Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-21

the question was called for and asked
the board to retire with him in execu-
tive session. This session lasted for
| half an hour.
Minor business was disposed of
when the board met again in open
session, including the setting of dates
for school inspections in the city.
These trips will be made next Tues
day and Wednesday,
Behind Closed Doors
A half hour wait followed, then Mr..
Mc1lhenny, President Boyd and Mr..
lttner met with the board. President
Stamm opened this part of the meet
! ing with the following explanation TO
the visitors:
Il had some information for. the
board members which 1 thought they
ought to have. l read to them in
! executive session a statement made to
me by Mr.. Ittner. A few days ago it
came to my ears that some opposition
to Mr.. Ittner had been raised on the
ground that he had conferred with
George w. McIlhenny. 1 know of no
reason why they should not confer. l
wired Mr.. Ittner about the matter and
he wired back he would be here on
Thursday.
! His statement was put in writing
and 1 presented that statement to the
board before the members voted on
Mr.. Lloyd. Mr.. Ittner, Mr.. McIlhenny
and two others know what it con-
tains."
Ittner on the Floor
! Mr.. Ittner at once took the floor.
! When l made a frank statement
| L had no idea 1t had become public.
Before it is read / want to say this.
| came to this city in good faith Be-
fore l left it was told me this board
was dominated by Mr.. McIlhenny and
that Mr.. McIlhenny was an agent of
the American Seating Company.
! Knowing this company as l do,
through personal friendship for it's
president, 1 felt 1 would not tolerate
this condition. When l learned
that there was capital being made of
my meeting Mr.. McIlhenny l there
| fore made this statement. l prefer
to withdraw rather than have the
statement made public.
Il made a clean fight and saw no
members excepting the president. l
only saw Mr.. McIlhenny on the re-
| quest of my friend, the president of
the American Seating Company
| Though we are very friendly we never
mix business with friendship. l VEN
ture my friendship with Mr.. Boyd
has cost him some business, for l
know the last two schools | have
built were equipped with seats made
| by competitors"
Mr.. Ittner again said he would
rather withdraw than have the state
| ment De made puDnC.
Il should be pleased to come into
Harrisburg and build schools, but the
price is too dear, if | must purchase
1t through the publication of that
| document" Mr.. Ittner went on.
suggest you men go back into eXecu-
| tive session and arrange this. On that
condition l will not withdraw.
President Boyd explained his only
reason for arranging the meeting was
because of his friendship for Mr.. lit
| ner and to defend him from unjust
accusation.
]. Horace Mcfarland. of the Mu-
| nicipal League, took the floor and de-
clared he would not promise to keep
quiet anything in Mr.. timers state
ment which might relate to the fu-
ture of Harrisburg.
Mr.. McIlhenny's request that Mr..
Lloyd be called for the executive ses-
sion was agreed to- and few min
utes later the second meeting behind
| closed doors began.
Then the final session was resumed
Time and again the five building op-
erations which are to- be done, were
rearranged, giving the work to Mr.
| Lloyd and Mr.. Ittner, but no one
made a satisfactory arrangement.
Motion after motion was defeated, all
but one of these on a to vote or
| there were no seconds. During the
|
was voted discharged. Three motions
| to adjourn were defeated. and the
deadlock stood.
| A half hour recess was taken al
though not declared by action. Once
again the nine directors took their
seats. DIR. Keene moved Mr.. Ittner
| be given the designing of the girls
high school and remodeling of the
Camp Curtin building and Mr.. Lloyd
the Junior high school and remodel
ing Central There was no second.
Mr.. Bacon's motion to adjourn was
defeated. DIR. Keene and Mr.. Wer-
ner declaring they would stay until
Dooms Day unless the question was
settled.
Mr.. Enders made motion to table
the selection of an architect. This
was lost. DIR. Yates moved Mr. lit
ner's employment for the Junior high
school and Camp Curtin work only.
Mr.. Bacon seconded. Messrs. Keene.
Bretz, Boil, Boyer and Werner voted
against it.
Back to the Beginning
After fifteen minutes more of SINH
lar motions without seconds, because
no suitable arrangement was made,
President Stamm's suggestion to SUB.
nit the whole question to the board
and Advisory Committee, prevailed.
Mr.. Enders made the motion, DIR.
Yates seconded, and it carried, Dr.
Keene balloting with Messrs. Enders,
Bacon, Yates and Stamm.
At the joint meeting to be called
next week, all briefs submitted by
city and out-of-town architects will
be gone over and an effort will be
made, it was said, to make a unani-
nous choice. On the Advisory Com
mittee are William Jennings. George
A. Shreiner, d. f. Tracy, William M.
Donaldson and Francis ]. Hall.
In the report the special committee
stated 1t could not suggest any Harris-
burg architect as an alternative, as
requested by the School Board when
| Mr.. Ittner was originally suggested
two months ago. His appointment was
recommended to be made unanimous.
The complete report follows:
Harrisburg. Pa. Feb. Is, 1917.
ITO the Harrisburg School Board
| Gentlemen At a meeting of the
joint committee consisting of the
School Board and the Citizens Advs-
ory Committee held the afternoon OF
the 18th instant, we presented a re-
port recommending the. employment of
william B. Ittner. of st. Louis. as the
architect of the School Board in its
proposed building construction. This
report and recommendation was ap-
proved by your joint committee. but
the School Board in regular session de-
clined to adopt the report of the joint
committee. Instead, the Board referred