Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-01-22
BIDDERS MEET COUNTY BOARD
Each Tells What He'll Do if He
Gets Decoration Job.
LATENsER AFTER TWO OF THEM
Contract Eet to Either Won't Have
Architects Approvsi-Attempt
to Rush Letting Of Con-
tract Fails.

tract rams.
No contract for interior decoration of
the county building will be awarded NJ. l.,
Endres Of Omaha and the William q.
Andrews Decorative company Of Clinton,
la, on their present proposals by the
Board Of County Commissioners unless
II is done against the advice of John
Latenser. architect Of the building.
This much was made clear 10 the board
by Mr.. Lstenser Saturday afternoon after
the board had spent five hours hearing
the several bidders for the interior deco
ration contract tell what work they would
do il the contract was awarded them.
Mr.. Latenser did not recommend ae-
eeptsnce Of the proposals OF any Of the
bidders, but his disapprOvsl of the pres.
ent Endres-Andrews proposals were made
definite and emphatic.
More thorough consideration OF all the
bids and OF the entire interior decoration
situation was held to be advisable by the
board and the entire matter was deferred
until next Friday morning at 10 O'Clock.
The efforts TO have the contract let and
the matter entirely disposed of in quick
time resulted In failure.
Two stick for Rejection.
Commissioners John c. Lynch and Peter
f. Elsasser adhered to their former con-
tention that the board should reject sll
bids and\ readvertise. Commissioners
Best. OConnor and Harte opposed such
action. but asserted they had no desire
to have hasty disposition Of the matter
made.
The board met at l:30 to hear the bid
ders and had Mr. I.atenser present to
give advice. G. w. Laier. a member OF
the Orchard & Wilhelm Carpet company
and manager OF the company's deco
rating department. appeared to plead for
an opportunity to bid for the contract,
saying his company had not had time to
the others came in.
Conrad Sehmltt Of the Conrad schmLtt
company OF Milwaukee and Edward J,
Holslag Of Holslag & Co. Of Chicago ex-
hibited sketches which afforded general
ideas OF the character OF the work they
propose TO do. Holslag showed photo
graphs OF mural paintings done by him
In the Congressional library in Washing
ton, d. c.. and in public buildings and
hotels in New York City, Kansas City
and other cities. lie produced documents
showing that he was foreman OF all the
mural decorating in the Congressional IL
brary and himself made many Of the
paintings. He said II given the work he
himself will make at least four Of che
ten murals and will have the others made
by Edward Simmons, John Alexander or
some other mural painter Of national
reputation. He will select his assistant.
he said. from the list OF twenty-five art
lists Of national reputation who did the
work In the Congressional library. Schmitt
proposed to have his mural painting done
by f. w. Heine of milwaukee,. who, he
said, is a painter of national reputation.
He submitted a sketch of a proposed
mural by Heine to give an idea Of the
character OF his work. Heine Is the man
who painted The CrucIfixlon'' Of Worlds
Columbian exposition fame. and who will
paint a huge panorama for the Panama
Pacific exposition in san Francisco.
other sketches Submitted.
Fuchs. Son & Blind, submitted sketches
to give an idea Of the work they will do.
They said 1t will be done by L. Theodore
Behr Of Chicago. who did most of the
mural decoration for the Brandels
theater.
William G. Andrews OF the William
@. Andrews company Of Clinton, which
will do the murals for NJ. l.. Endres II
the contract isawarded him, submitted
sketches and said his company will have
simmons paint the four principal murals;
others to be done by competent men.
Sachs & Lapidas Of South Omaha, had
no sketches. but said they will produce
them later IL the board will see them.
During the hearing Commissioner Best
asked each OF the bidders IL they had
had plenty Of time In which TO prepare
their sketches. The majority were agreed
that the time was short and that better
sketches could have been prepared had
there been more time.
After all had been heard, Mr. I.atenser
was asked for his opinion regarding the
exhibitions and the proposals. He said
1t was largely a question Of getting the
right man and he did not wish to ad-
wise tho board as to what action II should
take. His remarks in the main were OF
a general character, pointing out the DIFF
ference between art and painting. 1t was
clear. however. that he was unfavorably
impressed with the Endres-Andrews pro-
posal and that in his opinion the bids
of Holslag and Schmitt were the most
worthy of further consideration.
Lynch and Elsasser declared for re-
lection of all bids and Reimbursement
on the theory that the county would profit
thereby. They believed there Will be
more bidders and possibly better ones;
possibly present bidders will bid better,
and all who wish TO bid Will have op-
portunity.
Commissioner Best said the courts have
ruled that the board does not have to be
bound by the bids at all: that II may
ignore them aud let the contract to
whomsoever II pleases. regardless OF
whether or not he has bid.
That being the case, Mr.. Lynch wanted
to know upon what ground an objection
to rejecting the bids could be based, as
III the bids counted for nothing, the re-
lection would not change the situation.
Best still contended they should not be
rejected Just yet. o'Connor ended the
meeting by moving that action be de-
ferred until Friday to give the board time
to study over the situation. o'connor
and Harte favored the motion. Harte a
little reluctantly, because he said he saw
no reason in waiting 50 long, Lynen ana
Rlssaser voted no. Best chairman Of the