The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-02
Andrews Company Issue
Lengthy Statement in
Desk Controversy.
FIGHT HAS NOT
REACHED END YET
Judge Cardwell Grants Further,
Injunction Against Norfolk
Board-New and Important
Developments Expected
at Almost Any
Time.

lime.
The fight over the purchase of schoo,
desks for Norfolk city has not We,
reached an end. and new and important
| developments are expected at a1moss
any time.
Judge r. Fl. Cardwell, of the state
Supreme Court, on Saturday granted
an Injunction restraining the Norfolk
| board from purchasing supplies from
the Andrews Company, and the order,
asked by the State board, Is to be eff
fectlve until the pending care is dis
posed of by Judge Martin, of the Law
and Chancery Court of Norfolk.
| The ofspatch from Norfolk published
| in this paper Saturday concerning
Judge ETanckels decision in the desk
case stated that the judge had re-
fused to enlarge the injunction on the
ground that subsection s of section
| 1433 of the Code of Virginia, as amend
ed with the addition of the words
school furniture is constitutional"
| This is evidently a mistake. as Judge
Hanckel. in rendering his decision in
| favor of the right of the Norfolk School
| Board to buy such school furniture as
| it might select, declared that the in-
in this section of the Code by the last
General Assembly was in violation OF
| the 136th section of the State Constitute.
| ton, which grants to the local school
authorities free hand in the distribu-
tion and expenditure of local school
| funds.
Andrews Statement.
The A. III. Andrews Company. of Chi
cago which is a party to the Norfolk
city proceeding, and which is contest
/ ing the right of the State board to
make these purchases, has issued
lengthy circular, giving what ii terms
'.the real truth about the yirgini;i
/ school desk contract. The operations
| of the Andrews Company were sharp
/ ly criticized by the ttorney-Generai
| in an opinion recently submitted.
Superintendent Eggieston was out OF
the city yesterday and could not be
seen with reference to the charges
made in the circular issued by this
company. Mr., Belvin contented him-
| self with reiteration of statements
4 made heretofore as to the position OF
the Virginia School Supply Company,
of which he is president. Every op-
portunity was given to the other com-
panies to bid. he said. and the con-
tract went to the Virginia COMPANY
simply because its bid was lower and
Hts goods were better than those of its
| competitors. The matter was consid-
cred and passed upon by the entire
State Board of Education.
The circular of the Andrews Com
pany, dated August Goth, reads in part
/ as follows:
"a determined effort is being made
to lead the school officials of Virginia
to believe that they are compelled by
/ law to buy school desks from the Nir-
gin:a School supply Company at higher
prices than they can secure school
desks elsewhere of equal or better
quality. School men throughout the
/ State will be interested in knowing
| the real truth about the law as It
4 stands, about the circumstances under
1 which the State contract with the Nir-A
ginia School supply Company was
made, and about the school desks
which it proposes to furnish under THIS
contract. $50
Under date of June II, 1907. j. ID.
i Egleston, Jr., Sstate superintendent OF
/ Public instruction, sent circular let
ter to manufacturers of school furni-
ture, stating that a meeting of the
State Board of Education was to he
held June "a. 1907, and that the adop-
i ton OF school desks would be consid-
cred. SO far as The A. H. Andrews Co.
is aware, this was the first and only
notice sent out by the Department of
Public Instruction to school furniture
manufactu turers in regard to the pro-
posed contract Nevertheless. the Cir
/ cular Form X. No. "a which was
mailed by Superintendent Eggleston to
public superintendents and school trus-
tees on July 10, 1907, reads as follows:
"The State Board of Education at
Its meetings held on the 2sth OF MAY =,
desks and recitation seats for exclusive
Euse in the public schools of Virginia.
Eetc." 1t is a matter worthy OF note
supply s"al &C comsanS. n's ny on on which this con-
tract was awarded. was dated May %
1907 or nineteen days previous to the
time at which school furni,ure i many ars
a|oficial notification that such II matter
was under consideration by the State
i Board of Virginia.
Not DeGnltely Quoted,
The circular letter sent to school
furniture houses did not state that q
definite quotation was wanted, hNlng
1.-THE prices at which sales Of school
desks should be made On the en-, tm
school furniture manufacturers repre,8
scented that the State hoard desired
merely TO establish maNimum prices,
Ibe sold in Virginia, during the period
ilfor which an adoption was 70 be made.
lin June, 1906, school furniture nsan,l-s
Init samples and prices to the virginia
4 State Hoard Of Education, and at that
5Itime a number OF desks q various
sehsduls stf Of maximum selling price,
was adopted, with whieh the, the present ssgn
cnntract are IDENTICAL 1t was not nn-
3 derstood at that time that the PRICES
were to be definitely hSsd AT the
nanmfa ct,rars were at liberty TO
Inharge such prices ass tho, conditions
Of TIE market dictated 50 long AS the
FER az TACT. comparatively few. school
3 dasks were sold In Virginia between
4 June. 1905, and June, s07, at the
! ,ority Of sales being made at lower
! hcnres. The State superintandensS
: nust have been fully aware Of this
4 .lcondition. unless II was hla custom 90
. leave the approval OF school desk CON g8
! tracts to minor employees, because such
lenntraats az orders were submitted W