The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-14
DISTRICT CENSUS
 BEING COMPILED
Listing Of Industrial Strength Of City To Be Ready Soon

Of City To Be Ready Soon
 Work on compiling the Birmingham districts industrial census is proceed ing very satisfactorily, D. c. Hill, spe cial agent of the federal census bureau told officials of the Chamber of Com merce Wednesday. :, .~
 In order to assure a thorough and up-to-date census for this industrial dis. trict, the Chamber of Commerce is cooperating with the census bureau to the extent of paying for the services of Tally Simpson, member of the Chamber of Commerce staff appointed as special representative in Birming- ham. More than hundred old names have been eliminated. from the districts industrial census, this number repre-. senting firms that have changed their names or gone out of business in the past several years, and over 150 new names have been recorded for census purposes.
 The census must be completed by March 1.
 pay tiny forfeit of $15O for every day over the stipulated time. General Carson had called attention to this for felt in his report favoring the North eastern company. Their money bid was $133,0 Their time bid was 50 days in their disfavor. Reckon those 60 days at $150 day, add to their bid-said General Carson-and they still had the edge" on. the Pontiac company by some $1S,0O0.
 But time was the essence of the contract" The veterans were waiting for hospital accommodations. None Forbes. He ruled that in the excep- be raised to $450 day. Let us now do a little simple arithmetic. Ths Northeastern company bid $133,OO | The Pontiac company bid $16O,O00 l But the time element favored the Pon tiac company by 60 days. And each day, by the new ruling, was worth $45O. Now 60 times $450 equals $27, And $133,0O0 plus $27.000 equals $160, ,0O0-the true worth of the North western company's bid. The Pontiac company also had bid $160,000. There you were parity, equality. fifty-fifty!
 Called Off Bids.
 Director Forbes reached this deci- sion about the last week in~July. He called all bids off, and so notified the competitors. Then without advertising for new bids, he awarded the contract flatly to the Pontiac. company on the basis submitted at the competition which had been called off. He reached this decision about July 25. The con tract was not signed, however, unti the first week of September. Thougl speed was the essence of the affair Forbes had by calling off the bids de layed things two weeks. But the Pon tiac company was more prompt. They made a flying start. With great reck lessness or great confidence they wer, working on the Northampton site be fore the official date which would be gin the time limit. At that, they fin ished 16 days overtime. Part of tht | forfeit, however, was forgiven them, a! I payment of a claim for extra grading.
 And this Pontiac Construction com pany? It was subsidiary organiza tion to James w. Blacks contractin, business. He was Black of tn, ''Thompson-Black outfit" the St.; Louil contractors for whom E. H. Mortimer chum and travelling companion of Col onel Forbes, acted as agent. The Vet erans' bureau itself witnesses to that Merle Sweet, private secretary of Col onel Forbes, reported officially on it financial rating, which he found ex ' cellent in every respect. Tt is under stood the controlling interest in thi concern is held by the James Blacl Masonry and Construction company O St. Louis, Mo-" he wrote.
 1 Rv o hnnpvolnnt ruiinp anv diSa h1 a, man who ahad anything wrong witt his teeth-whether or no the troubl was caused by army or navy service could get them put in perfect shape q the expense of the veterans bureau In certain regions, anyone who wor khaki in the great war cloud by lit tie chicanery have the same service. 4 contract dentist in small southerl town issued circulars to ex-service men revealing their opportunity. In on year, his bill to the government wa more than $S,000.
 Receiving Full Pay
 Men drawing full pension for tota disability were also receiving full salary as employees of the bureau Selecting one case from many other less picturesque, a pugilist drawing total disability pay was fighting regularly. When, "called" for this by later administration, he said in his Owl defense that he most always lost, now adays. On the other hand, just claim were for months held up in tangle c red tape. The senate committee, as
 have said, had not time to follow Ill every mucky side-trail; but here an, there the purchases contracted by mino employees have q curious look. Civi service rules went largely by the board Posts calling in common sense for on expert at, say, $S,009 year would b staffed by five very inexpert men d $2, 800 or $3,000 Il year. Here, Forbe interposes his defense. "I was used, he says in effect; "all sorts of peopl were showed on me from above-part! men,"
 And though Mortimer was to deal th heaviest blow at the old system ill tn, veterans bureau he had nothing to dC with the incident which brought tn, whole thing to public attention ant caused the dismissal of Colonel Forbes The river-bordered town of Perryville Maryland. hitherto unmentioned il these annals of thesyeterans' bureau springs to sudden prominence. The ir regular sale of government supplies from the Perryville storehouse of tn, bureau brought his splendid mention o power and privilege tumbling about thu ears of Colonel Forbes.
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