Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-21
ON
PROGRAM OF
SCHOOL BOARD
Anticipate Another Storm at
Secret Session Tomorrow
Night of Commissioners.
CERTAIN BIDS REJECTED

CERTAIN BIDS REJ Ell ELI
When the board Of school commission
ers meets in secret session tomorrow
night to consider the report submitted
several weeks ago by II. A ROney, pub
lie accountant which severely crltlclses
the business management of the board
which is under the direction of George
c. Hit a sequel to the stormy meeting
Of Saturday afternoon is expected to de-
yelop.
That session started out in a quiet
4 fashion to consider bids on heating, ventl-
Alatng, plumbing and electric wiring at
schools Nos. 81 and 70, but ended In dis
sension and discOrd, during which Mrs
4JuIia Belle Tutewiler, president Of the
board, left the room after requesting
Bert S Gadd to take the chair.
Other features of the day were mes
sage from Jesse Eschbach, State ex-
aminer for the state board of accounts,
standing pat on his disapproval Of the
plans and specifications prepared for
heating and ventilating at Schools Nos
81 and 70 prepared by the firm Of Snider
& Rotz. engineers for the board, and
letter from Albert Baker, attorney for
the board, declaring that in his opinion
IT is Illegal for the Enquirer Printing
Company, Of which Clarence z. Crippin,
a member Of the board, IS a stakeholder,
to publish the Bulletin, an official school
publication. Mr.. Baker also requested
that an attorney other than himself De
employed to pass upon the legahty Oh
the contract between the board and l..
A. Snider, building adviser. and the firm
of Snider & ROtz, engineers.
MRS. TUTEWILER LETS
MIR. BARRY SPEAK.
It was busy and quarrelsome after
noon, and bad feeling between various
+ members Of the board was apparent from
the outset Mrs. Tutewiler's Withdrawal
from the meeting occurred after dI-
ference with Charles A. Barry, mem
her Of the board. During the discussion
Mr.. Barry made the remark that the pre-
siding OFFICER was worthy Of consider
alton because Of her sex, and for that
reason he would not reply TO her as he
would II she were a man. Mrs. Tute-
wiler then asked Mr. Gadd TO take the
chair and left the meeting after saying
that Mr.. Barry might then feel free to
speak.
The activity Of the Taxpayers League
in condemning the contracts between the
board and L. A. Snider and the firm Of
Snider & Rotz, brought forth scathing
denunciatiOn Of the league rom Mr.
Crippin. He charged that the letter is
sued by the league last week was a mis-
representation in many ways and failed
to state the truth in many particulars
This letter was signed by Alfred Potts,
and Mr.. Crippin denounced it as an at
tempt to delay the school building pro-
gram.
The next thing to come in for atten-
ton was the State board Of accounts. and
this caused one Of the bitterest discus
sions Of the day Mrs. Tutewiler stated
int hqf he termed the
hostility of the State board OF accounts
toward the school board was due wholly
to the fact that the latter did not
appofnt John Twiname, who is the IA
Their of Walter TwIname, an employe
of the State board, superintendent OF
buildings and grounds, several months
ago.
REJECT HEATING
AND VENTILATING BIDS.
This brought W D. Allison, a bOari
member, into the fray with the remark
that in his opinion Mr.. Twiname is
thoroughly conscientious man and per
fectIy honest and reliable in the discharge
of his duties. Mr. Barry supported this
view and he added that he thought it
was very poor policy for the school board
to question the State body in the face
Of legal advice from the boards RttOr-
ney that the wishes of the State board
should be followed.
The ultimate result OF all this was
that all bids for heating and ventilating
were rejected and new plans and specif
cations will be drawn TO meet the re
A quirements Of the State board of ac
counts. However, as no fault was found
with the plumbing and electrical plans
and specifications these contracts were
let The Cotton Wiebke Company was
awarded the contract for plumbing for
school No. T3 on a bid of S2O,S42, and
Strong Bros. were given the plumbing
contract at school No 81 on a bid Of
19,737. The Hatfield Electric Company
was the successful bidder for both schools
on bids Of $1,000 for No. 81 and 81, S67 on
No 73.
At the time this discussion was under
way suit for damages Of $4,000 was filed
by Clarence o. Ship, engineer against
the State board of accounts in the Ma
rion Circuit Court. The complaint al
leges the board exceeded its legal au-
thority in refusing to approve specifca-
lions for heating and ventilating at
Schools Nos. 81 and 80.
In refusing to approve the plans and
specifications prepared by the firm Of
Snyder & Rotz for the above schools
the State board took particular excep-
tion 20 those sections concerning tAe
ventilating insisting that they were so
worded as to make it impossible for the
contractor TO use devices other than those
manufactured under patents owned by