Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-23
$4,000 PAID ON
'UNSPECIFIED'
SCHOOL WORK
We Did the Work Ourselves,
Says Director Hit of
Board.
TYPICAL OF METHODS
This is the fourth article dealing
with lax methods In the business de-
partment of the schools OF IndianapO-
lis. Other articles will follow.

Although George c. Hit, business di-
proved all the expenditures in the re-
modelling of school No. 50, ON which
more than $1,000 was spent after the
board had authorized the expenditure Of
5000. he was unable to give any infor-
nation concerning plans and specifca
tions for the remodeling
When Mr.. Hit was asked for infor-
nation concerning the specifications un-
der which the $1,000 was spent, he re
Piled:
There are no specifications. We did
the work ourselves"
DO you mean to say" he was asked,
that you made improvents without
any one specifying the kind Of material
that was usedf"
"Well,' said Mr.. Hit. 81 didn't have
anything to do with II. I think some
plans were drawn and some specifications
made, but / didn't have anything TO do
with It.. I think Mr. Rickes can tell you
about IT,"
George II. Rickes is superintendent Of
buildings and equipment under Mr.. Hit
His office is near that OF Mr. Hit, hut
he does not spend much time therein,
and no one about the school admins
tratlon headquarters appears TO have IN
formation as 10 when he can be found
IN his office Throughout one whole day
repeated calls were made at ais office
for the purpose Of getting in touch With
him, but all were unavailable.
PAYMENT NOT MADE
on SPECIFICATIONS.
Nobody else about the Offices knew
anything about plans and specifications
for the remodeling Of school No. So The
records show that all the bills incurrcc
we're paid on the approval OF the bust
ness director, but he did not know
whether the bills were In accordance
with the plans and specifications FOR
the reason that he did not know whether
there were any plans or specifications
The failure to have a definite pro
gram In this Job OF remodeling is char
acteristic OF the manner in which the
school system Is being conducted. School
No SO IS the best illustration OF the
/ lack Of business methods that has CONT
10 light since the school board called
on the board Of accounts 10 make an
investigation Of its methods.
| The only authorization for an erpendi-
tsIre on the rebuilding OF this school Is
an authorization for the expenditure OF
81 500 in remodeliag the building. the
work TO be done by the boards own EN-
ployss. Investieation shows that more
than SIT ,0c0 was spent Ia this work. that
no contract wSs let for the Job. and that
the business director, who approved the
expenditures. did not know under what
/ plans or Specifications the work was
done.
Bills on hle in the once Of the school
board show that F. NJ. Bowers and Sons
Company was paid a total Of s2o3.s4 Oct
IA, 1919. for three ventilAtors and tina;
these ventilators were used at school No.
/ So The bills show that the school board
bought one forty-two-inch aeroplans
rotary ventilAtor, one eighteen Inch
asroplane ventilator and one 54-inch
ventilator. The ventiIators are Of a type
sold by Frank Il. Jordan and company
OF India polls.
vENTILArORg NOT
KIND SPECIFIED.
| It has been reported by supply mer
/ that the ventilAtors installed were OF 9
! type that was not specified by the schoo
boards architects and there has beer
considerable discussion OF their installa
/ ton. Whether they are Of the type thai
was recommended for the Job can not bt
aseertained until the alleged specinca
tions are produced by the school bushes,
/ head and he does not appear to have any
idea whether there we're any specihca
/ tions or not.
Supply dealers generally admit thai
they have never shown any interest IL
the methods under which the school worl
was conducted. Several who supplied
more than $500 worth of material foi
school 90 say that they never investi,
gated to ascertain whether the bushes,
| director OF the board was authorized tc
make the purchases. They exhibit orders
on a printed form for materials and
authority for furnishing materials and
they say frankly that they never tried te
Continued on Page Two)