
$50 for freight and insurance, this would
leave snug little profit on the twenty
nine pianos of S2465
A piano dealer of this city, who has
himself formerly handled the Kimbail
piano. said yesterday
1T Is my honest belief that the three
bids of Kimball & Co. constitute a big
bluff. That firm turns out but one
piano, to my knowledge, the instrument
to be purchased for $3.50 at the factory
1t has been known that a high-gra
piano was wanted, and 1t is my belief
that the so-called Whitney and Lyn-
dell pianos are merely put in for the pur-
pose Of grading the ordinary Ktmball
plano up to the sticking point. believe
that should either of the Kimball &
Co.'s bids be accepted. 1t would be found
that the piano in each case was identi-
CAL"
There was a story abroad yesterday
that the Piano Dealers association, of
which Mr.. Bartlett is a member, had
met when the question first came up
and agreed not to put in bids for any pi-
ano except of high grade of
sterling value and at a reason
able figure. 1t is said to have been
proposed that a profit of $50 should be
allowed on each piano, and that this
profit should eventually be pooled.
An officer of the association was inter-
viewed last night and entirely denied
this story. He allowed, however. that
such a proposition had been made, but
had been discarded as impracticable.
The action Of the committee on furni-
ture and supplies will be awaited with
much interest