The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-08-18

Board held a special meeting at Towson on
Saturday of last week to again consider the
bids for furnishing books and furniture for the
schools of the county for two years from
August l, 1900. Mr.. Thomas B. Todd. presi-
dent, occupied the chair, and Prof. A. S. Cook
was secretary.
AS already stated the awarding of the con-
tract had narrowed down to the Baltimore
houses of ]. H. Medairy & Co., and the w. ].
c. Dulany Company. 1t was claimed by the
Dulany people that by the acceptance of their
bid the county would save about 81 900 year,
while the Medairy firm declared that the
other firm had not been living up to their
contracts in the past but had been furnishing
inferior books and materials for the use of the
schools.
When the awarding of the contract was
first considered the Board was equally divided
on the question, Messrs. Todd, Wilson and
Arthur, Democrats, voting for the Medairy
firm, while Messrs. Russell and Ensor Re-
publicans, and Krout Democrat, voted for
the Dulany Company. AtSaturday' meeting
Mr.. Ensor cast his vote with the three first
named members of the Board and this, of
course, gave the contract to Messrs Medairy &
Co. Mr.. Ensor explained his vote by saying
that he was tired of the contest and that he,
as minority member of the Board, felt dis
posed to side with the majority. of the Demo-
cratic members in awarding the contract to
Medairy & Co., especially as the Democrats
were responsible for the action of the Board
Regular routine business was then taken up
and Prof. Cook, secretary, recommended that
second-grade teachers certificates be awarded
to the following candidates. who passed the re-
cent examination for certificates
White-Alice c. Moore, average 81 Mamie
B. Baldwin, II; Edna May Todd, 76.5; Mary
Elizabeth Holden, 70; Mary X. Greenwood,
IA; Charles Joseph Shott, Il % Ida M. Fox, IL;
Mary Elizabeth Perry Thuma, 20.
Colored-Atlanta i. Brown, average, 20; g.
w. Anderson, 70.
Jacob G. Shamberger was recommended for
scholarship in western Maryland CUnege, Ills
average being 70.
Prof. Cook was authorized to issue the GER
tifcates as recommended. The winner of the
Western Maryland College scholarship is a son
of Mr.. Daniel Shamberger, of the 9th district.
ships in the State Normal School Miss Ce-
celia Schone, Highlandtown Miss Lucy
Graves, Franklintown Miss Lulu O'Dell, I'd
district Miss link, 9Th district; Miss Sallie
M. Carney, 18th district, and Miss Sallie M.
Mcguire, Sth district.
district, was awarded the scholarship to the
Maryland Institute School of Art and Design,
upon the recommendation of MIR. Todd.
On motion of Mr.. Russell it was decided to
reopen the schools on Monday, September 10th,
and not to give any holiday on September 18th.
1t was determined to hold the Teachers In
stitute during the week beginning December
18th.
The resignation of Miss Esther J. Shamber.
ger as teacher of School 2, district 6. was ac-
cepted.
frmed as follows: H. G. Kroh, School 8, dis
trict 6; Luther Forsythe, School l, district
10; H. G. Halle, School 3, district s F; ]. Walter
Turnbaugh, School g. district 8; S. Cora Halle,
School II, district s. Robert r. Mccain,
School 5, district G.; Newton w. Hershner,
School 2, district q; E. g. Oyeman, School 2,
district IA P. Fl. Shaver, School IL, districts
Carroll H. Gorsuch, School 2, district 6.
A petition was received for new school
building for the colored school at Catonsville,
which was referred to the Committee on
Schools and School Property.
The contract for building q new school
house at Back River was awarded to Charles
Kline, whose bid was 81, 500.
Bids were opened for the erection of a new
school house at Owings' Mills 4th district, and
the award of the contract was referred to Mr..
Russell.
WILL CONTEST THE CONTRACT.
It is said the Dulany Company will apply to
the court to determine whether or not the
School Board had right to award the con-
tract for books and supplies to bidder that
was higher than their proposal. Messrs. John
p. Poe and Frank l. Duncan have been re-
tanned as counsel BY the company
MR.. WILSON'S STATEMENT.
Mr. John s. Wilson, of the LIST district, mem
Der of the School Board who voted to give the
contract to Medairy g. Co.. has since made the
following statement:
THE facts are, briefly stated, as follows: In
ing the book contract at 23K per cent Off against
22K per cent. by Medairy & Co., and it was cur
rently reported at the time, which, report was
supported by very good evidence, that the Du-
lany Company was allowed to amend its bid
after the bids were opened Notwithstanding
that representations were made at the time
that this low bid would result in saving several
thousand dollars, the bills for books, stationery
and furniture, as shown by the reports, were
opfrnF 1riFa a txun ryao frv
similar period in the history of the School Board
the schools did not come up to the standard re-
quired. These complaints were borne out by
the evidence OF at least Is per cent. of the
teachers interviewed.
"Among the bills which are on file in the Office
of the Board numerous instances of overcharg-
ing can be found, of which l cite several:
Blackboards were furnished to the school
known as No. l. 9th district at Willow avenue,
and charged at ID cents per square foot, the
total amounting to about Sill. On the same
bill there is charge of $115 for putting the
blackboards in place and furnishing the mold
ing. Three schools in the 18th district were fur
nished window blinds costing 81 to $150 each
for very ordinary blind. and $3.50 was charged
in each case for putting up one dozen blinds and
buggy hire.
"A few days before the Board advertised for
bids for supplying the schools with books, sta
tonery and furniture John Dulany sent for
George Medairy and stated to him that, as he
(Dulany) had lost money on the contract in Bal
timore county. he desired to obtain it this year
in order to make good his losses, and if Medairy
would refrain from bidding in Baltimore county
he would pay him 81 900, as the county would
have to pay it anyhow. The day after this in
terview with Mr.. Medairy, Mr. Dulany called at
my office for the purpose. as he stated. of re-
questng me to use my influence with Mr. Me-
dairy to induce him to accept his proposition.
ter and stated to Mr.. Dulany that proposed.
as far as was in my power to study the interests
of the schools and of the taxpayers, and that
would not enter into any agreement by which
the people of our county were to be defrauded.
Now, as to the bids .Medairy's bid was the
lowest for books, being II per cent off the list.
while Dulany's was 16H percent made mo-
ton to give the stationery and furniture to Du-
any at his bid of As and 80 per cent. of, respec-
lively, but it was stated that he would not ac-
cept the award in that way, as his bid was for all
or none, evidently expecting to make up the
loss on furniture and stationery by getting in
his work on material not on the list.
Il emphatically deny that the award was die
tated by the politicians. On the other hand, it
ing politicians endeavored to persuade several
of the members of the School Board to vote in
the interest of Dulany, doubtless for reasons
best known to themselves.
Upon the above statement of facts based
my action in voting to award the contract to
Medairy 4 Co., and considered it for the best
interest of the county to do So"
A Decision of Interest.-In the matter OF
the trustees Of Waugh M. f. Church, Green
wood, 18th district, against d. H. Twining.
Judge Burke has decided that the grantor ola
deed agrees to deliver valid deed to the
grantee, and that in order that deed be valid
it must have internal revenue stamps attached,
and therefore the party selling the property is
required to furnish the stamps. This is
matter of considerable interest to the public
and one that it will be we'll to bear in mind.
Misses Minnie, Ida and Lille Fastie, of
Baltimore, are spending the present month at
Cub Hill, on the old Hartford road.
Mrs. Francis B. Fast of New York city,
paid short visit the past week to her aunt,
Mrs Samuel G. Wilson, of Towson.
Misses Birdie and Alice Smith, of Wal
brook, are the guests of the Misses Mallonee
of .tWalnut Strings - Baltimore county