The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-08
ALL BIDS ON
HIGH SCHOOL
ARE REJECTED
Tax Board MinCeS No
Words in Declaring Shipp
Given Monopoly.
CLOSED PLANS SCORED
School Commissioners Must
Change Specifications,
Provide Bonds.
BY BEN STERN

BY BEN STERN
The brand of C. G. Shipp upon it's
brow, and a bundle of expensive
plans and useless specifications was
all that the Indianapolis school
board had to show today for it's at
tempt to foist a monopoly upon
the Indianapolis taxpayers"
All bids for the construction of
the Irvington high school, two new
schools, 81 and 81, and additions to
two schools IS and 40, we're ordered
rejected today by the state tax
board, which at the same time, dis
approved the $9s5 900 bond issue for
the construction.
In order to erect the building
which the tax board agreed were
necessary, the school board must
declare a new bond issue and adver-
tise for bids on redrafted specifica-
tiens.
Funds insufficient
Confusion has revealed that even
If the specifications for the heat
ing, ventilating and plumbing work
we're altered, it will be necessary to
have at least an additional 100000
to build the Irvington school.
The school board at its meeting
next Tuesday night is to determine
on the amount of the bond issue
for both the high school and grade
school construction.
Grave warning against closed bid
ding and retarding of competition
was contained in the tax boards re-
lection order. Singing charges
were made at the hearing before
that board Wednesday when it was
shown specifications were so drawn
that only favored material compa-
MES had an opportunity in the
'biddsng.
The tax board members minced
no words in describing the heating
and ventilating specifications as be-
ing designed to create monopoly.
Shipp Is Under Fire
G. c. Shipp, Indianapolis ventilat-
ing equipment manufacturer, drew
most of the fire.
Comparison of figures showed his
bid of $4,000 was $4,000 higher
than that of Herman zietlow, an
other Indianapolis ventilating
equipment manufacturer.
When the commission order was
delivered to the school board today
Lewis Whiteman, board member de-
clared 1t was impossible to construct
the high school for 100000.
"It can be done and should be
DONE" Theodore Vonnegut, another
member, replied.
1.-THE architects, Mcclure and
Shook were told that their plan
would call for more than $4,000
but they said it would not when the
plans we're first shown to me"
Charles Kern, board president said,
"By some changes in the plans,
believe the building could be held
within the original appropriation"
Sees No Need for Change
Retention of the proposed gym
nasium is advocated in the order
and no need for new plans can be
seen by the tax board.
The school board had recommend |
ed that, in order to stay within
the 100000 appropriation, the gym
nasium be deleted and new plans
drawn.
'The ratio of cost of the heating, |
ventilating and plumbing is out of |
proportion with the general con-
tract" the tax board points out.
1.-THE experience of the members
is that no such an amount, $201 900, |
could be approved for the lesser
contract"
Must Permit Competition
The new specifications for this
equipment must be drawn in a man
ner that will permit and insure
fair and open competition in the
heating and ventilating systems and
thereby secure for the taxpayers Of
the city school buildings at prices
that are reasonable and without !
favoritism to any one" says the
partial order prepared by the tax
board.
A letter written by Carl Eurton,
building and grounds superintend-
ent, to w. A. Breining, engineer for
School 40, was introduced. 1t rec
commended the specifications, al
ready written, be changed so as to
favor Shipp.
Charges Procedure Unfair
This is deliberately unfair pro-
cedure," declared zoercher. who
told you to write the letter?"
mo one" was Eurton's answer.
why did you do it, then?"
Because the school board always
has insisted that Shipp equipment
be used and I obey my orders"
Then If things are all sewed up,
the city had better not build any
more schools until after another
session of the legislature" Zoercher
said.
william A. Hough, tax board
chairman. pointed out that where
as the heating, plumbing and ven-
tilating bid on a proportional basis
should not have exceeded S134, 900,
it is s201 900 and that there is some
thing radically wrong with such