The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-03
Letters From the People.
Trustee Joseph Talks with Com
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necessity O. making some reply 10 Ine TO-
port Of the JOINT committee which claims
20 have Investigated the Georgia Stale
Sauitarium. Their criticism of my con-
Duct IS unfair because it is meaningless
md clouded. They do not charge that l
have wronged the state but they condemn
the simple fact of my having been the
seller of some merchandise. They want
TO bee heroes" and with unseeming haste
rush themselves into print, and are al once
given niche in your Picture Gallery Of
Statesmen" ! want it distinctly under
stood between US (yOu and y that l do
not want my portrait to accompany this
letter when it VIII appear in your coli
umns.
] am charged with having sold goods
under competitive bidding TO the iustitu-
ton Of which l am a trustee. Well, who
says I didn't? Have l ever denied il?
Has any che ever disputed il? l have al
ways proclaimed it. Are there not thou
sands of Mayors and aldermen who fur
nish supplies 10 their governments? Are
there not thousands of road and revenue
commissioners who furnish supplies 10
their counties? Why, in Baldwin county
the commissioners vote themselves extra
ordinary salaries out of the county funds
for extra services they render. other than
their regular duties. Whoever questioned
Their ught? Does any law OF our state
forbid?
The purchasing power of the santarium
up to May 1898, was vested or placed in
the hands OF the steward, superintendent,
assistant steward, storekeeper secretary
and the chairman Of the prudential com
nhtee. They met in the storeroom of the
warehouse, received and opened The sam
pies and bids submitted for their consid-
Grafton by merchants from all parts of the
United states, From samp.es thus submit
ted the purchases were made, in "a thor
ough competitive manner. In my capac-
Ity as a merchant representing various in
forests and concerns ] submitted bids and
samples The steward, Mr.. l.. j. Lamar
being the head of the purchasing com
miuee, usually displayed his judgment to
the satisfaction of his colleagues. Mr..
Lamar is a man Of splendid business quail
lies fully equipped, and a thorough judge
of all kinds Of merchandise and fully con-
versaut with the needs of the institution
/ am sure no one can or Will question his
ability or impugn to him any other motive
except TO buy the best goods for the least
money During these competitive transac-
lions he often bought from firms whom l
represented, because what they offered
was better and cheaper than those of
others. lie therefore served the state in
so doing and l was simply one of the me-
dums through which he accomplished it,
l assert most positively that in each and
every particular the state was benefited.
Mr.. Lamar so stated repeatedly to those
who inquired Of him.
The first transaction made by me after
my appointment was the purchase of 800
rubber sheets While at the storehouse
one day | saw the storekeeper open some
of them and | asked him the price paid
for them, and he told me $25 f. o. b.
Philadelphia. 1 borrowed one of them and
forwarded il to one of my correspondents
in New York and succeeded in duplicating
the same at Gla cents +. .. D. Milledgeville
saving the state $237 in this one transac-
ton. Before | concluded to become bid
der l consulted men in authority and sub
m,tted the matter to Hon. r. NJ. Hunt,
the chairman of the prudential commit
tee and the legal advisor of the board.
He told me that it was not only my right,
but my duty TO do so if l could possibly
save the state one cent. The members
of the board knew ! was a bidder. There
was no effort or desire to conceal any
thing II was an open daylight .transac-
ton, which always resulted to the benefit
of the institution
Legislative committees visited the in
sttution each year, examined and inquired
into every detail of the management. The
Blalock committee. with its Forks -
came and gave q special investigation not
one word of complaint was ever made by
any one against me. 1t was the common
practice of officers and their families and
employees to sell supplies TO the institution,
against which there never was any COM
plant made.
In May, 1898, at the request of Or. Dix
on, 1 introduced a resolution to prohibit
any officer or empoye to deal in any man.
ner with the institution. Since that time
1 have had no connection with any bid
or sale, except one last August or Septem-
Der, which was fully approved and in
dorsed by the board. This is the entire
story upon which the attack is made
My appointment as trustee was doubtless
due to The fact that 1 am a business man,
presumed TO possess considerable knowl
edge of the kind that might be useful TO
the institution My long experience as a
merchant has acquainted me with the
value and quality of goods, naturally I
sought 20 use my information for the inter-
est of the institution. As all purchases
were made on competitive bids, the most
certain effectual way for me to do this
was to offer the goods at their value.
If my goods were rejected it
was because another had offered the goods
at less price, and if accepted il was be-
cause mine Were the cheapest in either
event the state was the beneficiary. That
a profit should result to me for handling
the goods in the regular course of trade
does not make the transaction illegu-
mate. My profit thus obtained is not the
states loss, but is a simple incident to all
legitimate business transactions.
AS well II might he charged that 1 have
wrouged my child (whose guardian l ann
by allowing him to buy goods at my store
at a less price than he could buy them
elsewhere, as TO charge that my trans
actions with the state were wrong.
The committee by their recommendations
admit that / have violated no law but have
tried and condemned me by a law which
they propose to have the legislature to en-
act al its next session.
1 might be willing TO waive my rights
under the constitution of Georgia and of
the United States and be tried under an
expcst facto or retroactive law, but l
must draw the line on being tried and con
victed under law that exists only in the
minds Of the committee.
Tried in like manner as l have been the
honorable committee (unless they are DIFF
ferent from the average legislators might
have been tried and convicted for accept
ing and using railroad passes and over
,ha rtyfnp committee pXDpOspS and mile