Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-23
DARN SHADOW ON CONTRACT
kuddls at Hast ngI Asylum Does Not
Clear % Rapidly.
Or. KERN WRITES LETTER TO GOVERNOR
Contract Awarded ,o Westcott After
doe Burns was Released and
irregular rroceeding Leads
Present Inquiry.
tr'rOm stan correspondent

NfIOm CAdA SOlEOsBOButnl.l
LINIOLN, sept. 1l-tspe,Ial. t--Superin-
tenuent w. d. tAern OF the As luIh Tor the
CHROME INSANE a, Hastings. mas written
Governor Mickey a letter regarding lie
Stet ting OF the contract Tor the instaIiatlon
~ elevators at that place. which makes
the contract look Just a little more shady
than do the recorus OF the state BOARD OF
Public Lands and Buildings. Or. Kern
holds that Joe Burns got out of construct
ing the elevators on technicaiity, and
that later the board let the contract for
$40, after rejecting a bid for 100 for the
same work. II. M Eaton. land commits
sioner, is chairman OF this board and
though appointed q committee of one to-
look into the bids, stated the other day.
when the story was nrst published. that
the contract looked queer, but that he knew
nothing about 1t.
Governor Mickey has stopped the work,
and gave as bis reasons the following;
The contract was not let properly: the
state is paying too much money for the
work; the contract looks wrong on the face
of II; the board had no right to tell Or.
Kern to make the contract, but should
have done that work itself"
Though Dr. Kern has a letter signed by
Secretary of State Galusha authorizing him
to let the contract. Chairman Eaton said
no such authority was given Galusha by
the board The letter from DIR. Kern to
Governor Mickey is:
INGLESIDE, Neb., Sept. II, 1906-Hon. J.
II. Mickey Lincoln, Neb. Dear Governor
Il am in receipt of your letter of the 10Th
inst with reference to our contract for
seven electric food elevators, and in reply
have to say: We received an appropriation
OF $500 by the last legislature for the in
stallation of an additional electric light
plant for this hospital. and when the ape
cifications for this additional electric light
plant were written there was included also
specifications for one twenty horsepower
motor to be used in our laundry and seven
food elevators. The clause in the specih-
reads as follows: This contractor shall
also furnish and install complete at seven
elevators. located in the different wings OF
the main building. one horsepower motor
of similar type as mentioned above, with
all necessary equipments to operate ele-
vators. etc"
Figures were submitted to the board
from several different bidders. the two
ern Electric company of Omaha. OF which
Burns Of Lincoln. Mr.. Burns being the
the contract was awarded to him. A little
later before beginning the work. Mr.
Burns appeared before the board and after
the matter had been discussed at consid.
cradle length he was finally released by
the board from that part of the contract
referring to the seven food elevators pre-
nicality. This, think. was done in the
presence Of the full board. Immediately
following this an advertisement was placed
asking for bids on the installation of sever
food elevators in this hospital, and. so far
as I recall at the present time, there were
but two bidders, one being the Moline ele
vator company OF Moline Ill, OF which Mr.
Frank Long is state representative, whose
AN1gures were approximately $2,1O0. and the
other being the Otis Elevator company Of
Chicago, whose figures were approximately
$500. The contract was not let at tha
time. but additional bids were asked fol
and In April of this year the contract wa;
let to Earl C. wescott OF Plattsmouth
and. while I was not present at that meet
ing of the board, yet letter from the sec
Rotary to me under that date with refer
ence to food elevators reads as follows:
Have bid of Earl Wescott that 10 some
thing like q. 200 less than the Otis people
and on same quality of stun. Matter re.
ferred to you to purchase. We had the
bids before the whole board and II is un.
derstood that Mr.. wescott gets the con,
tract. The Moline bid Cat that time) about
500 more than Wescott and the same spe
oihcations bid on. Close this up and have
him get the stun In at once"
McBrten's Speaking Dates.
Superintendent McBrien has the follow
ing engagements to address educationa