Milford chronicle., 1908-02-28
WHY CAPITOL
BILLS WERE CUT
berry's Election Caused Sudden Econ
Omy Among Trimmers.
ADVANCE PAYMENTS MADE


Harrisburg, Pa, Feb. ga dra-
matte close to the cross-examination Of
former Auditor General Snyder, the
first of the defendants in the state
capitol conspiracy trial to take the
stand in his own behalf, was the YER
bal combat between James Scarlett,
chief counsel for the Commonwealth,
and P. F. Rothermel, of counsel for the
defense.
Mr.. Scarlet had led Snyder up to
the meeting Of the board of grounds
and buildings on May 8, 1906, few
DAYS before William H. Berry became
state treasurer. Snyder declared that
this meeting had been arranged by
former State Treasurer Mathues, one
of the defendants, who was about to
go out of office. for the purpose of ap-
proving remaining bills for capitol
furnishings, which amounted to $780,
600.
"By so doing" suggested Mr.. Scar
let, you would have the lid shnt down
tight, wouldn't you?"
Before Snyder could answer, Mr..
Rothermel objected to this comment,
declaring that Mr.. Scarlet had no
right to make such comments and that
If he persisted in doing so the defense
would ask for the withdrawal OF a
Juror. which would throw the case out
of court.
During the former auditor generals
entire cross-examination Snyder re-
asserted that he had never done any
thing knowingly wrong as regarded
PAYMENTS on the capitol contracts.
and he again shouldered all the re
sponsibility as to the weights and
measurements and price decisions OF
furnishings upon the shoulders OF
Architect Huston.
Mr.. Scarlet asked the witness If he
had not waited until one month after
Rerrv's election to inform Governor
Pennypacker president of the board
of grounds and buildings, that the
, Sanderson bills had reached more than
S3.OOOOOO at that time despite Hus-
TONS estimate that the cost of fur
nishing the building would not exceed
$800.OOO
SNYDER denied that Berry's election
had anything to do with his action IN
informing the governor and said that
Mr.. Pennvpacker had called Huston
into conference and told the architect
to instruct Sanderson that his bills
would have to be cut down to the
market value of the articles for which
he was the contractor. Mr.. Scarlet
wanted to know how the market value
was told and Snyder replied that the
discretionary power in the matter was
left in the hands Of the architect.
SNYDER said that he himself did
not know the cash value of the fur
nishings. as they had been represent
ed to him by Huston as specially de-
signed and that he had made no
effort to ascertain from manufacturers
or anybody else their actual values.
Snyder admitted that he did not
know that twelve carloads of furniture
had been paid for a month before its
delivery to the capitol and that he had
paid s47S.376 to Sanderson and had
advanced him s125,00O within six
months after SandersOn was given his
contract and without the knowledge
of the board of grounds and buildings.
Snyder explained these advance pay
ments by declaring that the pre-
vious board had made advances on
the metallic furniture contract and
cedent.
SNYDER declared that he did not know
at the time of the award of the $780,
900 contract for furnishing the capitol
to John H. Sanderson, one of the de-
PENDANTS, that the schedule did not
specify the quantity of the articles to
be furnished; that he, Snyder, made no
effort to ascertain this, and that he
trusted to Architect Huston. Snyder
declared that former Governor Penny
packer was under the impression that
we were going in accordance with the
proper Interpretation of the law"
Mr.. Scarlet also brought out that
while Sanderson was the lowest bidder
on all but three of the forty-one items
in the schedule, the state would have
saved 81, 100000 if contracts had been
awarded to the lowest bidders on these
three items.