New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-26
FOOLISH QUESTION
T4HMANY ASKS 1T.
Bidders on Contract No. 1857
Must BE OmniscieHt.

~ NSt DC t/HiNtSCft W.
system in business j., perhaps. Tam
nanys chief claim for immortality Tam
many without system would be the Tiger
without stripes There are magazines pub
Eshed to educate business men In the vslue
Of systematic attention TO detail: but IL -
understood that Tammany does not sub
scribe 10 any such. What Il doesn't know
about the rewards Of "a beautiful system
IN the conduct Of it's business affairs would
Lot supply items for one weeks issue OF
that sort OF literature it Is enthusiastically
declared.
when one man OF one company repeat
edly receives the award OF contracts for
which the bids Of the community are adj
vertised in accordance with Law a largs
Eumber OF men and companies become "a
tigued in time and stop sending In their es-
Inmates. This is known as systematic dis
eouragement offered to those persons who
do not belong Also when the city OF New
York wants supplies, ranging from soap 70
steamboat parts. Tammany's system sus-
sests the wisdom of making one neat clean
job of IL. and so in The City Record the
public is invited 70 set its price on approx
lmately 100000 worth OF nails steel add
ing machines. sapOlio. Taseline. etc"
There are no pictures in the latest book
Of specifications issued by the Departments
Of Docks and Ferries. but in itself Il is a
good Illustration OF how to cover a lot OF
ground between two yellow covers that en-
fold Contract No. 1.1S7 for furnishing and
delivering miscellaneous supplies" The
final act will be to file this contract in thu
Controllers Office in a few days The con-
tract has been awarded TO J. Edward
Ogden, Of No. I47 Cedar street, at y7s5sa.
4 ha1 hot II
shopper. He WILL to fulfil the contract.
have TO supply more than three thousand
items OF S0 classes. But were the items
classified by the Department OF Docks and
Ferries? Foolish question No. LIST.
\ SUCCESSFUL BIDDER
J. Edward Ogden has been most fortu-
nate in figuring on city wOrk-in work es-
pecially in which the Department OF Docks
and Ferries is interested: and II there 10
any delay in printing the specihcations''-
such as a balky printer or an inexpsrr
one-Mr- Ogden is not made 70 feel the chill
OF orderless days, it is pointed out because
IN such event he gets what are known "a
emergency orders" and they bring a good
price. There are three bidders on emer@
gency orders. ]. Edward Ogden Is presI-
dent OF the Ogden Iron and Steel Manu-
featuring Company. Of No. 1G7 Cedar street
and Bayonne, n. ]. Other members OF III.
company. which is said to be enjoying pros
rerity. are J. Richard Steers and Henry
Steers. of the well known Tammany con-
tracing company OF Bradley. Carney 4
Steers.
John Gaffney and Charlie" Murphy havs
had good deal TO do in past years with
establishing the system followed by Tam
many in all business affairs. The Brad
z
TO the place occupied by the New York
Contracting and Trucking Company as the
big Tammany contracting concern. The last
/ contract just now being entered into be-
| tween Mr.. Ogden and his associates and
the city OF New York is referred to in
/ some quarters as the most ffagrant speci-
men Of an unbusinesslike. uncheap and I'M
| fair system OF spending the peoples money
that has come to light in some time There
I is said to be nothing in the manner IN
/ which the specifications have been drawn
that would appeal TO a plain business
\ man" like Otto I. Barnard. the fusion can
| didate for Mayor. as anything else than
| farcical.
AS a matter OF fact. TO read the los Iarzs
/ pages OF things desired at the. 57th street
/ yard IS funnier than the average comic
| opera A man who handles potash IN one
I than three thousand other items. which
| for instance. include boiler stacks. screws.
| nuts, rheoStats. switches, fuses and elec-
trical apparatus for heating the bath I'm
the cement testing tank Only bids on the
los pages of items will be considered. The
man who sells buff paint or which Nv.
| hundred gallons are required. must becouns
active In aScertaining the proper prices IN
De charged for rubber boots. ''hip-F width
24O pairs. size 60
OMNISCIENCE PRESUPPOSED
Bank adding machines. knives. concret.
| mixing machines and candles follow ons
another IN most systematic way on pages
| 1o2 and 103- A conscientious bidder on con
tract No LIST. for the Department OF Docks
and Ferries, would be educated when ready
to submit his price in almost every sub
/ ject except perhaps mythology. He might
even know something about that The
public" however. gets the credit for being
pretty we'll informed. because notice Is
given by the Tammany systenatizsrs only
Two weeks before the sealed bids are TO bs
opened.
on the outside cover of this bulky list OF
needed supplies appears the date. May Is
1909" But at the Office of Allen y. Spooner.
Commissioner Of Docks and Ferries. II was
said that the date represented some mis-
take. May Is 1891 was the day the
Commissioner ordered the specifications
printed. it was said Then there was trou-
bic with the printer. ard Several things Ike
that, SO that the department. had to order
oy the emergency rOute-a high priced
method. because prompt deliveries bring
their higher quotations Sealed bids were
not opened until October IS. the public
being duly Informed on October 4 IN A.
COrdance with law
The items are said to be classified. BE-
cause I'D TO and including page los thoss
things, from a propeller wheel for the
launch Queens TO tin cans and hair for
stu1ing. are set forth In humorous array.
Class 2 occupies One-third OF page 100 the
fms OF the exhibit. This class calls for
divers things. Divers dresses. best quail
ity, Hodgman's make or equal. divers nit
tens and divers cuff rings and bands ar.
placed by themselves. The man or com
pany who bids on the divers. requirements
is relieved from promising delivery and
naming prices on cherry compound. win
dow glass; commissioners flags. boiler
tubes and oxalic acid.
Hard as il would appear 20 the average
man. four bidders agreed TO meet the con-
ditiOns OF the vOluminOus specifications.
and SO closely did they figure down their