Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-03
Black Belt Political
Power Works With
out Contract.

How the Loard Of public works has,
without a scrap Of writing IN the form
OF contract, permitted Hayes Wilson,
negro political worker, to stretch the
Job OF cleaning the walls Of the city hall
over n period Of FIVE months, for which
It has allowed him S3,707.S5, has been
disclosed by an examination OF books in
the boards office. Wilson has not com-
pleted the job and presumably his pay
goes on.
The complete story OF Wilson's soft
snap" involves deals for negro political
support Of Thomas c. Howe, Mayor
Charles W. Jewett's choice for the Re
publican nomination for mayor in the
primary election last May.
Persons competent to Judge say that
had the work Of cleaning the walls been
done with the dispatch used by con-
tractors regularly engaged in this busi-
ness 1t could have been completed with
In a month and at one-hfth the money
already paid Wilson.
wilson's relations with the board Of
public works have been more or less
shadowed ever since they began. It has
been impossible to get q complete direct
statement from any one as to just what
the negro contractor was to do, how he
was to do It and what he was to get for
It. Duplicates Of vouchers AMI the allow
ance record Of the board OF works. how
ever, show how much he has been paid.
PRESIDENT MILLER
SAYS, DON'T KNOW"
Mark H. Miller, president OF rhe board,
admitted there Is no written contract With
Wilson. Asked what the agreement was
and how it was made, he said he did not
know exactly, but suggested City Pur-
,hasing gent Dwight S. Ritter possibly
could explain IL.
Isn't s3,T00 a pretty high figure TO
pay for cleaning these waIls?" Mr.. Miller
was asked.
'sWeu. 1 don't know. This is a pretty
big building, you know was the reply.
Following the investigation, which was
made yesterday, Mr.. Miller had moro to
say on the Wilson arrangement" He de-
clared the wall cleaning soon VIII be COM
pIeted. Asked how soon, he said he
could not say, but that the purchasing
agent would check up to see that the
time was proper.
Mr. Miller also announced that the to-
tai cost will amount to approximately
s44OO. which he regards as reasonable.
he said the purchasing agent had told
him this was fair figure. This has not
been the view expressed by the purchas-
ing agent heretofore.
IF the walls had been redecorated in
stead Of cleaned the cost would have been
about twice 81, 400, he insisted.
Mr. Ritter vigorously denied any con-
nection whatever with the transaction.
81 had nothing to do with It," he said.
"I did not know the agreement with Will
son was made until aftes I discovered
him at work and after I found him at it
I tried TO get the board to change it but
did not succeed"
PURCHASING AGENT
RAISE DIT HOWL.
Tt was further lsarned that the pur-
chasing agent several times has warned
the board that 1t had better not continue
the arrangement" with Wilson but the
board did not heed the warning Several
weeks ago Mr.. Ritter proposed that VIII
sons sojourn at the pie counter" be cut
short by permitting him TO clean only
the ceilings and the walls down as far
as he could reach from the ceiling scat
folding, the city hall janitor force to DO
the rest. For a few days the janitor