The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-31
STATE BOARD CALLS
COAL CONTRACTOR
ON CARPET
Governor Is Called Into SEES
sion, and t. ]. O'Gora Tells
Why Illinois Coal Is Fur
nished Instead of Article
Contracted For-B Binding
Irvine Is Discussed.

T. ]. O'Gara, of Chicago, the senior
member of the coal jobbing firm of
O'Gara, King & Co., of this city, had
lengthy interview with the stats
board of control yesterday. The Chi
cago fuel dealer was politely, but fore
ibiy, informed that unless the firm
lived UP to It's contract there would
be something doing on the $4,000
surety bond which the company gave
to bind its contract with the state
y Mr. O9Gara was summoned from
Chicago to appear before the board,
and arrived in ST. Paul yesterday
morning. Yesterday afternoon Messrs.
Leavett, Gould and Martin, reinforced
by Gov. Van SAINT, gave Mr.. O'Gara to
with his firm called for $4,000 tons Of
West Virginia coal, and that the par
ticular kind of Illinois coal which had
been received for the past two months
would not do. There was also some
talk about short weight and failure
to keep the institutions supplied with
coal, but these were mere formalities
compared with the charge of substitute
ing a cheap Illinois coal for the kind
contracted for.
Impossible to Get Coal.
O'Gara explained that 1t was i'm
possible to get West Virginia coal, as
were interested in the mines to the ex-
tent of several million dollars was I'M
able to get a pound Of the coal, His
firm was doing the best it could, and
under the circumstances, between the
coal famine and the car shortage, the
board was fortunate to get any coal
at all.
The contract and bond given by the
Chicago firm was read over by Gov.
Van SAINT and after a lengthy confer
ence with the board Mr.. O'Gara left,
returning to Chicago last night.
Gov. Van SAINT, asked as he left the
board of control rooms what the
trouble was, replied f'You will have to
see some of the members Of the
board"
Judge Gould, seen last evening, said
the conference with the coal contrac-
tors had been about some detail of the
contract which was of no particular
interest to the public. The trouble had
been adjusted to the satisfaction Of
the board and the contractor, and
there would be no prosecution on the
bond given by O'Gara, King & Co.,.
neither would the contract be taken
away from the Chicago firm.
Previous to calling Mr.. OsGara on
the carpet, the board, together with
Gov. Van SAINT and Warden Wolfer, Of
the state penitentiary, discussed the
year.
Irvine Will Be Cheaper.
The law requires that the price of
the Irvine manufactured at the prison
be fixed before March 1. Last year
the output from the prison plant was
about 100000 pounds, and the price
at which the bulk of the Irvine sold
was 9 IA cents per pound.
This was about cents per pound
under the price charged by the Irvine
trust. 1t was not definitely decided
yesterday what the price would be this
year, but Warden Wolfer and Gov.
Van SAINT urged the advisability of
making the price as low as it could
possibly be made. 1t is probable that
the price will be shaded below that
of last year.
Warden Wolfer informed the board
that the output for this year would be
something over 100000 pounds.