Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-23
DIRECTOR LOEB WILL
ISSUE REPLY ON COAL
] ACCUSATION TONIGHT
Head of Supplies Department
Ready TO Disprove Completely
Charge of Republican
D Ex-Assistant
WILL GIVE FULL DATA

documentary evidence that the De-
rartment OF Supplies has not been ac-
centing inferior coal. as was charged by
Ioseph s. Mclaughlin. ex-asslstant di-
rsctor of the department, was laid before
Mayor BlankenburR today. at two-hour
conference in his Office at City Hall. Di-
rector OF Supplies Herman Loeb said
sfter the conference that he Will Issue
vouminous statement ins reply to Nc
faughlln's charges by tonight.
THOSE attending the conference, in ad-
A,tion 10 Director Loeb. and the Mayor,
,rere Assistant Director Murphy, Inspec-
~ Thomas +. Boland, Chief Pike, OF
the Electrical Bureau; Superintendent
ssitzer. of the Philadelphia General Hos
nltaf. and the Mayors secretary.
81 intend to make public the facts re-
,stinr 20 the purchase of coal by the
ctv" said Director Loeb. 'I am pre-
nar,nr a statement. II will be a volu-
s,lnous one. will go into the mBtter
n detail 1t will not be ready for pub
i,cation before this evening"
This statement and the information
that the Mayor had been fully satisfied
about the coal purchases by the depart
ment we're the only things given out
after the conference. II was said, how
ever. that the fiat denial made by the
director last night still stands. It will
be made stronger in his statement.
Director Loeb had intended to leave the
citv today, to return Monday. He also
had intended to defer his public state
ment until that time. Mayor Blanken-
plans. The Mayor reached his offce
early and started an immediate investi-
cation, summoning the Director, his as
eistant and the others to special con-
ference. II is understood that the final
evidence of the records was gone over
thoroughly at this meeting.
Mclaughlin, who Is at present the at
torney for the Republican City Commit
tee, at a meeting held last night in the
James A. Garfield Club, Sd street below
Glrard avenue, read what purported to be
an affldavit signed by Joseph d. Barker.
chief engineer in the Bureau of Charities,
In which II was charged that for several
months coal supplied to the Philadelphia
General Hospital was inferior to that
stipulated in the contracts, while pay
ments were made for higher priced
product. -t4
previous statement by Director Loeb
was as follows
This charge is ridiculous and is very
far-fetched. No warrants were signed
by me at any time which were not ap
proved by the heads of the departments
or those in authority to o. X. bills.
"The Rogers-Corr Company, the lowest
bidder Tor the contracts IN question: was
penalized whenever the coal averaged un-
der the standard set by the specifications.
Several tests were made. by different out
side experts, as we'll as the city chemists,
and all of them are on record in City Hall
and may be examined there.
"Also the railroad manifests, car num-
bers and mine tickets, and everything in
connection with the mining and delivery
Of the coal is on file in my Office or with
the chiefs of the various bureaus.
This man Barker, the engineer at the
Philadelphia Hospital, has on several oc-
casions displayed an overzeal for certain
trademarked articles and fittings, etc,
which tended toward favoritism to certain
contractors, and was compelled to ad-
monish him severely" -..le-.-