The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-23
kISTlER SAID
IT WAS ROTTEN

WAS WIIH
CONTINUED from Page One.l
goods offered was superior" answered
Kistler.
Might not have been the case with
soap-chips ana cherries about which
you have been testifying?"
Yes. it might
would you say there was anything
disreputable or rotten about 1t when
you got the contracts for peaches. ap-
ricots and other things you have been
~ IN sci selling In time: nast,
BEEN" laughe dthe witness and the
various Investigators Joined in.
One Subject Today.
Soap-chtps, soap powder, hominy
and canned cherries were the subjects
of most of the discussion when the in
vestfgation was resumed. an hour late.
at IL o'clock this morning in the SEN
ate chamber. JOuttt Shouse, chairman
Of the commission, exhorted attorneys
to quit wasting time with Irrelevant
testimony and useless arguments.
Today the commission is trying to
get through examination Of witnesses
from out Of town or whose time is
worth more than tint witness fees earn
ed by attendance. Harry Bowman.
minority member of the board and
author Of the charges of misconduct
against Myers and Brooks. put Kistler
and A. F. Bauerline, who generally
represents the McCord-Kistler Mer-
camille company at state contract let
tings, on the stand as his witnesses.
Hit Corrections Board.
Testimony that the state board Of
corrections in June, 1919, awarded to
the West Chemical company Of st.
Louis a contract for soap powder at
|$4.15 a hundred pounds instead of
giving it to McCord-Kistler at $40,
when the samples offered were made
by the same manufacturer and were
identical in every respect. was offered
by Mr.. Kistler in substAntiating his
opinion about the business methods
Of the states representatives In pur-
was made for 25 barrels OF soap pow
der the board increased the order to
SO and it went in at the same price.
he said.
But the testimony was ruled out be-
cause 1t did not apply to purchase
by the board of control. The two
boards buy at the same time for state
Institutions, but the control board has
nothing to do with the contracts for
penal institutions.
Soap-C Chips Sold Cup"
AT the December. 1913, letting we
soap-chips for the various state char
table institutions" continued Kistler.
Our prices varied from $4.65 to $50.
This contract was, understand, let to
the West Chemical company at 1886.
We also submitted a bid of $1.75 per
quality. Tho contract WAS given to the
Davis Mercantile company at $780, =
"How do you know there wasn't a
difference in quality between your sam
pies and those submitted by the other
bfdders?" asked e. d. McKeever. coun-
sci for Myers and Brooks.
II know that we had very fine chips
and cherries and I don't believe there
could have been q corresponding differ
ence In quality"
you got contracts at previous let
tings by the board for cherries, april
cots and various other things, didn't
you? Was there anything crooked
ever cost you anything to get them?"
The witness admitted it had not.
Asked If he could cite any specific
act OF either Mr.. Myers or Mr.. Brooks
which would lay their conduct open
to the charge of being disreputable
and rotten, witness declined to do so.
II may have been a little hasty in
using the expression" he explained.
81 only expressed the sentiment which
seemed to be general among disap-
pointed bidders at the last two let
tings.
II would only say that il a repre-
sentative Of my own house made pur-
chases for higher figure when he
could get the same things for less,
would say that he was crooked"
Bauerline ON Stand.
A. F. Bauerline. salesman for the Nc
Cord-Kistler company, has attended all
the lettings of the board Of control for
timony. His statement continued to
the effect that at the June, 1913. letting
his firm got the contract for soa-
chips for all the state institutions ex-
cept the reformatOry and state peniten.
tiary at S 10 a hundred. but that their
I'm December" he said, I'VE offered
bids on various samples ranging from
$4.65 to $3.50. Our best quality was that
offered at $50, but the prices varied
according to the quotations to US by the
manufacturer. We got three OF the
institutions at $50. The remaining
were given to the West company at
S. 5."
without being able to Civ eany spe-
cif1c facts about the bidding on to-
been told by representative who had
lost in the December competition that
the award for Spotted Faun'' tobacco
had been made to the Stokes COM
pany Of Leapenworth at 22X cents
pound, which he claimed was a high
er figure than his own bid on the same
brand. Mr.. Bauerline could not tell
the amount OF difference in the bids
The Stokes company Of Leaven-
worth. he testified. had been favored
in another contract by which q large
purchase Of Pearl hominy was made
at $2-15 hundred pounds over his
own bid OF $2.13. Here, however, the
element of quality could not be deter
mined. He had not seen the sample
offered by the Leavenworth Arm and
could not say whether it was better
or worse than his own goods.
Mr.. Bauerline declined to enter into
any charges of misconduct on the part
OF any of tn emembers Of the board