The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-13
THE GAMEWELL SCANDAL
COUNCILMAN DEWAR SHOWS UP THE
BOARD OF SAFETY METHODS.
Agent ChandIee Dictated Specifca-
Matter still Before Grand Jury.

There was talk about the City Hall yes
terday with reference to the way in which
the Board of Safety laid down in the
Gamewell scandal and proceeded to sign a
contract before it was thoroughly investi-
gated, after passing a resolution demand
Ing an investigation by the Council. and
stating in the resolution that contract
be signed by this board until after such
investigation is made" The entire matter
was sent TO the grand jury by the Common
Council The Council committee did not
Investigate the fact that the board itself
had acted illegally by failing to require
contractors to file affidavits showing that
there was no collision in the bids. When
the subject was turned over to the grand
jury all papers We're sent to that body, in
GLIDING the resolution adopted by the board.
The Council having failed to make a re-
port one way or another. the entire subject
is still pending before the grand jury, and
under it's own resolution the board was
bound to wait until an investigation was
made before signing the contract. 1t did
not do that, but has entered into contract
with the Gamewell people.
Under the circumstances am surprised
that Mayor Taggart ever approved that
contract" said Duncan Dewar, a Demo-
cratic member of the Council. 81 was in
the office of the Board of Safety when they
passed the resolution asking the Council to
investigate the bribery charge, and was
asked to look over the resolution 1t pro-
Vided for an investigation by the mayor and
Council. I remarked that the mayor could
not act with the Council, as the Council
has the right to investigate him, for that
matter. They struck out all reference to
the mayor, and sent the entire subject to
the Council. The Council has not disposed
Of the charges, but sent them to the grand
jury, where they are still pending. The
beard voluntarily gave the Council JurlS-
dictiOn of the subject. binding itself to wait
the Council investigated the charges.
Under the resolution adopted by the Coun-
Gil that body had the right to investigate
not only the charge of bribery, but to go
into the entire subject, including the legal
ity of the boards action. as the reSolu
ton authorized the Investigating committee
to investigate said charges, send for per-
sons and papers and take testimony ana
report to this body the name OF the co Tho
Gilman who made such proposition The
committee was also authorized to take
such further steps as to the committee
seems necessary When / was in the office
of the board / inquired if the contract had
been legally awarded 1 was assured there
was no question about that, that every.
thing had been done regularly. L asked IL
affidavits had been required.
HERRICK THE LAWMAKER.
No affidavits are necessary answered
Richard Herrick. secretary of the board.
II referred him to the city charter, which
says that all bidders shall furnish affidavits.
40, that's only technicality, replied
Mr.. Herrick.
"Only a technicalty? Does the charter
say anything about flying kites or ball
playing? Is anything put in it for fun? The
entire charter is made up of technicalities.
What right has the board or the mayor to
ignore any of it's provisions because they
are 'technicalities Notwithstanding the
opinion of Jim Bell deputy city attorney
the meaning of the charter is plain. 1t
would be farcical to require bidders to make
afdayits after the contract haa p zen
davits is to guarantee before the BIDS are
opened that they are all bona. fide and not
set UP to catch the contract going or coming.
How could bidders be required to furnish
affidavits after the contract had been let
to some one else? They would laugh the
board down the wind if they were requested
to furnish affidavits afterward. The whole
Mr., Dewar characterizes the award of
the contract to the GameWell Company as
a ''bie grab game" The police patrol tele-
graph system will cost the taxpayers of IN
dianapoiis about $4,000 more than the sys-
tenn could have been procured from an
dThe Charter requires that public con-
tracts shall be let to the lowest and best
bidder &" said Mr. Dewar THAT means TO
the company that makes the lowest bid and
is prepared to give the city what the specl-
Company bid $21, $50. 1t is one of the larg-
est firms in the world, has five or six fac
tories in this country and as many more IN
Europe If necessary it could have put up
a IS O00O 900 bond guaranteeing that 1t would
give the city the kind of q patrol system
that the specifications call for. what more
That's why specifications are adopted-n
order that it may be plain Just what the ne
contractor will be expected to do. II ne
does not carry out the specifications he
cannot collect his money, and the city
would have recourse on his sureties. 1t is
said these specifications were dictated 70
George Holderman, electrician of the nre
department, by W. Chandlee agent OF the
Gamewen Company who has MAGE NJ.
last year He has laid around there with
his coat off. One of the contractors asked
specifications They knew so little about
them that they had to call on the cleo
trician of the telephone company.
HOW THE GRAB GAME WORKS.
GLOW did they finally award the con-
tract? It was by leaving out some very
essential features, features that will have
to be added later on. This is as if 1 pro-
posed to sell you a buggy for $50 less, if you
took it with only three wheels. The board
has not only $4,000 of the money originally
appropriated but also all the premium on
the bond sale available for this system.
You will find before it is through with it
it will spend every cent and then need
more. Mr. Herrick made much ado be-
cause the Western Electric Company only
bid on forty miles of wire. The SpeCtfica-
tions did not stipuate how much would be
required and information was refused at
the boards office. The bid stipulated forty
miles, and provided for charge of SIS a
mile extra for additional wire. Since the
contract was let 1T appears the other com
pany knew $50 miles would be required.
Even if this is correct, the city would only
have had to pay 81 200 or 81, 500 additional
on the Western Electric bid, still leaving
a saving to the city of many thousand dol
lars. AS to the claim that the Western
nish apparatus, it may be interesting to
say that for many years all the apparatus
used by the GameWell Company was manu-
featured by the Western Electric After
the Gamewell began to manufacture its
own veloped and improved by
Elactric-the latter company itself went
into the field. 1t is to-day one of the big
gest concerns in the world. and amply able
to carry out any contract it might make.
Mr.. Dewar says that the bidders were
denied the usual facilities given bidders on
important public works; could not learn
just how much wire was required.
eff Mr.. Herrick knew that $50 miles of
wire were needed, why did he hold back in
formation from bidders other than the
GameweN Company"
I'm an interview he said that the Game
well was the only company that bid on
double circuits The Western Electric bid
ditional for the future extensions of the
system, or thirty-three in all.
Mr.. Dewar says that while an injunction
could be got by one of the other companies