Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25
UNIFORM j DECISION
Police and Firemsn Not in Accord With
Their Chief.
Contract Should Go to-a Local Con-
cern-Letter ofIsensfpr Sullivan
to the C0mmissioners.

Pending the decision of the attorney of
the District, II is understood that no action
will be taken by the District Commission
ers in the matter of aw arding the contracts
for supplying uniforms to the members of
the police and fire departments for the COM
ing year. As stated in yesterdays Star 1t
has been decided by the Commissioners to
refer the question of their authority in the
matter to their attorney. who will be re-
quested to inform them just what, in his
Judgment, is their duty and power in dis
posing of the question, and with whom the
contracts should be made on behalf of the
two departments, and the character of the
bond to be required for the faithful per-
Torrance of the contracts.
AS heretofore explained, the Commission
ers, In approving the recommendation of
the tvro committees representing the police
and fire departments that the contracts be
awarded to an outside firm, Messrs. Rosen-
field Bros of Baltimore, at prices higher
than those proposed by a local firm, took
the position that as the men pay for their
uniforms the Commissioners have no right
to disregard the recommendation of the
committees, despite the fact that personally
they would have been pleased to have seen
the contracts go to local firm. But 1t Is
said to be a question whether Capt. Austin
and his associates on the committee really
represented the members of the police de-
partment and whether the six foremen
| invited by Chl61 HdT1lS the Tfe Depart
ment to select the sample of cloth TO be
,sed in manufacturing the uniforms Of that
department really repr esented the firemen.
1t Is asserted that the memberss of both
departments desired the contracts to go to
a District firm, especially If it were found
that local firm was the lowest bidder.
Then again. it is stated that quite a number
of the members Of both departments, if not
majority of each, desired and now desire
that il any difference in price is to be made
the members of the two departments, and
not an outside business house. be given the
benefit of that difference, In view of the
fact that the men arc compelled 10 supply
their own uniforms. instead of being al
lowed certain sum year for such pur-
pose, as is said to be the almost universal
rule in other large cities This is said to be
particularly true of the members Of the fire
department, who assert that the salaries
paid them are much less than in other
cities of like size and prominence.
Letter of RemOnstrance.
1t appears from a letter received by the
Commissioners from Senator Sullivan of
Mississippi that the propriety of awarding
the contracts to an outside firm at higher
prices is being questioned by others than
by the parties more deeply interested in
the matter. In his letter Senator Sullivan
wrote as follows IL
Il note that contract is to be let for
furnishing the police force with uniforms
in the District of Columbia; that this is let
to the lowest bidder, and that advertise
ment has been madei that Baltimore firm is
said to have been favorahly considered, al
though it's bid is nliieh higher than a Wash
ington concern. l. have, pne interest only
in this matter, and that is this: 1t is not
right to give bounty to Baltimore to do
the work over the Washington concern.
You might reverse this and still the matter
would be the same. Il amAinformed that the
contractor gives bond ofzS3000, conditioned
to comply with the law furnishing the uni
y, &c. it1,n a -ttra
it will not be safe to ignore the bid of
responsible firm doing business here for
many years to give ii to a Baltimore firm
for higher pricesFt call your attention to
this matter assuming that you have not
finally awarded the contract. j trust that
you will not let the contract until this mat
ter has been thoroughly examined, and that
you will let IL to the lowest bidder comply
ing with the law"
Commissioners' Reply.
Replying to Senator Sullivan, Commits
sioner Wight wrote as follows on behalf of
the Commissioners:
II am pleased to have your views with
regard to the matter but assure you that
there is a general misrepresentation as to
the power of the Commissioners III the
matter. The only concern the COMMITS
sionerS have to the whole subject is to
have the police provided with presentabie
clothing, uniform in appearance and in ac-
cordance with the regulations. No District
money whatever is paid to the person who
manufactures the clothing; it is individual
money of the policemen and the firemen.
The Commissioners are desirous of carry
ing out the wishes of the persons most in
timately concerned in the matter, and in
order to accomplish that result, a COM
mittee, composed of the lieutenants of the
force, was authorized to examine the sam
pies submitted and the schedule Of bids,
and to advise with regard to the selection
Of the manufacturer. That committee al
most unanimously selected the Baltimore
firm, which last year performed the same
work satisfactorily and the Commissioners
deem 1t but proper not to interfere with
their selection.
mo final determination has been reached
in the matter but you will readily under
stand that it is not contract within the
meaning of the organic act of the District