The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-22
CLOTH PURCHASE FACTS
Local Firms Get Contracts Which
Backes Evidently Does Not
Approve of--Snits That
Were 7 or 8 Years on
Shelves, He Intimates.
Especial to the Evening star.l

sembly Investigating Committee again
today at the State House here. Moses
X. Everett, warden at the hospital, was
the first witness. Committeeman Jess
was the only member on hand at 1920,
the time scheduled for the meeting.
Counsel Backes arrived soon after.
Chairman Hahn arrived at 1880 o'clock
and called the committee to order at
1I:40.
MIR. Backes first took up the matter
of coal purchases at the hospital. Mr.
Everett said the coal is purchased
from the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Coal Company, and has been
So for some years. The price paid is
$3.50 a ton for b%uckwheat COAL, the
size which is used. There is no COM
petitiye bidding. Witness said some
seven years ago he had attempted to
obtain competitive bidding without
success.
The coal comes owe the Lackawanna
and that road is the only one con-
Meeting with the hospital switch. MI
Everett said he did not see how the
other companies could meet the S2.oO
figure, at which price it is delivered at
the hospital.
On -four and some other food SUP
plies quotations are sought from va
rious dealers though no bids are adj
vertised. The purchases are invariably
made from those giving the lowest quo
tations
Sugar is bought mostly from Wilkin-
SON.. Gaddis & Co.. of Newark. because
the freight is less from Newark than
from New York. The price is about the
same.
Butter is purchased from two houses
on Reade street, New York. No quota
tions are sought. Tho figure paid is the
market price as generally quoted. and
witness said no dealer would sell good
butter at less than the market price. The
Lest quality is purchased, and the price
last week was thirty cents a pound.
Warden Everett gave similar testimony
with reference to eggs Coffee and some
other supplies are purchased the same
way,
WITNESSES said in answer to n quss'tict.
that be had selected tue houses from whom
the PURCHASES are made.
The warden testified that each class Ct
supplies is checked off in its proper do
partment, so it Is known that the proper
quantity and quality are received.
Wooden clothing is purchased from New
ark houses, though some clothing is
bought from the Rice Clothing Company.
of this city. Mr.. Everett admitted that
some clothing had been purchased from
Stoutenburgh, of Newark. that was not all
new. The price averaged 81 a suit.
Some of them had been on the shelves
seven or eight years, hadn't they?' he was
asked.
mo. moi that long" was the answer.
The clothing referred 10 is hat furnished
the inmates OF the hospital. The clothing
purchased from the Rice Clothing Com
pany Is cotton. Quotations are sough
from the Rice Company, but generally
quotations are not sought from other deal
ers for these goods.
We'll. why not?P insisted Prober Backes
There Is little margin on these goods
and we know the price is all right" was
the reply Of Warden Everett.
Warden Everett said the price paid thu
Rice Clothing Company for trousers nov
is S.271s a pair.
Mr.. Baekes referred to the former ties
timony in connection with the Trentoi
Hospital, that trousers as good could b
purchased on the market for ~seventy-fivl
cents a pair. This former evidence wa
given by local dealers In clothing.
Mr.. Everett disputed the evidence an
said the quality could not be the same
He did not know anything about the Tren
ton Hospital.
Mr.. Backes showed next that for severa
years the price paid the Rice Clothing
Company for trousers has been $1,S5 a pair
but recently IL was reduced to $1.27h
pair. Counsel intimated that the reduc
tion was due to the Investigation.
Warden Everett said that he had asket
the Rice company to name a lower figure
1t developed that the hospital is un
able to pay it's bills promptly, so that
must pay higher prices for supplies be
caus@it loses discounts, and for other rea
sons. At one time it owed Wilkinson
Gaddis & Co, of Newark, $4,000. Now
owes that firm some $4,000.
Chief Prober Backes now took a ne,
tack and dug into the matter Of paintin
a house owned by Warden Everett. nea
the hospital. The house was painted b
hospital employees. Witness admitte
this. He insisted, however. that he pal
both for the paint and the wages of tn
workmen In May last, when the hous
was painted, the time the workmen wer
engaged on the house was not charged I
the asylum account. Edward l. Coul
son. ~bookkeeper at the hospital, wa
sworn and corroborated the warden on thi
matter.
Mr.. Backes showed that an elevator ha
been built in the hospital three years ag
for which an appropriation of $4,000 wa
& made. Witness admitted that the ell
vator is little used.
The next move of the probers was TO II
quire into the sale of hogs by the hospitI
authorities last year. MIR. Backes sal
the reports did not show the receipts fro
this sale.
Bookkeeper Conorson pointed out a
item of some 5000 received from sales
hides. taIlow and bones. Warden Evere
said the hogs were included in that tier
w had better see your books" sal
Mr.. Backes.
The bookkeeper and warden then vel
into a committee room to examine y
books.
Henry S. Powell. Of James b. Glow
Son. plumbers, New York and Chicag
was the next witness. His firm bid a fe
DAYS ago on a hydrotherapeutic apper;
tus for the hospital.
This matter was referred to last weel
The contract was awarded to another firm