Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-23
M'ILHENNY TELLS
OF CHICAGO TRIP
No Truth in Stories of Com.
mission From Ittner,
He Says

last evening by George w. Mc1lhenny.
denying rumors that he had offered
to procure the one vote necessary In
Ittner. OF. st. Louis, architect for the
new High schools, providing Ittner
paid him one per cent. of the COM
mission he would receive for the
work. These reports are absolutely
false" he said.
Mr. McIlhenny said that in Febru-
ary Mr. Petre. Of Philadelphia, chief
salesman of the American Seating
Company, OF Chicago, which firm Mr..
McIlhenny long served as agent. and
a Mr.. Stewart. of Philadelphia. gen.
eral agent for that corporation, visit
ed him at his offices in Harrisburg
and asked him to use his influence
with one or more directors to vote
for Mr.. Ittner. They came. he said,
at the direction OF Il. NJ. Boyd, presi-
dent of the American Seating Com
pany, who they said had received
! letter from Ittner declaring that Nc
Ilhepny dominated the School Board
| and urging that Mr.. Boyd get line
on him."
Mr.. McIlhenny frankly admits that
for twenty five years he was boss
of the School Board. and Is proud OF
the fact, but now says he is down
and out and admits ii. Regarding
the conversation, Mr.. McIlhenny says:
Goes to Chicago
I'VE discussed the matter for some
| time and these men suggested to me
they thought Ittner ought to be will
| ing to pay me commission for
swinging one of the directors. L told
them that l did not want a commits
sion-that a commission would not
influence me to support Ittner, and
| called to their attention the fact that
| IL 1 had any interest at all in the
question, il naturally would favor a
| local or home architect.
They then sought to know wheth-
er or not l would consent to go over
| the question with Mr.. Ittner. IL a
meeting could be arranged for the
near future in Chicago. | told them
I thought ii could be arranged and
| they left me. saying they would take
the matter up in Chicago.
Along about the 14th 1 was told
| to leave the next day and that my
! expenses would be paid. 1 got into
| Chicago one the morning of the 18th
at 9.45 o'clock and went direct to
| the Illinois Athletic Club, on Michi-
! gan avenue.
ION arriving at the club l was di-
rected to room-I think ii was SO2-
| the room had been engaged for me,
and there l met Mr.. Petre. We chat
| ted for ten minutes or so and then
there was a rap at the door. Mr..
Petre beckoned the person to Come
| in and a man entered. This man
was introduced to me as Mr.. lttner'
and 1 as Mr.. McIlhenny. Mr.. Petre
then withdrew from the room and l
| felt somewhat puzzled because l
| thought it was trap set for me. l
gazed about the room and looked
searchingly for a dictagraph but felt
assured it was no trap.
well, this Mr.. Ittner and l OF
course Immediately went into dis
cussion about the architect question.
l took along a map of the city OF
Harrisburg and used it during the
course of our conversation. 1 point
ed out the school buildings, the school
population, the sites of the proposed
buildings and went into some detail
describing my opinion as to the fu-
ture growth of the city.
II told him that l had been the
boss of the school board but that l
now was down and out, and admit 1t,
and was in no way responsible for the
action the board had taken on the
about my past methods and l was
willing and did tell him that, while
[ took an active interest in school
affairs, | always sought to take care
of the local men. l told him, for in
stance, that | didn't care much about
helping the Democrats, but that II
Republican came to me and urged me
to have things arranged in specifca-
tions, brick and other material, so
hn m
same plane as the other contractors
to bid intelligently, l usually prom
ised my support.
The Hill Site
,"That didn't always mean that the
local man could get the contract but
ii did mean that the local man had
an equal chance with the other fel-
low. While we were talking about
the future growth of the city / mem
toned something about a plot OF
ground on Fourteenth street.
81 said it is owned by Democrats
but that | think 1t is the right place
for a school building. | told him that
IL Harrisburg buys that ground now,
fifty years later the city will be eager
to erect a monument to the men who
bought it."
"I told him that the city can buy
that site for one-third the cost or
any other school DulldlnB site oe-
cause | understand that IL once was
offered to the city for $4,000 and that
Max Copelin, who made that oner,
| said he would return $4,000 toward a
stadium at the school.
I'VE talked about one thing and
another and then Mr.. Ittner suggest
| ed to me, If | am selected architect,
can't arrangements be made to meet
you-I was going to say in Harris
| burg. but l will say in Philadelphia?
I would be willing to insert in the
specifications such material requisites
as you would like to Designate That
was agreed upon and that virtually
| ended our conference. He said moth
| ing of a commission.
''He told me that he would be will
| ing to go out and look at the Four
| teenth street ground and he would
recommend to the board that ii be
| purchased.
az was paid all my expenses, car
I fare. meals on the train, room at the
| club and everything. l understand, D.
Mr.. Boyd, of the American Book Com
| pany. 1t was $52.S5."
Mr.. McIlhenny said that on his re-
turn to Harrisburg he was called
upon by Stewart and Petre and In
| formed that Mr.. Ittner would pay no
! commission for votes. He said also
| that he warned Ittner ahead of time
| that a meeting with him in Chicago
might be misunderstood and would
reflect on Ittner's reputation, but he
was told there were no fears of that.