The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-09
uGHlON PANAMA FOODAWARD
CONTRACTORS WHO DIDN'T GET
wv 1T MADE COMPLAINT. /.
uuds,n. & Dumas. VINO Didn't Get the
JOB which Means the Spending Of
10000 900 a Year, Says the Winner
Ised Part OF Their Specifications.

Jsed Pdt Oi lHcH SpeciHcatlOns'
ToJE f. Markell Of Omaha, who makes
snecialty Of feeding railroad employees,
90 awarded on Thursday the concession
Nv boarding Government workmen on the
I.tbm,,s of Panama for the next five years,
Id the unsuccessful bidders, Messrs.
T,,dcins & Dumas, have protested to the
presdent and have asked him to direct
rharman Shonts OF the Isthmian Canal
commissian to withhold the award. The
contract involves the expenditure by the
government and it's employees OF about
10000 900 in five years. In their despatch
~ the President on Thursday Hudgins Il
Dumas say
inn Of this privilege seem to indicate COL
msion. one entire section Of our bid having,
a. We discovered by examination yester-
d.v been credited to Mr.. Markell as an orig
M: production, while the precipitancy
18th which bids were called for, without pub
rc advertisement and with no regular time
.st for receiving and opening said bids in
,hs presence of the bidders warrant us in the
sumption that a predisposition existed
~ award the contract to Mr.. Markell and
hat other considerations were sacrificed
to this end
.In placing this matter before you, Mr..
President, we specifically waive any claim
N the Panama concessions. Our only de-
.re now is to prevent the contamination
n what we deem an irregular proceeding,
and in furtherance Of this purpose we have,
nv advice of counsel, formally withdrawn
air bid in letter to Chairman Shonts."
Balfe & Co. sent a despatch to the Presi-
dent asking for an investigation of the
award
Hudgins Il Dumas are newspaper men
who formerly had the contracts for
feeding immigrants at Ellis Island, now
held by Harry Balfe, president Of Balfe d
Co. Mr. Hudgins says that his firm re-
ceiyed letter from MIR. Shonts in the last
week in August saying that he would be
clad to have the firm send him sample
menus for week, as suggested" Mr..
Hudgins says he was surprised to see his
menus in Mr.. Markets bid after he had been
Thursday. Mr.. Hudgins said yesterday
that his firm offered to serve meals in the
Panama hotels to regular patrons for $14
. month, with an additional charge of So
4 month for the care of rooms, and
to feed the non-American laEorers in
tents for So month. He says he
and Mr. Dumas calculated that these
figures would lust about cover the cost
oiiood and service but we expected tomak Ike
good profits from the sale of side lines
Of goods. such as beverages. tobacco and
general commissary stores, and we speci-
return to us Of per cent. on the invest
ment. for fund to provide amusement
!or the canal employees or for such other
purpose as the commission might determine
.0urs proved to be the lowest bid, where
upon we received from Chairman Shonts
to be overcome in the performance Of this
contract imposing upon the contractor
obligations which had not been mentioned
In the specifications nor in our conference
with tine chairman-such, for instance,
connection with the hotels-and concluding
s follows .,u,. .. , Go. ,-,,, .,o
prices you have made, that you have not
considered all of the items mentioned in
the letter, and that therefore your prices
are lower than they otherwise would be.
In order that there may be no misunder-
standing, and because we do not wish to
take any advantage, send you this COM
municaton, and give y. the privilege OF
revamI ing your figures in view of this letter
If you desire to do so."
Mr.: Hudgins says he received this letter
on Wedne sday afternoon and that he was
required to revise his bid and have it
in the hand of Mr. Shonts within half an
raised the prices for board and care of
rooms to $50 and IS respectively. and turned
In the bid. One hour later, Mr.. Dumas
says, Mr. Markets bid had not been turned
IN. In his bid Mr.. Markell offers to board
the hotel guests for $50 month, to charge
a fnr cob 81 nd
to beard the canal laborers living In tents
for &l2 q month
This is Hudgins Il Dumas's sample menu
for Sunday: Breakfast-Baked apples,
with whipped cream. broiled bluefish with
hot waff'es. lamb chops with fried pota
toes, bread and butter, coffee, tea or cocoa.
Dnner-Chicken soup. boiled turkey with
oyster sauce, roast ham with sauce Robert,
prime rib of beef, bread and butter, green
PEAS, mashed potatoes, celery, ice cream;
raisins, coffee. Supper-Pork and beans,
cod cuts OF beef and ham, Vienna rolls
ana butter, canned peaches, blackberry
musii' homemade cake. mixed fruits. nuts
ald raisins, crackers and cheese, coffee.
IN. MI, shonts. who was seen at Greenwich,
tonn last night, said there was nothing
secret about the awarding of the bid to Mr..
S%srkel or the method Of inviting bids.
me concession was not Government one,
out was made by the Panama Railroad
company, which controls the hotels in the
Sanal Zone. The company authorized
mr. shonts to take charge Of the matter.
was not necessary to advertise. There
had been no irregularity and no crooked
aess IN awarding the contract. Mr.. Shonts
Aid ne took into consideration the per-
sonaiity of the bidders, their organization
ana their experience. Mr.. Markell was the
osnly one who had been on the ground, and
tns and his equipment and long experience
u the West made him the best man for
the work. Hudgins 4 Dumas had been
invited to revise their bid because Mr..
snonts thought that they had made it nder
Misrepresentation
ihe Government is now building at Colon
temporary. refrigerating plant, a bakery,
Md a laundry. The refrigerating plant
ML make fifty tons Of ice a day and re.
migrate large quantity of meat eggs and
outter. A train corresponding to a milk
nam will leave Colon every morning carry
hs supply OF food and laundry for the
hotels and commissary camps. Ice, which
now most unknown on the Isthmus
wlll also be distributed. Mr. Markell has
VISITED the Isthmus and said yesterday that
se had found the feeding conditions there
simply awful The food, he said, was
very bad and the men were obliged to pay
svery high price for it. Eggs cost 10 cents
apiece and chickens 81 rs. The food, he
Hslo, caused almost as much sickness as
the yellow fever.
The h,, ,;.v,, d he Do