Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-29
SCHOOL DESKS

On the vote being taken first, Mar.
ston Campbell was absent and q tie
resulted. Mayor Fern and Supervisor
Dwight voting for and Chairman
Adams and Secretary Petrie against
3 motion TO award the contract TO the
Office Supply Company as the lowest
bidder. Mr.. Campbell was sent for
and after being informed OF the point
OF difference. promptly sided with the
negative. Then. by q reverse vote
with the same lineup ON each side, q
motion carried to award the contract
to the Hawaiian News Company.
Besides the members OF the com
mission there were present H. Stuart
Johnson, the Commission engineer,
Deputy Attorney General A. G. Smith.
John F. Soper, representing the Ha-
waiian News Company. G. N. Mar.
quez, representing the ONCE Supply
Company with the Acme" desk, and
William N. Patten, representing A.
B. Arleigh & Company with the NO
noise" desk.
Fern Favors Low Bid.
Mayor Fern. after the agents had
shown the points OF their respective
desks, said that IL they were going
to go by the recommendation OF
school officials. there would be no
need of specifications The desks ap-
peared to be very much alike. He
understood all three of the desks
were used in the schools today and
he had not heard anybody say one
desk was any better than another He
moved that the contract be awarded
to the lowest bidder.
Mr.. Dwight seconded the motion,
saying that IL the tenders were called
for a specified make there would be
no competition.
Mr.. Petrie said he felt as he did
before. He did not think the differ
ence in cost was Offset by difference
in quality.
Mr.. Adams said that, on general
principles, if desk was satisfactory
1t was satisfactory whether 1t had a
certain filigree or not. They had
called for bids on certain specifca-
tions and two of the desks shown
W CA = AOe III " tAlC oHcCAAC0IlOAAo.
Mr.. Smith gave the opinion that the
only question was whether the desks
conformed to the specifications. II
the one In the lowest bid was not
equivalent to the specifications they
were not authorized to award the con-
tract to the lowest bidder.
Mr.. Adams made an argument on
the Hypothetical case Of contract
to furnish shotguns.
Mr. Fern replied that the desks
could not all be made alike. but the
only difference apparent was in the
hinges
Mr.. Adams next argued on the sim
lie of paving contract--if the speci-
fed proportion of crushed rock was
not given the contract would not hold
Mr.. Fern denied that the cases
we're similar. In the matter of hinges
the desks were different, but the spec
ifications stated that the equivalent.
would be accepted.
Only Question Of Hinge.
Mr.. Marquee stated that on the
mainland tenders for desks we're
called for by numbers, and patents
had nothing to do with the awards II
the desks were of standard types. In
reply to remark by the chair on the
specifications, he said: "We admit
We cannot give You a desk with the
same kind of hinge, as it is a patent"
Mr.. Soper remarked, We give ID
year guarantee, ito which Mr. Mar.
quez retorted. I'VE give q 20-year
guarantee on ours"
The vote was then taken and re-
suited in a tie as already stated.
at is deadlock" announced the
chair, and 10 decide the question we
must have the other member Of the
commission present.
Mr.. Campbell, arriving In q few min
ntes in response to telephone sum-
mons, made the remark, on looking
at the document: This is an adyer-
tisement, practically, for q Peabody
desk" After examining the desks he
was ready to vote, and the motion
was lost by three to two.
Mr.. Petrie then moved, seconded by
Mr.. Campbell, that the contract be
awarded to the Hawaiian News Com
pany, which carried by the ayes Of
Adams, Campbell and Petrie.
Belt Road Contracts.
Mr.. Johnson, on being asked about
the belt road contracts, said the work
on contract for section one had not
yet started. J. H. Wilson, the con-
tractor, being absent from the Terri
tory In reply to Mr.. Campbell, he
stated that no time to start work was
in the contract.
Regarding the Lord-Young contract
On section two, matchmaking had
been started in one place, while grad
ing was progressing in another. Ma
ndn r,ninirncr hnd hcnra s.t,rrnrdnd for.