The San Francisco call., 1905-06-20
Supply Association
Sends Letter to
Governor.
Says One Schedule
Is to Be Amend
ed at Once.

Merchants of San Francisco repre-
sent to Governor Pardee that they can
not obtain fair recognition In dealing
with the Board of Managers Of the
Napa State Hospital. The same repre-
sentation is made to Secretary of State
Curry and Attorney General Webb. The
complaints of unfair treatment come
from the San Francisco Supply Asso-
citation, the officers of which are:
President, A. A. Watkins of w. w.
Montague & Co.; vice president, III. Il.
LaIly, Crane Company; treasurer, Grove
Il. Aver, Holbrook, MerrfIl & Stetson,
and Secretary Eugene Goodman. These
officers, together with Andrew Dalziel
OF Dalziel d MOller, compose the execu-
tive committee of the association.
The secretary has addressed the fol-
lowing communication TO the Napa
board, and inclosed copy of the same
to each member of the State Board OF
Examiners:
SAN FRANCISCO. June IA, 1905.
To the President and Board OF Managers
Napa State Hospital. Napa, Cal.-Dear Sirs:
Referring to the request recently Issued for
bids for furnishing plumbing supplies for the
the ensuing fiscal year beg TO advise you on
behalf of the wholesale houses Of San Fran
cisco carrying plumbing supplies that they
respectfully decline to submit bids for furnish
ing these supplies owing to the lack of fair
treatment accorded them.
In explanation Of the position assumed by
the local houses would state that the plumb
ing goods specified for use are such as are
not carried by any OF the wholesale houses in
California, and in addition thereto there is no
alternative given bidders of furnishing sim
liar goods Of equally good quality produced by
other manufacturers In all fairness an op-
portunity should be given the San Francisco
wholesale houses who are large taxpayers,
to bid on supplies such they carry in stock
and which are of equal if not better quality
oT than those arbitrarilV specified
in the called for bids.
The local houses likewise protest against
the methods employed in opening bids for
awarding contracts. 1t is the custom OF all
Federal and municipal officers to open all bids
in the presence of such bidders a may de-
sire to be present and to place specifications
in the hands of all merchants three weeks 10
a month in advance Of the opening, which Is
and hour. This method gives the widest pub
licity to all the facts surrounding the awards
and places all bidders on the the same LoG,ns Sars
tofore adopted in making awards for the Napa
STARTLING CHARGES.
The writer then makes the following
startling charges regarding the cor
rupt handling of bids
81 am fully Justified In going further
and stating that it is known to some of
the local houses that specifications for
plumbing supplies have been I'm the
possession of some bidders for a long
time, in fact, the plumbing goods called
for in the specifications have actually
been purchased in the East and are at
present in San Francisco, with the
knowledge, long before the bids are
called for, that the award will be made
TO the party who has already purchased
the goods.
at is also known that this same bid
der has been awarded contracts to fur
nish articles of a certain quality and
manufacture for the Napa Hospital and
has substituted therefor articles of an
other grade and different manufact cture.
i would also like to point out the fact
that through the permission granted
this same bidder to use day labor I'm
the performance of the necessary
plumbing work, the local wholesale
houses are placed at further disad-
vantage"
The letter concludes with the fol-
lowing direct statements:
Another feature of the manner in which
supplies are purchased which l would like
to point out, is the call for lump sum bids
This method is detrimental to the best IN
terests of the State as in case certain of the