Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-23

tfon of good roads lection first came
up. and now they should protect those
bonds
A. P. Fleming was called upon to
draw up the resolution, which was
adopted unanimously.
Cenrge Alexander was the only mem
ber of the board of supervisors present
at the meeting of the advisory board
Yesterday. 1t was suggested that, be-
eause of Alexander's familiarity with
the work of the supervisors in connee-
tion with the bond sale, he should tell
the board the facts leading up to the
transaction. He did so, and the ad-
v,sorv board learned definitely for the
first time that a better bid than was
aecepted was made for the bonds by
fine firm of James II. Adams & Co.
through It's agent, ]. r. Martin. Not
only this, he said, but a better price
for the printing and certification of the
bonds than that agreed upon was Of
fered. Alexander's statement in part
Is as. follows:
Had Better Offer,
"Some time ago the American Bank
Note company asked to have an OPP
portunity to address the board in pri-
vate session about the printing Of the
bonds. The meeting was held in a side
room off the main room where the su-
and myself objected to a private meet
Ing, but we finally agreed to hear the
representative of this company The
meeting was not as secretive as we
believed 1t would be, for there were
five agents of bond printing houses
present and the bids ranged from $3.50
to $3.50. | contended that we should
advertise for bids. 1t was at this time
that Adams & Co. offered to print the
bonds for $3.50 and certificates for 5000.
Another responsible firm offered to do
this work for $3.50 and the certification
for $3.50, and from all 1 could learn in
quite as satisfactory a manner as the
higher bidders.
"Then it was that ]. r. Martin spoke
of the bond sale. 1 opposed any con-
sideration of the sale in secrecy ami
was Joined by Capt. Manning. All
sorts of inducements were offered. The
representatives of the bond printing
houses had gone with the exception OF
Martin, and he, Hartley Shaw and the
members of the board were the only
persons present.
Martins proposition at that time
was N of per cent for the first mil
lion and " of 1 per cent for the ball
ance, $2,5O0,000.
Il understood and Capt. Manning
understood when we left the room that
there would be no private sale unless
the whole board agreed. Before we
left Martin asked us not to say any
thing about his bid and we promised
not to- do so This is where we made
a mistake, for If the facts had been
published all this trouble would not
have occurred.
when the proposition to- sell the
bonds was made at the regular meeting
of the board on September 8 l was
stunned. 1t was surprise both to
Manning and myself When the adop-
ton of the proposition was made Capt.
Manning moved to have the matter
placed under advisement. They voted
us down and we had no chance to
argue the matter.
fIt may be of Importance in this con-
neetion to know there is a rule for the
guidance of the board of supervisors
providing that any new business of inn
portance should be laid over one week."
Alexander said that Chairman Dag
gett of the highway commission was
also informed regarding the proposition
first made by Martin. but the supervisor
believed Daggett regarded the matter
in the same light as himself. This
was corroborated by Daggett, who a
few moments later WAS called In to
take part in the deliberations.
The board adjourned at noon to meet
at the call of Chairman Butler.