Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-14
WARD TAXES UP ELEVATORS
f'hitect Instructed to Inspect Material
aud Investigate Prices
MISSIONARY DELEGATES VISIT HOME
~oAe~adO Investment Company seeks
EsverssI of order Barring II from
Transaetins Business In
the state.

n -ENcCf-N. Oct. 1s.-Cspecial)-The state
VHNlrd q Public lands and Buildings todav
rstr1cted Architect George Berlinghof IN
Nitke an investigation Of the proposed food
"'evator, system for the Hastings asylum.
examine the material which the contractor
has ON hand and which the specifications
scall for and submit a report as to whether
BOD. the amount which the contract calls
for. is fair and reasonable or exorbitant
THE action wac taken at the suggestion
of Treasurer NJ rtensen after the matter
had been Thoroughly discussed superin-
tendent Kern was present at the meeting.
dnin regard to deficit at the asylum
told the board that there might possibly
he shortage for the last month of the
biennium, but he thought there would be
plenty Of funds to get through without a
deficiency appropriation.
There was evidence on hand to con-
firm the suspicion of a combine among the
bidders but 1t was thought Just as well
to include this in the Investigation to be
made by Architect BerIinghof, so that all
facts bearing on the subject may be made
public t..-t-
Originally a bio was submitted by the
Moline Elevator company for the installa-
ton Of good hoist system at Hastings to
cost s2.l0o. Before the state board let the
contract 1t caused the specifications to be
revised, whereupon the firm withdrew its
oher. At a later time new bids were
ceived from the Moline company, Earl
Wescott and one other house. The Moline's
second proposition was about s5.Oo0. or more
than twice its former one A. Wescott
had the lowest bid then on file the contract
was let to him. He ordered material which
was delivered on the asylum grounds, and
part of the construction work on the food
elevator system has already been done. II
Is still incomplete owing to mistake in
furnishing the wrong kind OF dynamos.
which need to be exchanged for larger ones
Land Commissioner Eaton. who is chair
man Of the Public Lands and Buildings
board, recently wrote to the Moline people
asking a fun explanation why the first bid
was Withdrawn and the second was so
much larger than the first. He received a
letter in reply, which was read to the board
substantially as follows:
Our reason for calling back the s2,lO0 bid
was that IL was not our original offer, and
when made was based on the condition that
the contract be let Immediately. which was
not done. That bid covered seven food
hoists but provided that all old material
on hand should be used. The state was to
do all electric wiring, furnish the founda-
tions and do all rough work. The bid did
devices s'"U' '0'''''' "es"'S VI 'O''-p'O''
After the FIRST bid had been withdrawn
The seeonS SrSfs asked for t BIDS on seven
fool-proof food elevators. placed on suitable
decks over a hatchway furnished and
tractor TO provide a patent device on the
elevator doors to make the hoist inopera-
tive when left open; These sc alterations ess snS
higher prices OF material. made II neces-
sary to raise the original bid.
. Work Not stopped.
superintendent Kern declared privately