The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-22
BOARD REJECTS
REMINGTON BID
School Fathers Regard Accept
ance of Gift Unethical, and
Vote to Buy.
WILL USE THREE MODELS
Remington, Underwood and L.
c. Smith Machines Given
Equal Representation.
WILL USE THREE MODELS

BY q vote OF to 3, the School Board
last night rejected the offer OF the
Remington Typewriter COMPANY. TO
supply the commercial department OF
the John Marshall High School with
writing machines free Of charge 1t
took one hour and twenty minutes OF
struggle between economy. which coun-
seled the acceptance OF the oner. and
ethics. which urged It's rejection, to
arrive At this decision.
As a substitute for the committees
recommendation. that the Remin gton
offer be accepted. the board adopted a
motion. directing the purchasing COM
mittee to exchange the twenty-one
typewriters. now the property OF the
schools, for twenty -one new ones.
equally apportioned between the Rem
ington. Underwood and l. c. Smith
companies, at an estimated exchange
cost OF IS to SO per machine.
To take care Of the request for ten
additional typewriters. needed TO &C
commo,iate the increased attendance
upon the commercial courses. the COM
m.ttee was given power either to pur-
chase these add,tiona! typewriters out
right, at a cost not exceeding the mini
mum bid originally submitted by any
ons Of the three companies named, or
TO secure their use by rental In the
Remington bid. which was rejected.
these ten ma chine. With as many
more az the schools needed. were to
have been loaned gratis
Lecture .. Ethies.
Trouble began as soon a. Chairman
Ebel called for q vote on the recon-
mendat.on OF the committee on build
ings and furniture J. W. Kimbrough
took the door with an admirable lee
t1re on the faulty ethics involved In
the acceptance by the city OF Saft
from the Remington Company.
The trend Of the day. said MI. KIM
brouEh. was against monopoly OF all
kinds. The Supreme Court OF the
United States grapples with IT a. the
most insistent problem OF modefn
times. To receive the Remington gin
at the expense of contract 20 use
their machines exclusively. he thought,
would be encouraging a monopoly on
small scale. and would oner an inter-
ing wedge for abuses OF greater mag
nitude Moreover. he argued. was
preferable tina. public school pupils De
taught to operate all standard mooes
with uniform facility, and this was
possible only II the students learned
on the several makes simultaneously
J.. IL
and declared himself in favor OF CIV
ing the three standard machines re-
presentation in the schools W. n
owens was opposed to having pup'!s
taught on one particular modei' anu
Thought il would prove handicap 10
the student when applying for posi-
lions with firms using other mdcnihes-
Chandler Favors RemiagteD bsd.
PRINCIPAL James g HARDWOOD, OF the
John Marshall High School, ana super
intendent J. A. c. Chandler. ootn eA
pressed their personal preference ioi
the Underwood, and stanostoAzeo
equipment, but counseled the aceep'-
ance of the Remington offer on econo-
vic grounds. There was not difference
enough between the Remington ana
, Underwood machines. thought MI
Harwood. to justify the needless ex-
pend,ture Of $50 or $500 which wouio
become necessary should the Remine-
ton bid be turned down
John Bagby observed dryly that In
his opinion there was only one tnlne
20 do-to accept the Remington bid
ana end IL. The school board. he saio.
was a corporation endowed with ruil
authority to accept gifts SO there couid
be no moral obliquity. moreover, ne
thought, the whole matter resolved u
self into an offer to lend so many 1--WE
writer's in exchange for 50 much al.
yertisins-a proposition which seemed
fair enough II was advantageous
both to the schools and to the type
writing company.
The ethical idea. however, prevailed
snd the economists lost OUT BY q vote
OF 8 to 3. Under the motion adopted
the Remington. L. c. Smith and Tn
derwood makes will be given the same
privileges. and there will be no eN-
elusive contract with either OF 'he