The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-20
LOCAL BIDDERS DISPLACED.
Charge Jnfairness in the Award Of
the Police Uniform Contract.

the iOltcf INFORM (ontfaSt.
A committee consisting of Capt. N. a.
Austin. Lieutenant Inspectors Pearson
and Cross. and all the lieutenants of the
Metropolitan Police Force of the District
of Columbia, met recently opened the
proposals received and awarded the con-
tract for furnishing uniforms for the MEM
bers OF the force for the ensuing year.
Bids were received from the Chery-Mo-
ran Company, OF M1 Pennsylvania Ave
nue.. Henry l.. Kaufman, of 900 Street
northwest, representing John Wanamak-
er, of New York the S. Barnhartt Tai
loring Company, of 52S Twelfth Street
! northwest; Oehm & Co, of Baltimore,
Aand Rosenfield Bros, and c. j. Heller. Of
The New York Clothing House. Baltimore.
The committee after considering the
bids decided to award the contract to
Rosentield Bros. and c. j. Heller, fer
uniforms and caps, respectively, on the
basis Of the contract for the present
year
Captain Austin. chairman of the COM
mittee, in reporting the decision to Major
Sylvester. stated that to properly clothe
the officers and men of the force with
summer uniforms it would require forty
frock coats. 2iO sack coats, $50 pairs of
| pants. 260 helmets, 80 helmet cords, and
| 23 caps Captain Austin also asked that
! the contractor be required TO use better
J buttons than those last furnished and to
, require him to have mistits altered at his
| Washington Office.
The proposals of the five competing
! firms were made public yesterday after
noon by Major Sylvester. They show that
| the Cherry Moran Company was the low
| est bidder and that the New York Cloth
! ing House, ROsenfield Bros, WAS the next
! lowest bidder. the others being considera-
| bly, in excess of them.
! The proposal of the Chery-Moran Co.
! for the summer uniforms was: For all
officers, frock coat, $l397; vest. $3.50; ma
! jor, captain and lieutenants, sack coat.
$3.50, for all other officers, sack coat,
SS07; trousers, S4.S5; on bicycles, trousers,
S420
That of the New York Clothing House
was: For ALL dress coat. si4.I5; blouse,
1888; pants, IS; cyclers, sack coat SS.e1;
pants s4.I5.
That of the Cherry Moran Co. for the
winter uniforms was: Mai jor. captain
lieutenants, sergeauts, and patroiInen,
overcOats, $19.75; private with patrol wag-
on, overcoats, Sl5.25; bicycle policemen,
overcoats. 1925: all officers, trousers, $3.50;
officers with bicycles, trousers, So.l3,
That of the New York Clothing House
for the winter uniforms was: For ali,
overcoats, $2l.S0; pants, $6.17; vest, s2-75;
drivers, oYercoat, Sl6I5; cyclers, over
coats, 500; pants, S5.l5.
There is considerable feeling among the
| Washington bidders because the contract
! for the uniforms of the police Is contin-
uaIly awarded to out-Of-town firms. Some
of them declare that they know that the
out-Of-town firms are underbid, and yet
for some unexplained cause the contract
has been regularly given for several years
TO tho Baltimore firm. 7. =. Moran, of the
| Cherry Moran Company. in speaking OF the
matter yeSterdayto a Times reporter stat
ed that he knew for certainty that his BID
was more than 81 lower than the price bid
by the Baltimore firm for the present year
therefore, - he said" IF the contract for
the ensuing year is to be the basis of that
for this year. the Baltimore firm was un-
derbd" Mr.. Moran declared that the
manner in which the contract is awarded
is grossly unfair to Washington business
men.
Take our firm for example" said Mr.
Moran I'VE can make these uniforms as
cheaply as anybody. OF course, there Is
no concern in Washington that can manu-
factuTe them the ground but that
makes no difference. There Is the cost of
the cloth as the first item the trimmings,
etc. Then there is the cost of making.
Now we can do that just as cheaply as the
Baltimore house. They do nothing that
we could not do, unless it is to get dollar
or more for a uniform than We would
get
Major Sylvester, in speaking of the mat
ter. said that the committee had acted
wholly within its rights under the law.
He said that no injustice had been done
to anybody. He said that the Baltimore
firm had always been prompt in the deiiv-
cry of the clothing when ordered; that it
was OF good quality, and we'll made He
declared that the relations between the
department and the Baltimore firm had
always been pleasant, and so far as he
knew the men were entirely satisfied. At
least Major Sylvester thought the men on
the committee were intelligent enough to
Know what ~.4ey were doing