The times dispatch. [volume], March 24, 1911, Page 9, Image 9

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
Contractor Burton Mas Mis?
understanding With Draughts?
man Bass.
EVIDENCE ALL IN AT LAST
Argument Will Be Had Monday
on* Charges Against En?
gineer's Office.
Although the He was passed in a
committee room at the City Hall yes?
terday afternoon hetwoen Lucicn 1?.
Bass, a draughtsman, connected with
the City Ehglnoor'n ofllcc, and Con- j
tractor Clarence G. Burton, just on
adjournment of tho subcommittee
that has been investigating Mr. Burton's
charg-oa against the Engineer's depart?
ment, friends of tho two intervened
and proven toil an exchange of blows.
In the eloping moments of tlie meet?
ing Mr. Ban* made a statement In re?
gard to certain occurrences In the En?
gineer's otlice.
"I deny that." said Mr. Burton, with
some heat, when Mr. Bass turned and
asked him whether he had not given
a correct account of what transpired
at a tlmo when Mr. Burton, Jackson
Bolton and Mr. Bass were present.
Construing this ?s a reflection on his
voracity, Mr. Bass followed Mr. Rurton
to tho door on adjournment. The lid
panned and Mr. Burton, who is larger
than Mr. Bas??, drew buck to strike
when Assistant Engineer Allen Havllle
pushed forward his husky shoulders.
Friends Intervene.
"Hit a man your size," ho shouted. In
reply to Mr. Burton's remark about
"knocking Buss'b head off " Mr. Bur?
ton was willing to fight any substitute
of the proper size, and there was some
confusion for a moment. Several con?
tractors and others hurried Mr. Burton
from tho building, while Mayor Rich?
ardson and members of the committee
and of tho Engineer's staff gathered
around Mr. Bass. Mayor Richardson j
assured him that a difference In state?
ment between witnesses war, not neces?
sarily a reflection on his intentional j
honesty, as It is known to all lawyers
tliat eyewitnesses frequently disagree
on material /points.
Mr. Bass is a son of the late Colonel
Luden I> Bass, once president of the
Hoard of Aldermen and acting Mayor
of the city during part of the term of
former Mayor Carrlngton. He has been
associated with the Engineer's office
for several years, and has charge of
the filing of plans and drawings, and
tho making of blue print: and charts.
."He Is regarded as a vnlucd employe.
Evidence Concludrd.
The committee concluded the taking
cf evidence In tho Investigation yes?
terday afternoon, and on Monday af?
ternoon at ?5 o'clock the case will be
nrgucd by counsel for Mr. Burton. As?
sistant City Attorney George Wayne
Anderson said that he appeared to aid
the committee In bringing out the
facts, and that he had only repre?
sented the Engineer's ofllce to the ex?
tent of seeing that no ox parte state?
ments were made prejudicial to city
employes, As he appeared for the com?
mittee, rather than for the Engineer's
department, and might be associated
with the committee In drafting its
report, he said he did not feel called
on to argue tho case.
Mr, Burton himself was the chief
witness yesterday, and was on the
stand nearly all of the afternoon, tell?
ing' in detail of what had led up to his
making the charges. He had bid sev?
eral times for sowers in 1&10 and lost,
securing no contract from the city in
that year. He noticed a variation in
bids submitted, and came to the con?
clusion that some were not bidding on
the stone for basins.
Und Wrong Form.
In January, 1911, according to his
account, ho asked for plans and specifi?
cations on a job, and was supplied
by Mr. Bass. While In the ofllce he
remarked to Mr. Bolton thnt there was
a variation?that the specifications did
not require stone. Mr. Bolton said he
had the wrong form and gave him one
with the Interlineation regarding sup?
plying stone. There ' was some dis?
cussion over the matter. Mr. Burton
assorting that some bidders were not
supplying ston->. Finally Mr. Rurton
said he would not estimate on it, even
though it were In tho specifications,
and Mr. Bolton told h!m, "Do as you
choose."
When the bids were tabulated. Mr.
Burton came to see the sheet and it
was shown him by Mr. Bass, whose
attention he called to an error of too
many house connections for the length
of sewer. The Jot, was then figured j
to go to Mnynard.
Mr. Bolton later admitted the error.!
nnd said that on correcting it, the job
bad gono to Fletcher & Kelly. The
sheet was gone over again and an error
found In brick computation, and final?
ly Mr. Burton got the contract and
executed it?the first he has gotten in
more than a year. Mr. Burton em?
phasized this, as something had been
said before about his getting contracts
in the past when not the lowest bid?
der.
Wenl to Mayor.
Mr. Rurton said hp fehl former
Councilman T. Francis Green about the
confusion, saying that he knew errors
were likely to occur with the best cal?
culators, but that he thought the two
sols of specifications singular. Ho went,
with Mr. Green to tho Mayor's office.
According to Mr. Burton. Mr. Boiling
stated In the Mayor's office that the
Interlineation in the unit form of spe?
cifications was an error that crept in
when the committee decided to lmye
two forms of bidding. Tt was then
claimed, be asserted, that the inter?
lineation should be in only one sei. the
linear measure, hut was never intended
lo be in the unit system specification.
Many street basins, ho asserted, had
been erected in various narts of the
city, which had been paid for by the
city, but were sllll incomplete as to the
top stones called for In the plans. He
did not take his complaint to the head
of the department, an he had been re
forred to First Assistant Engineer Bol- I
ton us In charge of sewers.
Not Called On to Say.
"Do you think," naked Colonel An?
derson, "there was any purpose to ox
clude you and your nophow from city
work by giving information to all other
bidders that was not given to you ,
two?"
"I don't think 1 am called on to say." )
answered Mr. Burton. "The evidence la
hero. It ia not for me to Interpret It.
I do not think the mistakes In calcula- ,
tlon were Intentional."
Frank T. Bates testified as to the In- '
structlons of City Engineer Boiling to j
Interline all .contracts.
Mayor Richardson mad? a general '
statement as to what had occurred In
his office, the charges being mistakes
In. calculation, use-of two sets of spc- ,
?ideations, inconvenience to bidders by i
not allowing them use of plans long
enough to make calculations, and fail- '
ure to furnish them with estimates ot
the approximate amount of work to be
done.
The Mayor said he found no mal?
feasance or misfeasance, but was sat?
isfied that certain mistakes had been ,
made, though no injuiitlce was done
Mr. Burton, ns he got the contract.
I)I?nsfree? With Holling.
"As to the two sets of specificstlons,"
said the Mayor. " It was my Impression '
from Mr. Boiling's statement to me, ?
that when parties bid by the unit ,
system, they were not required to fur?
nish stone. Mr. Boiling has since said ?
that lie required all parlies to furnish j
stone whether bidding by either!
method. I did not so understand him !
at the time. I told Mr. Burton I !
thought It a matter for regulation by j
the Street Committee. 1 regard It as
entirely proper that an Inquiry should
be made and a report formulated so
that all contractors may understand
alike, and such mistakes be avoided in!
fuiure."
Mr. Bass made a statement in regard 1
to Mr. Burton's account of his getting!
specifications from the office, saying!
that Mr. Bolton had at once come for- j
ward and called attention to his offer-'
Ing tho wrong specifications, and that
neither the plans or specifications had
left thc office. Mr. Burton finally flat ? !
ly denied Mr. Bass's statement, saying I
that he had the specifications rolled j
up In his hand, and was leaving when !
he spoko to Mr. Bolton.
With the understanding that all tes- I
tlmony Is In, and that only counsel will
now bo heard, the committee adjourned \
until Monday afternoon at 5 o'clock. ?
RECTORSHIP NOT
YET CONSIDERED!
St. Paul's Vestry Has No Inten?
tion of Taking Up Call at
Early Date.
No definite plan for calling a rector
to St. Paul's Episcopal Church has been
discussed as yet by the vestry, though
several names have been tentatively
mentioned among members of the con?
gregation, includlnc the- name of Rev.
W; Russell Bowie, a former Rlch
monder, now conducting a mission in
the Ragged Mountains, with headquar?
ters at Greenwood.
Judge R. Carte: Scott, a member of
the vestry, said last night that the
matter Qf selecting a rector had not
as yet been formally taken up by that i
body, and that probably no action |
would he tahen for several months. I
Arrangements have been made for
pulpit supply for the next three
months, and even when a permanent
rector is secured it Is not anticipated
that he will as.surqe charge until next
fall, as many members of the congre?
gation are away from the city in the
summer months. Judge Scott said that
ho thought the vestry would take
ample time before acting, so as to get
all Information possihle, and be cer?
tain of getting the right man for thc
place.
The vestry meets next Monday night,
hut the call, it is stated, has nothing
to do with the selection of a rector,
but'relates to other church business,
including extensive improvements to
the church building recently authorized
at a congregational meeting.
Talk of Mr. tic.wie.
Mr. Bowie, whose name is being men?
tioned by members of the congrega?
tion, was raised in St- Paul's Church
lie Is the son of the late W. R. Bowie,
an attorney of Richmond, and a grad?
uate of Harvard and of the Episcopal
Theological Seminary at Alexandria.
Recently he was extended a call to
the R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal
Church, Ijcxington. Two years ago
he was tendered the position of as?
sistant rector at St. Paul's at a salary
of $2,000 a year, and declined, feeling
at that time, that he must continue his
mountain mission work.
One member of the vestry Is ouoted
as saying that he would oppose the
selection of any one over thirty-five
years of age. Mr. Bowie is not yet
twenty-nine.
The name of Rev. W. E. Evans. D.
formerly rector of Monumental Church,
and now rector of Christ Church. Bir?
mingham. Ala., has been mentioned.
In-. Evans is more than fifty years of
age. in the prime of life.
It was announced yesterday that
Rev. P. A. Arthur, who has been in
charge of St. Luke's Mission in Rich?
mond, has been assigned by Bishop
Gibson to the charge of Trinity Church,
Manassas. succeeding Rev. F. L. Robin?
son
Mr Arthur has been at .St. Lukes
for three years, and was previously
rector of St. Margaret's, Caroline coun?
ty.
SECRETAHV XAtlEI. AND WIFE
VISITING IX WINCHESTER
Winchester. Va., March 23.? Charles
V. Nagel. Secretary of Commerce
and Labor, is at ' Winchester Inn
for several days. lie is accompanied
by Mrs. Nugel. He declined to discuss
Shy Cabinet matters pertaining to Jap?
anese and Mexican troubles
Danville Company Inspected.
[Special to The Times-Dispatch.]
Danville, Vu., March 23.?The annual
United Slates, inspection of thc Dan?
ville Light Infahlry was held bere to?
night in its quarters in the Municipal
Building. The inspection was made by
Major 10. I\ Tnggart, of the. Twenty
Ppurth Infantry. V. S. A. The inspec?
tion was made in the field service uni?
form, aitd .Major Taggart congratulated
thc young men on the good showing
made. There are fifty-three men in
the company and three officers.
strike Causes Failure.
New York, March 2:!.?The strike of
tax Ida 1; chauffeurs last fall is hold re?
sponsibly for the ?fall tiro of the Cab
and Taxi Company, for which a re?
ceiver was appointed to-day. Tho as?
sets are estimated at Sf.00.00i). while
tho liabilities were not announced.
^^^j ^^^^ I
Announce
.35
Here is a letter from the Regal Shoe Company that will begin a new era
in the shoe business. It will be an earthquake for the shoe trade, but like other
Regal innovations, a benefit to the public, in which pnrchasers of Regal Shoes
will first share. No concern having a plant and organization less powerful than
the Regal Company's could dare to so defy trade custom. But?
It Means Greater Variety and Greater Value in Regal Shoes Than Ever
To Regal Agents and Regal Customers Everywhere:
Boston, February 1st, 1911.
The retail price of every shoe hereafter produced in our factories will be the manufacturing
cost of that shoe, plus five per cent, commission and the cost of selling.
Except that we shall not "split" nickels, every price will be fixed exactly as it thus figures,
regardless of whether it comes out in odd or even money. Thus, if the cost of any model, plus
5%, is S3.85, the price of that model will be S3.85?not $4.00. or any other figure. And this
price will be verified and certified by chartered public accountants and stamped on the shoe at the
factory.
This smashes the immemorial shoe-trade policy of building all high-grade shoes to fit cer?
tain arbitrary prices. The trade will, undoubtedly, rise in protest against our action, and call
us "price-cutters." But, like Regal innovations in the past, it will benefit Regal customers.
In face of that fact we can disregard this protest as we have others.
This is NOT a price cut, although the result will be to give Regal Shoe buyers better value
for price than ever before. Regal Shoes have always been priced at 5% above cost of manu?
facture and selling. But, according to universal custom, the prices were fixed BEF'OREHAND
at $3.50, $4.00, $4.50, etc.?and the shoes were built AFTERWARD to fit those prices.
Hereafter we shall regard the shoe as FIRST in importance and let the price fall where
it will. Regal customers will therefore profit by numberless small savings represented in the
new Regal plan. And in designing Regal Shoes we shall no longer be obliged to keep one eye
on the shoe and the other on a fixed, arbitrary price at which it must be sold. We shall now
keep both eyes ON THE SHOE, to the improvement both of style and of value.
Very truly yours, _
Managing Director,
Regal Shoe Company.
This means an end of the arbitrary prices on shoes.
These arbitrary prices have for years been fixed
on good shoes immovably at $3.50, $4.00, S4.50,
$5.00, S5.50, and so on; each price always a half
dollar jump away from the next.
If a designer produced a new shoe which could
properly be sold at, say, S4.30, the manufacturer had
either to take something out of it to bring the price
to $4.00 or to add extra and unnecessary expense
merely to shove the price up to $4.50.
Thus you can see that under the fixed-price system
the customer often had to buy and pay for more
than was actually necessary. True, the difference
was seldom large?20 to 30 cents at most?and true,
too, that in Regal Shoes the full money's worth was
always given. But, what the customer wanted was
TO GET A SATISFACTORY SHOE?not to say
a r er tain price. Why should he be forced to pay in
half-dollars if satisfaction could be given in dimes?
Why must he pay S5.00 if all that he wanted could
be had at $4.85?
Hereafter, as Mr. Bliss' letter states, every Regal
price will be made to fit the shoe, not the shoe to fit
the price. If the Regal Shoe-builders produce a
style that can be sold for $3.85, then $3.85 will be
the price. Nothing will be added merely to bring
its price to $4.00, nor will anything be taken out to
make its price $3.50. The customer gains both
ways, and the Regal style-makers now have a free
hand, unfettered by tradition.
With this new freedom, and with the whole at?
tention of the Regal organization fixed on standards
of quality, regardless of the ups and downs of the
leather market, Regal Shoes will more than ever be
the best that money can buy.
In Regal Shoes
ant and Pay Only
Get
for What You Get
This Is The Stamp
611 E. Broad Street
Exclusive Distributors of
iSJ&n of
ye REGAL
Roseneath Road Property, Held
by W. S. Forbes, Subject
of Litigation.
Argument was parity heard ?yesier
Jay in the Chancery Court in the case
of Council and others against \V. S.
Forbes, over a one-half interest in a
large tract of valunble property lying
on the Rosencath Road, partly in tho
partly out of the city limits, at the
head of the present extension of Mon?
ument Avenue.
It in claimed that tho property was
purchased from :t man named.Griefe, in
Baltimore, before the annexation of
190C, on joint partnership account.
Forbes denies that partnership, claim?
ing to have purchased the tract out?
right In his own right, and asserts
that Connell has. no claim on It what?
ever, either as partner In the owner?
ship, or or for commissions -on the sale.
.lames 10. Cannon and A. G. Collins
represent Mr. Connell. and Meredith
&. Coclta appear for Mr. Forbes. Tho
argument, which began yoatorday
morning, will continue to-day.
Mr; Mclodith ridiculed some of tho
affidavits in regard to the character of
Conn ell. given by members of the How?
itzers' Battalion some years ago. when
Connell was n member, tlio assertions
being tiiat Connell had been known as.
n man of honesty and good character.
"I didn't suppose he would steal a
cannon." commented Mr. Meredith: The
papers in the case are voluminous.
The land is that on which Mr. Korbes
at one time proposed the erection of a
resilience, facing directly down the]
centre of Monument Avenue, extended,
toward the Davis Monument. The liti?
gation delayed that project, and it may
lie now that the county authorities
Children Ury
FOR FLETCHER'S
CASTORS
ttooa as the Name. Virginia Made
WILTSHIRE'S
1009 E. Main St.
TEH 1 CA N AND a FXraOTO <d A'.tVS
9
TMP BEST .
fiYfiV&rVTt&t
ma.
will see tho advisability of joining: with
the city and properiy-ownera in open?
ing Monument. Avenue as a driveway
some distance into the county.
County Officer Exonerated After
Examination by Sheriff
Kemp.
Deputy Sheriff Frank B. Traylor, of
Ilenrlco county, was thoroughly ex*
onerated of any intimation of negli
gence of his duty by Sheriff L. H.
Kemp after a sweeping Inquiry yester
day.
Jt was brought to the attention ot
Sheriff Kemp that Deputy Traylor had
failed to make, an arrest In a recent
.shooting episode In Brookland Park.
The matter was looked upon as a
grave charge, and one which the heart
of the county constabulary deemed to
demand his Immediate attention.
Ho was closeted with Deputy Tray?
lor for some tlmo yesterday morning.
Following this conference. Sheriff
Kemp expressed himself satisfied with
thp conduct of the officer In The por
forma'neo' o^ his duty.
Deputy Traylor donled the nllega
lti?3 of dereliction of dutv from tha
first, and has been llrm in his stand,
lie was confident that the sheriff's In?
vestigation would result in his ravor.
In fact, he courted an examination.
Speaking of the mailer. Sheriff
Kemp said last night: "1 have inquir?
ed into the case and lind nothing to
warrant even a reprimand for my
deputy. Mr. Traylor has not been
deredlct in ills duty, and his conduct
has only been that, of a capable and
elHcient ofllcer."
Two Convictions,
in the Hustings Court, yesterday
dames Robinson, colored, charged with
maliciously wounding Charles Loving.
a white man. was convicted of ussa.ult
I arid battery, sentenced to fifteen daya
i in jail and fined $5.
William Willis, colored, charged with
assaulting Harry Ounn, was convicted
i of assault and battery and sent to lall
i for fifteen days
Official Visit to Idles.
[Special to The Tlmes-Dlspatch.]
Danville. Va? March J.; ?District
Deputy Grand Exalted Kuler J. A.
Cblsholm. of Charlottosvllle, paid an
official visit to the Danville Lodge of
Ellcy here to-night. After the session
was concluded an Informal social ses?
sion was held.
Light, Sparkling,
Refreshing
No Pumping
No Impurities
1$
No Tanking
No Stagnation
PHONE MONROE 477 OR 478
Guaranteed by Holly Litrua Springs Cc Inc Richmond, W under Pute P<*k1 *a|
Drug Act. June 30, 1904. Serial No. 30,533.