Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-16
TROUBLE OVER PIANOS.
Specifications Furnished by District
Officials a Subject Of Controversy.

The hope is expressed by a number of
District officials that there will not be so
many discordant notes struck on the pianos
to be used in the Washington public schools
as have been sounded in the purchase OF
these instruments The purchase of pianos
for the public schools last year occasioned
considerable difficulty for the Commission
ers, and the same trouble has been experi-
enced this year. The Instruments are sup
posed to be bought by the competitive bid
system, but the plan pursued has been
styled by dealers as a farce "a mere
matter of FORM"
Several weeks ago the board of education
called for proposals for furnishing the pub
He schools with fourteen pianos. The spec
ihcattons prepared by the board. however,
called for five "Gabler' and nine "Harring-
tom pianos, the same as were purchased
last year. TO this notice the District Off,
Gals added the words "or equal to" after
the name of. the pianos specified by the
board of education.
When the bids were opened recently It
was found that number OF firms had sub
mitted proposals to furnish Instruments at
lower figure than the firms handling the
make of pianos specified In the call for
bids. Commissioner Vests attention was
called to this fact by Property Clerk X. -.
Simms.
In addition to this Commissioner West re-
ceived letter from the f. q. Smith Plano
Company, returning the specifications and
son for so doing, stating at the conclusion
of the communication that:
The bid is so obviously written in the
interest of the two makes mentioned that
it is question II the bid could not be
legally set aside, and a bid or form substi-
tuted which would serve the spirit of the
law, as well as the wording, and give all
of the Washington music houses an equal
chance"
The Commissioner forwarded this letter
to the board of educat ton and also wrote
the board that when the specifications for
the pianos had been sent to the Commits
sioners they had been changed so that the
specifications would call for bids from
other firms than those handling the specific
instruments stipulated. Mr.. West said that
the Commissioners made this change
doubling the advisability of combining the
purchase of pianos to favored firms"
The board of education. however, recon-
mended to the Commissioners the purchase
of five "Gabler' pianos OF Edw. r. Droop
& Sons, at $1,125, and nine Harrington"
pianos Of A. v. Grimes, at $3.50. In the
case of the five pianos, six other firms Of
fered to furnish the instruments claimed
to be equal to" the instruments specified.
at from $500 to 81, lbs, and in the case OF
the nine pianos, two firms proposed to FUR
nish instruments at the same figure as Mr..
Grimes, and two other firms submitted pro-
posals lower than that dealer.
The board of education, in explaining its
reasons for purchasing the particular in
struments mentioned, stated that 1.-The par
ttcular makes of pianos have been asked
for because they have been used In the
schools and have proved perfectly salts
factory, and 1t is believed the interests OF
the schools will be best subserved in pur-
chasing these instruments"
After reviewing all the papers in the case
Commissioner West stated today that he
board of education for the purchase of the
two kinds of pianos specified.