Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-26

uSeo on Dotn sIdea Drought my patent
to the attention Of the Commissioners. who
became interested In the clamp and thought
1t would be god1y ting With Nhich to-
equip the broOms OF the District. Com
missioner Ross al1tF4ncis Nys. his sec
rotary. signed the patent application as
witnesses. and Commissioner Ross wrote a
letter to the patent office asking that the
clamp be made srlsstai.fand< the patent was
allowed.
/ IT was -financiatbs Unable to have tho
clamp manufactured and talked the matter
over with Commissioner Ross He suggest
ed that / have a company organized. and
this concluded te-do.-The company was
organized by Mr.. Collin H. Livingston, pri-
vate secretary to Senator, Eikins, and Mr.
Livingston was pEdStdeHt OF the company:
The other officers }pd members OF the COM
pany were: E. 81. McDermott, secretary;
r. v. Rusk. treasurer: E. P. Robb, private
secretary to former Senator Henry g. Da.
Wis: Judge c. G. Cole, stephen B. Elkins,
jr., John L. Wise and myself. The other
men put In the money and / put in my
patent.
Il made stipulation with the company
that the District should be furnished with
the clamp at 50 less per dozen than other
purchasers. The clamp was manufact
and made a requisition for six dozen
clamps. which amounted to $780, Shortly
after that criticism arose about the District
buying clamps from the company when 1
was the inventor of the clamp and a mem
Der of the company
Commissioner Ross knew I was a MEM
per or the company | told him that criti-
cfsm had arisen about the District pur-
chasing clamps from the company, and
suggested that I had better not order any
more clamps. He agreed with me, and
clamps were never again purchased by the
District; in fact, only one order had ever
been purchased About one year after its
organization the broom company went out
Of business. never made cent out Of it.
and don't believe any one else did"
Mr.. Stutler said that in buying patented
articles he designates in the requisition
what kind is needed. This is a require
ment. he said: With regard to buying
brooms. he said, all he did was to make
requtsition for the brooms and the prop
erty clerk did the buying. Mr.. Stutler said
he had nothing to do with the buying Of
articles for his department, and that he
does not know from whom they will be
purchased until he sees the bill after the
articles have been bought. He said the
National Broom Company furnished the
District with brooms so cents a dozen less
than the District has ever bought brooms
before or since.
Mr.. Stutler Questioned.
Commissioner West then questioned Mr.
Stutler.
Did you have any understanding with
the property clerk as to where he should
buy the brooms?" -
II never did" .---- ..
You deny specifically that you ever ask
ed Mr.. Robinson to buy brooms from the
National Brush and Broom Company
II never went to him and asked him to-"
did you ever tell him about the broom
company?
only as have stated before-I told him
this company was the only manufacturer
of brooms in the city ...-.
Have you at any time been interested In
any other company in buying materials for
the street-cleaning or other departments Of
the District"
None whatever.
Mr.. stutler stated that he never had any
business relations with Mr.. Rusk outside
of the broom company. He said that for
about one year the District has been man
about $225 a dozen. The brooms now
used, he said, are not equipped with his
patent clamp He stopped the use because
of criticism. The clamp has not been used
Francis Nye, former secretary to Com
missioner Ross, was called to the stand as
a witness. He said he was present at sew
eral conversations between Mr.. Stutler and
Suffers inventions and his organizing
company for it's manufacture. He said
Mr.. Stutler had been very frank about the
matter, and Mr.. Ross thought the clamp
would be good thing for the District to
use. The only time there was any ques-
ton raised as to the propriety of Mr.. Slut
ler's being a member of the company wit
ness said, was when Mr.. Stutler mentioned
the matter himself. MIR. Stutler told Mr.
Ross that there had heen criticism about
the matter and MI. Ross agreed with Mr.
Stutler that 1t would be- better not to buy
any more clamps. Il =. >sat!; 81 .s..-s.-.
In reply to asquestion tfEom Commission
er West Mr.. Nye said,cthat when Commits
sioner Ross gaveeihiai sanction to expedit-
ing the securing of 1.-The, patent he knew
Stutler was to be a member of the COM
pany. :; 3, rs
Mr. West-.'Butrta.ye year, later Commits.
sioner Ross changed his mind and advised
Stutler to get cut Of the company"
Mr.. Memo. sir. The matter came up
on Mr.. Suffers asking for advice. Mr.
Stutler suggested he had better cease pur-
chasing clamps. and the Commissioner
agreed
After the examination Of Mr.. Nye the
| hearing adjourned until 2:3O o'clock this
| afternoon