Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-16
PAY CHECK
STOPS HAYS WORK
Continued From Page one.)


upon Hays sadness thereat The fourth
floor rotunda still bears I'VE years &C
emulation Of dirt
The big brown book tells just why
Hays has more or less Of a right to be
mad. but before 1t speaks the story OF
how Hays and his assistants started to
work and how and why the board Of
works stopped them, which is something
no book at tue city hall Will tell, should
be retold.
HERE'S HOW IT
ALL STARTED.
Late last January. Hays Wilson negro
contractor. negotiated verbal agreement
with the board Of works whereby be was
to clean the city hall walls and ceiling
at the rate OF $ per day for himself
So per day for each workman he EN-
ployed. and whatever he might charge for
materials and incidentals. The Jewett
admin stratiOn needed Hays political
support it is said, and Hays wanted the
job.
The negroes mopped and scrubbed and
strOve to bring the discoIored walls back
20 their original color In fairness. 1t
must be admitted that the results were
4
the board just how fine they were By
cleaning a small spot on one Of the most
prominent parts Of tina first floor TO
tunda so as to contrast it with the five
year accumulation Of dirt on the rest OF
the walls. The board was talking Of
not letting Hays clean any more. The
clean spot shining out Of the surround
ing dinginess or something. worked and
Hays privilege was extended indehnitely
On through the dying days of winter,
the balmy days Of spring and far into
the sweltering summer Hays and his
assistants worked. especially Hays as
sistants. Hays duty was to boss the job.
THEN SOME ONE
GOT SUSPICIOUS.
And then, somebody suggested that il
might be interesting TO know when in
the world Hays was going to get done and
how much the "tndeterminate permit"
under which be was operating was going
TO cost the taxpayers. The big brown
book was asked what II knew This is
what II told:
A total OF S3,TO7.s5 had been paid to
Hays personally on nine vouchers item
ICED so as to show the money was for
I Hays pay at IS per day. from three TO
four assistants at So per day and the re
mainder for materials and inciden,als
The contractor said he paid his laborers
and the material and incidental bills
The board Of works contended this was
not excessive. and said II did not know
when Hays was to get down or the exact
details Of the agreement with Hays. but
that City Purchasing Agent Dwight S.
Ritter would know. But Mr.. Ritter
didn't. He said he had had nothing to do
with hiring Hays, and on the contrary
had advised against the arrangement
The Times published this Aug. B.
PAY AND HAYS
STOP SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Hays kept on cleaning, but not for
long Early last week, It was learned.
the board Of works told the purchasing
agent Il would stop Hays whenever the
purchasing agent recommended. He
waited until the particular patch Of wall
then under renovation was completed and
sent word to the board the hour Of judg
mens had arrived. This was last Wednes-
day. Thursday noon, Hays pay stopped
and so did Hays and his assistants.
Friday, the big brown book shows, q
voucher for s372.S IS. $500 Of which was for
wages and the remainder for materials
and incidentals, made out TO Hays, was
approved by the board. The voucher
was marked Final Estimate" which. &C
cording to board attaches, means THE
End" so far as payments to Hays goes.
1t brought the total paid the contractor
to $3,707.S5. During the administration
Of Mayor Joseph E. Bell the identical
walls were cleaned at a cost of around
300 by one man, according to James II.
Hegarty, then custodian of the city hall