The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-14

| structed his New York salesman to pro-
cure, at the warerooms In New York, a
| Bush and GertS plano, such as had been
purchased for the schools. Mr.. O'Shea,
The salesman. reported to Mr.. Holmes that
ne ne found b;,1 I a n sslesl "a s2 II charge M 7 'o who aa dId
not appear before the committee to sub
stantiate this. Mr.. Holmes further said
That on December 9, at the wareroomns Of
and 9 friend named Lester w: Stevens, q
photographer, purchased for $199, a style
No. 6. walnut finish piano, similar in all
| respects but finish to the pianos pur-
chased by the Furniture Committee. He
produced a receipted bill and also corre-
~spondence between Mr.. Stevens and the
Bush & Gerts Co. to the effect that the
price was not affected by the finish. that
a piano with mahogany or oak finish
would have been Of the same price as one
with walnut finish such as he had pur--
chased. The pianos which were bougat
for the schools were finished in what is
known as double oak veneer
Mr.. Egbert, of the committee, who was
unknown to Mr.. Turtle, from whom the
pianos were bought, visited his salesroom
in New York, n procured from him a
price on a piano which was listed at $3.50.
The price given was $3.50 for cash, with a
further discount of S-1o% to a professional
musician.
Furniture Committee are listed at STE,
and applying the discount offered to Mr..
Egbert to this, it is found that the cash
price to professionals for these pianos
would be about 1856.
The committee held another session
Friday. December 16; and took the state
associated in the piano business with G;
Fl. Ditson & Coz New York. Instructed
by the committee. he examined the pi-
conclusion reached by him, from his ex-
perience as a musician and long ac-
p pianos Should Tif haT Shs be srad sou whS f saaf fr tna
$3.50 to $500. The reason he gave, which
he urgently requested be kept in view,
t Was II nat tbs because niane Of fra the great menf connect c3'rsrs
considered it a valuable advertisement to
have their pianos placed in public insti-
public boards for little or no proft; also
in case a number were sold the price
would naturally be reduced.
When the affidavit of Mr.. Stevens, de-
scribing the purchase Of the piano in
Chicago, was read to Mr.. Dressler. he
said that it was absolutely inexplicable
The committee held another and final
session on Monday. December 10, at
which Mr.. Owen J. Turtle attended. He
who denies absolutely the of
He produced, further. Mr.. Craig, a
M pIato 'a We'll, ana man mgepfa Of the ana Music Mf,
Trades" a piano trade organ. He also
testified himself. TIL testimony. of these
sonable price FOR tie pianos s'' pu i
tina the firm of Bush & Gerts ranks high
in the trade. although NOT as high as the
and Knabe. Mr.. Craig could not explain
the sale of the piano in Chicago, except
by stating his belief that the manufac-
chaser. Mr.. Wen amphaficaliy pro-
nounced the affidavit of Mr.. Stevens to
be false and the maker q perjurer
had left, produced a letter from his firm,
copy of which is annexed hereto, which
confirms Mr.. Crafg's opinion; and with
which is also annexed hereto, ~convicts
Mr.. Holmes and Mr.. Stevens Of misrep-
r~esentation. Their statement is that Mr..
IN Rlss Chicago gas Tn card HANDED e G by : Mr.
Holmes to the salesman stated his bust
ness to be the manufacturing of bicycles.
as a brother manufacturer" and pro-
cured the piano at a manufacturers
price.
Mr.. Turtle further testified that he had
for as low a price as $3.50; that. his reg
ular price was $500. and that the piano
purchased by MT. Holmes, in Chicago,
the schools, but was in fact a cheaper
one.
The complaint of Mr.. Holmes, which
seems to a W been the main reason for
calling into question the transaction, was
that he M others had not been afforded
opportunities to compete with Mr.. Turtle
in the sale of these plnlos, and that adj
vertisement sho1li have been made be-
fore fhe purchase. This feature seems to
have been overlooked by the Mayor in his
letter, but thissc committee believed that 1t
was closely involved with the subject I'M
der consideration, and in fact was, as
stated, the foundation of the investiga-
ton. We accordingly felt that we could
not perform our whole duty without max
ing inquiry into this matter.
Considering this question, VIZ have ex-
amined Messrs. higgins and Mersheimer
Of the Furniture Committee. Mr.. Quinn,
the other member of this committee, being
absent from the city on business. The
following is a Of the testimony
of Messrs. Mersheimer and higgins
During the summer of the present year
the committee made an estimate of the
uuired to properly equip the new schools.
The number decided on was ten. This,
with the approval of the Mayor, was
ton of advertising for bids was consid-
cred by the committee and, after
discussion, the committee. concluded
ests Of the city not to advertise. espe-
cially as competition could be secured
without it. The reasons which appealed
to the committee appear to have BEEN.
First-The provision of the law regard
ing advertisement which requi res that a
contract be awarded to the lowest bidder.
discussion of this law, or attempt to con-
strue it. We find and report, however.
that the Furniture Committee construed
this provision to bind this Board to the
DuIClldS6 VI Tx Pidli WILMA WYNN ~
offered at the lowest price, without re-
gard to durability, tone, or any other fea-
ture which would go to make up the
quality of a piano. In this view the COM
mittee felt that the city might find itself
in a few months with a number OF pianos
which were worthless, solely because OF
strict compliance with the law,
Secondly-The Furniture Committee, in
discussing the construction of the law,
were influenced by the fear that, If their
understanding of the law was pot the
true one, and they would not be confined
to the dealer who offered the lowest price.
experts would have to be employed to
of the pianos submitted. They concluded
that it would be impossible to SECURE an
impartial expert, or one who would not be
predisposed in favor of some. particular
make Of piano, every musician having
his own favorite instrument.
Thirdly-There was competition; MT,
higgins stated that he had received visits
from representatives of Mr.. Holmes, IA,
r. Elss, Mathushek & Son, and Morgan
Sons.in addition to those Of Bush & Gerts.
Ali. with the exception OF Messrs Elss
and Morgan, were referred by him to tho
chairman of the committee, MT. Quinn,
and requested to call again. The repres-
entatiye Of Mr.. Elss called to ask delay.
because Of his absence from town.. and
Morgan & Sons had only ~second-hand
pianos to offer. Thereafter, Mr.. higgins
saws. he heard only from Mr., Turtle, the
representative of Bush q Gerts. he
came to the committee with recommends
asked $500, and was informed that the
price was too high. that the Mayor would
not approve it.
After some days he called again and
said that. after correspondence with his
house, he was authorized to offer the