The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-09
FINANCIAL,

all other school furnishings. Douglas
Bolser. representing the Douglas Boil
ser Company of Indianapolis; William
L. Baker, representing the William L.
Baker Company Of Indianapolis; Earl
Kiger, representing the S. D. Kiger
Company Of Indianapolis. and Luther
Draper, representing the Steele &
Draper Company Of Spiceland. appear
ed to submit bids.
Early in the morning the represen-
tatives held caucus and it was agreed
to submit bids on uniform prices by
all but Draper. He claimed his COM
pany stands for open competition and
that he would not enter into q collu-
sion. He was told the other agents
would proceed without his co-opera-
ton In that Ease and would manage to
beat him out Of the contract. All Of,
the agents but Baker finally submitted
bids, but he retained his.
Draper Stood Firm.
In the afternoon session Draper went
before the board and told Of the at
tempt to get him to enter into the
agreement. He said he would not.
He said that at q meeting ut Indian
apolis last Tuesday Representatives Of
various supply firms met and agreed
on a uniform scale Of prices for sup
plies. The Steele & Draper Company
and a company at Greenfield refused
to enter into the combination. II
high. SO as to insure a good profit and
prevent any slashing. Draper told the
trustees tina. he would not go into such
q combination az was projected here,
and II the bids he submitted in the
face of such competition were rejected
he would not enter another bid. A
q consequence the trustees did not
learn whether his bid was cheaper
than those of the other firms or not.
no bids being accepted or even opened.
Display Of candor.
With a remarkable display of can.
dor William Baker and his allies. XII
ger and Bolser. entered the meeting of
the trustees unlimited and admitted
there had been an agreement Baker
acted as spokesman. He said 1t had
been agreed that certain prices should
prevail so as to make a profit sure. He
was asked IL he did not understand
there is a law in Indiana governing
such scheme for entering bids for
public supplies. He admitted the ex-
istence of such a measure but secuted
its effectiveness.
The agents went SO far as to tell
the trustees they were not acting I'M
der the law themselves. They claim
ed that before contract could be en-
tered into. 1t would be necessary for
the various advisory boards to approve
them. The trustees told Baker that
they did not have confidence In his
complaint. But this did not slfice 70
squelch him and his argument was
continued.
Friction Developed.
Friction began to develop. some OF
the trustees resenting the attitude Of
Baker and his associates. The argu-
ment became general and Baker was
given to understand that the trustees
would not submit to any distation or
bullying on his part. no matter what
he might assert as his motive. He
was given to understand plainly that
his proposed system of misrepresen-
tadon and coercion was looked upon
as trial at hold up game unscrupU-
lous and low.
Baker finally became moved by the
imputations and fnsinuations and
haughttly announced he would not
submit his bid and that neither would
his two confederates. But the trustees
had forestalled any such high hanc-
edness by their secret vote q short
time before. It had been agreed by
the trustees that in view Of the evident
crookedness all Of the bids would be