San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-24
bEXAR HIGHWAY
WORK BRINGS
BIC PROFIT
Trial Of Hoffman Company
Suits Carried Over
to Next Week.

AUSTIN. Jan. 23.-Trisl Of the
states case against the Hoffman
Construction company. of Eastlard,
on pleas Of privilege which has been
IN progress before a jury in the Fifty
third District Court here since LAST
Monday, is not expected 10 be cou-
cluded until the latter part of next
week. When the court recessed Sat
urday at noon until Monday morn
ing, eight witnesses had been exam
ined in behalf of the state, and 1t is
said there are several more witnesses
to be examined after which the de-
Tense will be heard.
The main suit against the Hoffman
company is for the cancellation of
highway maintenance and topping
contracts in several counties in
Southwest Texas and also counties in
the western portion Of the state, also
for the recovery of S296,000 of IN
paid estimates ana for S125,000 dam
ages. The company has contracts for
surfacing and topping of about COG
miles of highway. This case will have
to be tried after the question of
change of venue has been determined
by the jury.
s42,so0.4o PROFIT.
Testimony offered Saturday by A
L. Huber, Dallas, auditor. disclosed
that a profit of slightly less than 200
per cent was made by the defendant
company in the five and one-hah
months commencing in May on
maintenance contracts of state high
ways in Bexar, Comal. Guadalupe,
Kendall. Kerr and Medina counties.
Huber testified that the company re
ceived from the state or is due 500,
1886, while the direct maintenance
costs totalled S23,676.56, leaving
gross prcSit of 81, 300.40 for the work
done in the six counties. The largest
profit was made in Bexar COUNT,
where costs were only one-fifth OF
money received or a profit OF 400
per cent.
Books Of the San Antonio office of
the defendant company were audited
by Huber, who stated that the office
there was in charge Of Morris Brown
who was paid a salary of $500 per
month, and received half the net
profits. The net profits aggregated
500 1888 IS but Brown received only |
approximately $4,000 as some Of the |
money due has not been paid, being |
held up BY order Of the court.
ITEM is BARRED.
Raw Starnes. of San Antonio, 4
stakeholder in the defendant company
was paid $500 monthly by the San
Antonio office, Huber stated. There
was considerable dissension over an
item of $1,000 for a coat, pants and
hat" given TO a man the state claimed
was an important state highway EN-
ploye of the San Antonio district.
The item was finally barred from the
records. 1t was also disclosed byi
The audit that a contribution Of $50
was made to the Milk Fund of San
Antonio.
n. ]. Cox, state highway msinten-
ance engineer, testified that from 10
10 IL cents a square yard would have
been a reasonable price TO pay for
single ssphaltic treatment under spec
ifications of the Hoffman company
contracts. From 20 to "a cents would
have been reasonable for two-course
with the second course
treatment within two weeks of the
first Cox stated. He said 30 certs
would not be unreasonable If several
mouths elapsed between treatments,
although il would be impracticable
10 wait that long. The highway COM
missioners did not consult Cox In
awarding the Hoffman contracts, the
witness testified, adding that he was
not aware that the contract was be
ing considered at the time it was
awarded the defendant company.