Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-09
MANY ALMSHOUSE
ITEMS NOT LISTED
INBID, He SAYS
Jamouneau's Ivy Hill Furniture
Estimate Incomplete, TestifIes
O'Connor Firm Member.

Items amounting to more than $1,000
required by the specifications were
left out of the w. H. Jamouneau 4
Co.'S bid for the furnishing of the new
Ivy Hill Almshouse, according to the
testimony of Charles L. O'Connor, Of
the firm of NJ. J. O'Connor Sons Com
pany. successful bidders for the fur
nishing contract. Mr.. O'Connor made
this statement yesterday before Cora
N Williams, sitting as special master
to take testimony preparatory TO ar
gument on a rule to show cause why
the award of the Ivy Hill Almshouse
furnishing contract to the O'Connor
firm should not be reviewed. O'Con-
nor said that he had gone over the
Jamouneau bid at the request "
Frank e. Bradner, city attorney.
The proceedings were started in tho
name OF Duncan McKinnon, but the
Jamouneau firm is believed to be the
more Interested in the case. Leslie
Jamouneau yesterday repeatedly
prompted Jerome T. Congleton, coun-
sci for McKinnon, on questions to be
asked witnesses on cross-examination
On the witness stand Leslie Jamou-
neau admitted that a large number OF
items had been left out of his bid
When Mr.. Congleton asked him why
this was, he replied that the missing
items were not mentioned in his speci-
ications. Among the items Jamou-
neau admitted he did not figure on
were five slip covers for a parlor
suite, slxty-six dozen spreads, 200
dozen linen towels.
Besides the three items mentioned,
Mr. O'Connor declared the following
items had been left out of the famous
neau bid Six hundred and eighty
shades, twenty-six lace panels, seven
pairs of portieres, fifty-six lace cur
tains, nlnety-seven awnings, $3.50 al
lowance for piano cabinet and pic
lures, labor of laying carpets and sell
{ ting up fixtures, erecting two plat
forms, one crucifix. statuary ETC.;
seventy-fiye inmates beds, twenty
five infirmary beds, twenty-four cribs.
fourteen employees beds, thirty-nine
hair mattresses, twenty-four hair
mattresses, 100 hair pillows, $50 feath-
er pillows, 124 rubber blankets, one
disinfector, $3.50 allowance for extf+,
furnishings
When Jamouneau was cross
examined as to the omission OF these
items he said that estimates fcc
them had been sent in, but no list
prices had been mentioned. Jamou-
neau blamed his errors on the specih-
cations. He said the specifications
were different from others and that
many things had been omitted in the
list He said the attention of Mayor
Haussling had been called to GER
tain discrepancies between his spe-
cifications and those the city clerk
submitted as the original specifica.
lions.
In Mr.. Congletons cross-examina-
ton of Mr.. OConnor, the former
called the contractors attention to
page s of specification 8. On this
page among other articles were men
toned iron cuspidors painted black"
and No. 40S gallon water cooler,
stands and buckets" No numerals
We're mentioned to specify the guam
titles required
The lawyer questioned the witness
closely to find out how many he bid
on or how he knew how many to bid
on.
II don't know" he replied, 81 would
have to see my estimate sheets and
my specifications
OH So you think your specifi-
cation were different, do your" asked
the lawyer.
No, | won't say that, but these
specifications are blue prints and
the figures might not have taken on
this set, or l might have asked some
one how many were needed after
calling attention to the omission.
can't say definitely just how / bid
| had some definite ground, bur
would have to see my estimate
Sheets"
Furniture Expert n Witness.
John Curtin, furniture expert en-
gagged to assist the architects. was
the next witness. Mr.. Congleton
questioned him closely to find why
labels, manufacturers names and
numbers had been removed from the
cuts submitted as samples of the
furnishings required.
Mr.. Curtin replied this was done so
that no particular manufactures
would be favored He said the COM
mittee had used certain firms cat
alogue for the cuts because it was
"a reputable furniture house." He
was then asked why certain erasures
and plotting out had been made on
the cuts Mr.. Curtin said the same
reason covered this.
Did you give the manufacturer
name to any of the bidders" asked
Mr.. Congleton. The witness hest
tated.
81 don't know; / won't say for
sure,' he replied, but l think
gave the MANUFACTURER name TO
young Jamouneau. He was down
there to see me about every day for
two weeks. When he first came he
said his firm was going to bid only
on the screens and awnings. Then
he came next day and said he was
going to take a chance on the whole
furnishing contract. | spent more
time explaining things to him than |
did all the rest of the prospective
bidders put together"
Mr.. Congleton then questioned the
witness about the orockery for the
matrons kitchen. This had been
stricken out of the specifications and
then put In again Mr.. Congleton
tried to make Mr.. Curtin say that
tho crockery was not mentioned in
the advertisement for the proposals,
The witness was positive, however,
that the crockery had been adver-
tised and was mentioned in all speci-
fications.
In closing, Mr.. Curtin was asked
II he showed anyone samples of the
furnishings and hospital supplies for
the almshouse.
II certainly did, he replied ia
mouneau said he could not find some
of the things | specified. l told him
l would take him or anyone else over
to New York and show him on the
floor of a reputable furniture house
the things mentioned in the specifica
TONS" Representatives of Newark
newspapers and of the architects, be
said, went to New York with him,
He said he showed them everything
the specifications called for, and they
left apparently satisfied.