The San Francisco call., 1898-02-09
CHARGED WITH PETTY JQBBERY San JOSe'S Board of Edu- cation Under
 Fire.
Seeming Attempt to Give a Contract to Favored Firm.
Becomes Alarmed at the Last Minute and a Treasury Raid Falls
 Through.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN JOSE, Feb. S.-What is said to have been a job on the part of the City Board of Education to award a con- tract to the l.. Lion & Sons Company for 100 school desks in order to pay an illegal contract entered into some time ago, at an eXorbitant figure, failed to go through tonight at the meeting of the board. A multiplicity of bidders and the fear that a bid lower than that of the favored firm would be opened, caused the matter to be indefinitely postponed. So evident were the ear marks of a job. that expressions of dis gust over the boards action was heard from the bidders and spectators pres ent.
 The full board was present-Trustees Kenyon, Wemple, O'Brien and Graham
 About July Trustee O'Brien ordered 100 desks from the l.. Lion & Sons Co for the Longfellow School. It was in- tended to pay for these out of the boards funds, but Mayor Koch became aware of the matter and warned the board that it could not contract bills for $100 without calling for bids This was the stumbling block that displayed the boards hand. In order to go to
 
 cided to call for bids, and a joker was adopted. Bids for 150 or more desks were called for, but no mention of samples or styles made.
 Tonight was the date for opening the bids A half carload of samples was in the room and about a dozen bidders present. Instead of proceeding with business the board retired to an- other room to discuss the matter.
 Ty11C ro that but 900 was in the State fund. It required $6500 a month to pay the teachers salaries, or $32 800 for the next five months. This would leave a deficit of SIP, 300 in the fund, and there would be no money to buy desks. He moved that the bids be returned un- opened. This was seconded by Ken yon and carried.
 $. N. Fucker, one of the bidders, pro- tested against this action. He said the bidders had been put to considerable expense to come and bring sample desks. He said the board should have found out whether there was money on hand or not to buy desks with be- fore calling for bids. Other bidders also expressed the same views.
 Fucker denounced the whole pro- ceedings as job. He asked the board if rent was not being paid for the desks Lion 6 Go. furnished. but the Trustees said they did not know. He said he was not surprised at the boards action. as the same methods had characterized all it's actions.
 The job seemingly attempted tonight was but a preliminary step to one for furnishing desks for the new High School
 Although the desks have been in the Longfellow School since July, Lion & Sons have not asked for payment of their bill. The firm has openly boasted that it would never remove the desks, as it had 'pull'' enough to secure pay ment for them. It is said the price the board first agreed to pay the Lions was $3 75 desk The same desks have been put into schools for less than s2 75 each. It Is reported that the Lions be- came afraid that their bid would not be the lowest, and Gus Lion, one of the firm, went to San Francisco this week and made proposition to the school desk combine that if they were allow ed to put in these desks at low figure they would obtain the contract for desks for the new High School for the hi