Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-14

floor of the office of Weidenfeld in
the basement the morning after the
packages had been taken from the
capitol, but she had not remarked
at it at the time for she had never
suspected him of disloyalty,
She Was No Knocker.
Asked if the letters referred to in
her testimony reflected on the
board, Miss Yokel replied:
They were letters he had no
right to write. They were letters
that were dictatorial in their tone.
All OF them were not written to Of
hcers of state institutions, but some
Of them to business houses in Chi
cago and New York, directing how
they should run their business in ref
erence to the state OF Nebraska"
IF you knew he was doing I'M
proper things" asked Attorney Will
son. Why didn't you report to the
boardg"
1T was not my business" was the
reply.
things now" she was reminded,
Il am loyal to the board" she
why didn't you tell them" she
was asked.
Heads of businesses hate a
knocker," said she. "He was my
boss and I'd get fired if | did.
wouldn't Ii" she queried
In response to a question put as
to the attitude of Weidenfeld, she
said:
He was bossing everybody all
the time The whole state house
knew that, and if the Board Of Con-
troll did not\ know it the members
we're made to feel it,
At the afternoon session H. B.
Miles, a Lincoln coal dealer, told
of a proposal that had been made
to him by Commissioner Holcomb,
verbally, that he act as purchasing
agent for the state in the matter OF
coal-buying.
After 10 days had elapsed, he said,
he informed the commissioner he
would do the work on the basis OF
compensation at the rate of 10 cents
per ton. He was told the board
considered this too much. The
period of service was for 1918. He
told the committee that it would be
his plan to buy the coal at net gov
eminent price at the mine.
He testified that he thought the
method unusual, but had no idea it
was not statutory, thinking that the
board knew what it was doing. His
first intimation that E. E. Howell
had obtained the position was
through a newspaper report and he
learned afterward by personal con-
versations that other coal dealers
had been offered the same deal.
Used Unsuitable Coal.
Miles testified that he had check
ed UP rs cars of coal delivered at
the Geneva Industrial School for
Girls with the government mine
prices in compliance with a request
made by BAT" Koehler of the Koch
Ter Lumber and Coal company at
Geneva.
He had found that mine run Ar
kansas semi-anthracite coal had
cost $4.25 at the mine and $685. per
ton delivered at Geneva. The mine
run coal, because it runs 90 per cent
slack and 40 per cent lump, was not
suitable to the uses of the steam
plant at Geneva, where the CRATE
bars were an inch apart and there
was considerable waste. He claim
ed that he offered the board coal of
equal efficiency, but of lower test,
at Geneva at price which would
equal SIS per ton delivered at Geneva.
Miles testified that he called the
attention of this to Chairman Ger
des, who expressed surprise at the
difference of the prices and suggest
ed that Miles submit a proposition
to Howell, the boards purchasing
agent, which he did, but Howell had
notified him that the institutions
were all filled up.
Miles testified that in the fall of
1918 he called on Mr.. Howell again
and the latter had notified him that
he had better take the matter up
with Mr.. Swift of the National Sup
ply company of Lincoln, from whom
Howell said he was buying all coal
used by the state.
Board Loaded Up"
Miles said that he had offered
Swift Missouri mine coal at IS cents
per ton under the government price
and that Swift had purchased sew
eral cars of it from him for the job
bling trade, but never for the Board
OF Control, always explaining that
the latter was loaded up"
The witness testified that when
he heard of the reappointment of
Howell to the place of purchasing
agent in 1919 he had protested to
the board because the other dealers
had not been invited to bid. He
asserted that Chairman Gerdes had
said that Howell has given such
good service that he deserved a
continuance as purchasing agent"