Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09
OPPOSED TOCONTRACT
Feeding People on Isthmus
of Panama.
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT
WANTS AWARD MADE BY PRESI-
DENT sHoNTs HELD UP.
Collision Charged Against Head Of
Isthmian Canal Com
mission.
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT

The award of the contract for conducting
hotels, commissary stores and boarding
camps along the line of the Panama canal
by Chairman Shonts of the Isthmian canal
commission to ]. E. Markell of Omaha Neb.,
last Thursday, has caused vigorous pro-
test to President Roosevelt by the unsuc
cessful bidders.
The firm of Hudgins & Dumas, who for
merly held the restaurant privilege at Ellis
Island, and H. Balfe & Co., the present
holders of the privilege, were the only COM
petitors besides Markell.
Both firms maintain that their bids were
not properly considered, and have appealed
to the President to direct Mr. Shonts to
| withhold the award to Markell, which they
consider an irregular proceeding. The con-
tract which is for five years, is valued at
| $50, 600 co.,
Hudgins Dumas declare that an entire
section of their bid. consisting of a sample
of weeks bill of fare to be served to the
American employees of the isthmus, was in
corporated bodily in the bid of Markell
They further insist that, after presenting
their bid, they received letter from Mr.
Shonts In which he intimated that their fig
ures were too low and presented a number
OF conditions not mentioned in the draft of
the proposed contract which the bids
were based.
The unsuccessful bidders further declare
=
$40 pm last Wednesday, with orders from
Mr.. Shonts' secretary demanding a reply by
pm.
Hudgins & Dumas assert that, after de-
Quoting the time for typewritng, they had
only ten minutes in which to revise their
bid
Telegram Sent.
The following telegram was sent to Presi-
dent Roosevelt Thursday by Hudgins &
Dumas:
In the public interest we earnestly ap-
peal to you to direct the chairman Of the
1sthmian canal commission to withhold the
| award of ]. E. Markell of Omaha Neb, of
certain concessions for conducting hotels
boarding camps and commissary stores on
the lsthmus of Panama. These concessions
are the most important of the kind ever
granted by the United States government
involving business which, 1t is estimated
VII az aggregate the enormous total of $780,
oo0.O0o for the term of the contract
circumstances connected with the award
Ing of this privilege seem to indicate collu-
sion, one entire section Of our bid having, as
we discovered by examination yesterday,
been credited to Mr.. Markell as an original
production, while the precipitancy with
which bids were called for, without public
advertisement and with no regular time set
for receiving and opening said bids in the
presence of the bidders, warrant us In the
assumption that predisposition existed to
award the contract to Mr.. Markell and that
other considerations were sacrificed to this
end
In placing the matter before you, Mr.
President, we specifically waive any claim
to the Panama concessions. Our only de-
sire now is to prevent the contamination of
what we deem an irregular proceeding and
in furtherance of this purpose we have, by
advice of counsel, formally withdrawn ouL
bid In letter to Chairman Shonts."
II. Balfe. IN his telegram to the Presi-
dent said:
I'VE respectfully ask for a thorough
investigation of the Panama privileges and
concessions rumored awarded Mr. Markell
by Chairman Shonts of the isthmian canal
commission
After sending these kilograms the COM
petitors forwarded letters to Mr.. Shonts
withdrawing their bids. AS it is customary
that at least two bids shall be submitted
for government contracts, Hudgins & Du-
mas and H. Balfe Co. believe their
withdrawal of proposals will invalidate the
award. They believe that the question will
be reopened.
]. E. Markell the successful bidder, has
for many years conducted many railway
eating places in the west, and has fur
nished food for armies of men in the con-
struction of the western railways. Mr.
Markell. on behalf of the government, spent
a month on the isthmus in July looking
over the ground and devising a system for
the furnishing of healthful food to the en-
pioyes of the government