i » reconsidered, "sheen hold up en OF WORKS BINER OVER AN ASPHALT TENDER It Gave the Award to An American Company When the Imperial Oil Company of Canada Tendered at $2,916 Less For the Same Material Something in the nature of a sen- sation has been caused in Kingston by the aétion of the Board 'of Works in regard to the acceptance of tenders for asphalt cement [for road paving. The facts of the case are that the Board of Works on Monday after noon recommended the acceplance of a tender made by the United States Asphalt Company for three hundred. tons, more or less, of as- phalt cement The tender of this company was $2,916 more than ihe tender of the Imperial Oil Com- pany, and it is claimed that their product is just as good as the oth er, having been used in Toronto, Montreal and other large cities in Canada. At the meeting of council on Monday the recommendation of the Board of Works was accepled with little discussion, but owing to the vigorous objections raised to their action the matter has beea and the dontract has On Thursday morning a repre- sentative of the Whig interviewed Messrs. Gray and Hogan, represent- ing the Imperial Oil Company, and was given a very clear and compre- hensive statement of the facts of the ease. Mr. Gray, who is an en- gineer and chemist on the staff of the company, stated that om hear- ing that the contract had been awarded to the United States As- phalt Company, John Morris, the local manager of the Imperial Oil Company, notified Mr. Hogan of that fact, whereupon the latter im- mediately made arrangements for Mr. Gray and himself to come to Kingston to investigate the award- ing of the contract... Their reasons for doing so were that the company is a local taxpayer, that it is a Can- adian company operating in Mont- real East and employing Canadian labor, that the product of the two companies is exaCtly identical in every way, and the Imperial Oil Company's price was $5.92 a ton less than that 'of the United States Asphalt Company. With these facts in mind they feit that there must be some great misunderstanding in Kingston, ---- Interviews On &rriving in the city oy call- ed upon the city engineer to ascer- tain what steps were taken on re- ceipt of the various tenders. The engineer stated that he had simply been asked to tabulate the tenders, of which there were seven, and that he had not heen asked to make any recommendation as to which, in his opinion, was the most sait- able material. He told the repre- sentatives of the company that he had said that any one of three ma- terials, of which the Imperial oil Company's asphalt was one, would be suitable for the purpose intended. Mr. Gray asked him the name of the aldermen on the Boards of Works, and, on being told, he called on Ald. C. J. Gra- ham, chairman. of the board. The latter was not at home, being at a meeting in the city hall, and Mr Gray was therefore unable to in- terview him immediately. He then called on Ald. D .Couper, but was unable to see him, as he was indisposed and was confined to his room. He succeeded, however, in obtaiming an interview with Ald. Norris on Tuesday afternoon. Ald. Norris said that he personally was not qualified to be a judge of asphalt, but that he understood from what was said at the meeting of the Board of Works that the United States As- phalt Company's phoduct was the one generally favored. As he was not qualified ta judge for himself, he accepted that view, and voted accord- ingly. The representative of the company informed Alld. Norris that " while it was only natural for a sales- man to window-dress his own pro- duct, in this case there was nb dif- ference in the two sumples, The natural raw material was the same, the source of supply in both compan- {es was Mexifo, the same field, the refining process was exactly identical, only the Imperial Oil Company's pro- duct was refined in their five million dollar factory in Montreal, and that the two samples could not be told apart. He offered to ko an agree- ment i writing that if after analysis by any qualified chemist there was found to be any difference in the two materials, be would gay the cost a WHIG CONTENTS 1-Bensation Over Over Civie Tenders oc A halt; ic Bvachate Pinsk jor Paciinment; anion Caucus - Retief Fund; Inei- dents ge yg So mickey: = i rend; Napanee Cg : Pulliic Opinion; Wal Ax to a es: Telegraphic Tage: Theatre and Lesson For 8 Mn 23: EE ay Council Eee hid Dat : Voy Woods Arves Arvested; MRI || of analysis, and also that if the labels were taken off the samples, and if any qualified chemist could tell which was wh he would bear the expense of the te He also mide this same offer to the members of Board of Works at a special meeting, but was not asked to put his offer in writi Mr. Gray then called on Ald. Pat terson, who also admitted that he was not an expert judge of asphalt At the meeting of the Board of Works on Monday afternoon, the city clerk had read the tendefs, and that cer- tain members of the board seemed to have some knowledge of the sub- ject. Ald. Patterson was of the opinion that the objection taken "to the Imperial Oil Company's tender was that the word bitwmen was not included in the analysis: . Some of the members thought that this was a serious matter, and that an infer ior product might be shipped to the city, and that no redress would 'be possible. Another reason for giving the contract to the United States company wus that their material had been used for some time and had been giving satisfactory servive. Therefore, th eneral opinion was that it would be risky to make any change. Mr. Gray showed Ald the analyses submitted with the tend- er, and explained to him the definition of the word bitu- men, and showed that it the members of the board had been conversant with analys asphalt, they would have known the percent- age of bitumen in the tender from the analyses put in by the Im- perial Oil Co., Limited. He also said that in a letter sent to the city clerk along with the tender he had stated definitely the percentage of bitumen in the sample submitted. ---- Patterson es of The Cali for Tenders. Around this leiter seems to hinge the whole transaction, for on no oc- casion, as far as can be learned, was it ever read {0 the Board of Works nor shown to any of the aldermen. On February 20th the city clerk sent out the following letter calling for tenders: "Sealed tenders will be received by the city clerk up. to three o'clock p.m, March 11th, tor three hundred tons, more or less, exclusive of pack- ages, of refined asphalt for stréetas- phalt pavements, delivered in bar- rels or drums fob. Kingston, duty paid, in car i lots as required. Tenderer to submit with their tend- er a sample and analysis of the as- phailt they. propose to deliver, "Tenders must be uccompanied by a marked cheque made payable to the city treasurer for five per cent. of the amount of the tehder. The low- est or any tender not necessarily ac- cepted (Signed) W. W. Sands." In reply to th's letter the Imperial Oil Comfany sent to the city clerk a sample of their product, their tender and an analysis, accompanied by the following letter, dated March 10th, 1919: "We have pleasure in attaching herewith our tender for three hun- dred tons of asphalt cement, togeth- er with our marked cheque for five per cent. of the tender price. "Samples of our asphalt have al- ready been submitted to yau. "In addition, we attach certified analysis of two representative samp- les of asphalt cement, namely, Im- perial Asphalt fifty to fifty-five pene- tration. and Imperial Paving Asphalt, sixty to sixty-five penetration. As stated in our tender, we wili agree to furnish the asphalt cement of any penetration that your city engineer may desire. We also attach certified statement covering method of manu- facture or of refining and 'produc- tion of the material. "We guarantee it at least 99.8 per cent, bitumen." The letter then gods on to detail various methods of delivery and points out that the product on which they tendered is a Canadian made product, produced in Canada and em- ploying Canadian labour, which is a (Continued on Page 6.) KINGSTON, "ONTARIO. THURSDAY, 1 MARCH EVACUATE PINSK UNDER PRESSURE The Polish Forces Have Compelied the Bolsheviki to Retire. NEARLY ALL UKRAINE HELD THE BOLSHEVIKI--THE FRENCH RETIRE. British and French Have Their Outposts at and Mayence, Berlin BY Ad- Col- Re- The vanced ogne ports, (Canadian Press Despatch.) Copenhagen, March 20.--Bol- shevik troops under the pressure of Polish forces have been compelled to retire and evacuate Pinsk, 100 miles east of Brest-Litovsk, ac- cording to a despatch from War- Saw. 2 Newspapers adds that the French also occupied Rheinau, five miles south of Mannheim and Whinhafen. . A Berlin despatch received Mon- day said that reports had been re- ceived there that the British and French had advanced their out: posts from the limits of their bridge heads at Cologne and Mayence re- spectively The French were re- ported to have entered Frankfort. Mannheim is south of Mayence bridgehead area, but is directly on the east bank of the Rhine, where it is joined by Neckar. Karlsruhe is about five miles east of the Rhine There have been no reports of dis- orders in Mannheim and Karlsruhe recently, Held by Bolshevists. (Canadian Press Despatch) London, March 20.--Virtually all of Ukraine is now in the hands of the Bolsheviki In heavy fignt- ing at Nikolaiov, north-east of Odessa, the Bolshevik lost between 5,000 and 8,000 men, but forced the French garrison, after fierce fighting, to withdraw to Odessa by the sea Further east advices add the Bolshevik have reached the Isthmus of Perekop leading to the Crimea. TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS, To the Proposed Plan of the League of Nations. {Canadian Press Degpatch.) Paris, March 20.--The meeting of the league of mations' 'commission will be held at ten o'clock Saturday morning when all the proposed am- endments and changes will- be con- sidered and the plan put into definite form. This will be the first meeting of the commission since the coven- ant 'was adopted the day before President Wilson left for America, and it will consider proposals sub- mitted at the hearing of neutrals to- day and also any other suggestions which have taken definite form. HON. W. J. HANNA DEAD. He Was Formerly Provincial Secre- tary of Ontario. {Canadian Press Despatch.) Toronto, March 20.--Hon. W. J. Hanna, head of the Canadian end of the Standard Oil Company, for- mer food controller for Canada and one time provincial secretary of Ontario, died 'to-May in Augusta, Florida. Mr. Hanna was one of the late Sir James P. Whitney's strong- est ministers, Mr. Hanna went fo Augusta, Geor- gh, accompanied by his p 1 some time ago. Death folloged stroke. He was born in 1862. THE WORLD'S TIDINGS IN BRIEF FORM Tidings From All Over Told in a Pointed and Pithy Way. Damages in the latest revolt in Berlin will aggregate a million and a half dellars Hockey: UTS, 14; Rewina, 3. This game was for the Canadian jun- ior championship. The Government has consented to the resumption of racing in France beginning on May 5th. The date for the election of dele- gates to the Hungarian national as- sembly has been fixed for April 13th. General Allenby, commander of the British forces in Egypt, has arrived in Paris to advise the Supreme Coun- cil, The French dgmand that the west bank of the Rhine be severed from Germany, as the only safeguard to France. All obstacles in the way of the in- corporation of the League of Na- tions into the peace treaty have been removed. A report is in circulation that Sir George Perley, high commissioner to Great Britain, will resign and return to Canada. A rumor that Premier Clemenceau had resigned, which was current in Paris on Wednesday, is denied in of- fictal quarters. The Munich police have discover- ed a plet to steal army goods valued at ten million marks. Twenty-four persons were arrested. The conservatives members of the Ontario legislature have promised support to Premier Hearst umanim- tously and whole-heartedly. 'Belgian delegates have presented the official request of Belgium that Brussels should be &hosen as the seat of the League of Nations. A Russian wireless despatch says non-Bolsheviki forces; having been dofeated by Soviet troops, have retir- ed toward Odessa, from nonth of that city, The United States Navy Depart- ment states that the British Govern= ment will be invited to send its grand fleet to New York on a visit this com- ing summer. It is suggested, as a happy way of treating the situation, to extend to Alsace-Lorraine, for a time, a certain form of autonomy, under French protection. Greek troops have defeated the Russian Bolsheviki at Kherson, north-east of Odessa, and advanced twelve miles, taking many prisoners and war material. At Ottawa on March 19th thousand enthusiastic citizens royal welcome to the Princess Pats, €anada's great fighting unit. Prac- tically all business was suspended. Three shillings a week increase and an eight-hour day grant to the British miners, is the final report of the coal commission. It is hoped that this will prevent a strike. E. D. Hand, Fenelon Falls, is dead aged eighty-seven years. He was a veteran journalist of = Port Hope, Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls, and established a number of weekly papers. forty gave Racing After Peace Signed. Ottawa, March 20.--Unless the Peace Conference unduly wastes its time, the King's Plate will be run at the Woodbine at the usual date. Parliament will take no action in regard to the matter, and the order- in-Council which bans racing will be allowed to lapse as soon as peace is officially declared. This means that the half-mile tracks, as well as the big rings, will be in full swing this summer. Canadians To Share. Ottawa, March 20.----A royal pro- clamation dealing with the distribu- tion of prize nioney to the fleet pro- ed. SLPS LLL SERB RL HR +9 PRINCESS PATRICIA'S WEDDING PRESENTS. A __Aview of some of the six hundred presents on view at St. James' Palace, a London. THE ESTIMATES IN THE COMMONS Were Brought Down on Wednesday By Sir Thomas Whit $30,046,300 FOR HARBORS THIS SHOULD GIVE A GREAT DEAL OF WORK. Large Amounts Are Proposed for Soldiers' Aid--The War Expendi- tures to be Covered by a Special Vote. Ottawa, March 20.--Estimates brought down in the Commons by Sir Thomas White yesterday after- noon. The total estimated expenditure is $437,679,071, an increase of $137,996,832 over the expenditures of the year which is just closing. Ti argest increase is in public wo which will be largely in con- nection with harbor improvemen's The sum fo be expended on such works is $30,646,900, all of which will be chargeable to capital ac- count. Of the tatal proposed expenditure $85,893,681 will he chargeable to capital account and $351,785,490 to consolidated revenue account. Very large expenditures are again to be made in connection with railways. The amount to be appro- priated is $50,896,681, which is an increase of over twenty-three mil- lion, dollars as compared with the current fiscal year. The remainder of the capital expenditure of five and a quarter millions will be in connection with public works gene- rally. The estimates tabled are exclu- sive of war expenditure, which will be covered by a special vote. The amount provided for pen- sions is slightly over thirty million dollars, an increase of almost four- teen million dollars. over the cur- rent year. Almost one and a half million is to be voted to immigra- tion and colonization costs, an in- crease of $303,000. This does not include the expenditures in connec: tion with land settleme for sol- diers for which the- of twenty- five million dollars is to be voted. Another large proposed expenditure i3°$22,763,420 provided the depart- ment of soldiers' civil re-establish- ment, which includes the amount to be devoted to vocational training of returned men. Miscellaneous public works votes includes $25,000 for a monument to the late Sir Wilfrid Laurier, An additional $2,000,000 will be voted in commection with the con- struction of the mew Parliament Buildings at Ottawa. THINKS HE HAS ENOUGH. "What Do I Want With More Cash?" Asks John D. Jr. Chicago, March 20.-- "What do 1} want with more money--or what 'does my father wamt with more?" was the reply of Johny D. Rockfeller, Jr., yesterday to the charges that the motive back of his support of prohi- bition was the exploitation of labor. "My support of temperance is due to an inherited habit and to the fun- damental principle that "such sup- port is right and proper," he continu- Young Rockfeller declared he and ibis father had given about $350,000 in the last twenty years to further the cause of prohibition. Cannot Extend Credits to Canada Janden, March 20.--Canada is expected to mest hep, loans in the British market as they fall due. About twenty million becomes due in 'June, The British claim that if Canada can offer credits to Euro- pean countries she er fi money, and not on British loans. Lumber at Cost for New Farmers. Ottawa, March 20.---Twelve hun- ns | features of the case, PATRIOTISM AND PELF. Concealment, 'Deception and FalSe Testimony Alleged. St. John, N.B, M report of Commissi Queen on the patriotic action and Kindred brought down in thé Fredericton. Commissioner McQueen lays bare every salient feature of the scandals in connection with the patriotic potatoes and the Valley Railway money used in that connection, and nuoting at every turn from the sworn . testimony the commissioner in his comments and in his findings deals with the conduct of Hon, James A. Murray, Hon. B. F. Smith, Hon. J. B. M. Baxter, George Jones, M.P.P.; William B. Tennant and others, evidence was a feat- ure of the inquiry held during last summer, The commissioner finds that province sustained a heavy that concealment, deliberate decep- tion, and even false testimony, were and he brushes aside the contention that there was no wrong-doing, citing the testi- mony of leading witnesses to illus- trate every step in the. conspiracy by which Valley' Railway money was switehed in the attempt to cover up the potato transaction, and reveal- ing its relation to party politics and party funds The commissioner refers to the attempt of some concerned to shield themselves at the expense of the lat Premier Clarke. arch 20.--The pr James Me- potato trans. matters was legislature at whose the loss EVERY QUESTION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS COSTS COUNTRY $6 London, March 20.--The new House of Commons Is proving itself one of the most inquistive of recent vears. This, too, despite the absence f the Irish members who in previous years have filled the question paper with inquiries Since the opening of the ment the number of questions to ministers has averaged well over 200 and some days has reached nearer 300. As only an hour is allowed each day for the asking and answer- ing of questions, only about a hun- dred can be dealt with daily, the others being anaowered in writing. This does not satisfy the curiosity of the new members, who recently asked that the time should be extended by ap hour and a quarter, In refusing the request, Mr. Bonar Law, the Government leader in the House of Commons, sald every ques- tion asked cost the country $5, chiefly in printing, not counting the time of the permanent staffs of the different departments, who have to collect the data. SINN FEIN RMAN; HIS IDENTITY STATED J. K. Foran, House of Commons Staff, Presided «. Mont= real Meeting. Parlia- Ottawa, Mareh 20.--J. K. Foran of the House of Commons staff, was ad- mitted by the Speaker yesterday to be the man who presided at the "Sinn Fein' meeting in Montreal on Feb- ruary 9th. He has been on the staff since 1902, and his salary is $2,800 per annum. "As soon as I saw the newspaper accounts of the meeting," said the Speaker, "I expressed very strong disapproval of any officer in the em- ployment of the House taking an ac- tive part in any meeting whic eaujd{C be considered of a political chamcter, and directed that Mr. Foran should be at once ordered to resume his offi- cial duties. The matter will be con- sidered at the first meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House." A letter from Mr. Foran explain- ig the part he-took at the meeting was also tabled. ~ TO WAIT AND SEE. Will Postpone Prohibition tion for a Time. Ottawa, March 20.--The Govern- ment legislation validating for a year the prohibition grder-in-Council is not likely to be brought down in Parliament for several weeks, or perhaps not till the end of the ses- sion. There is a disposition in many circles in the Government to await developments, and see how public opinion crystalizes. Quebec is to have a referendum this spring and Ontario one in the autumn. Grand Trunk Railway System traffic earnings from March §th to 14th: 1919, $1,159,337; 1918, $846,504; increase, $312, 783, Legisla- LAST _aDiTIoN_ NON Cs ON THE TARIFF The Government -is Having 2 Fall Dis- cussion of the Question. CONCESSION TALKED OF MAY CUT OFF THE EXTRA 7% PER CENT. And Extend the Operation of* tho Income Tax-----No Final Decision Until the Budget Speech is De- livered. Ottawa, March 30.--The tariff has loomed prominently in the discussion in Parliament in the paat few days as to suggest the proba- bility of something being done ia this year's budget beyond what has been anticipated heretofore. Tha whole situation is being discussed at a ministerial caucus to-day, when both sides will have an opportunity to air their views. The Govera- ment will not outline its policy be-, cause none is finally decided on, but it will ask its supporters to in- dicate what they think should be done. There is promise of a multi- tude and a diversity counsel. Meanwhile it is learned that the ground is being studiéd and some possible changes cgnsidered along lines calculated to grapple with the problem of increased revenue, neu- tralize the low tariff agitation for the time being, and tq do this with the minimum of disturbance to in- dustry. It is stated around the House in circles that should kmow about It that a plan being considered is a slight change in the tariff, perhaps by knocking off the extra 71% per cent, duty, and going even further, and, by way of compensation, ex- tending the operation: of the income tax so as to reach higher up and lower down, probably on a scale proportionate to he amount of ine come. It is also stated that a greatly in- creased excise list -is being con- gidered, revenue to be' ralsed from the taxation of luxuries and such commodities as heretofore have not been classed as Juxuries. In this way, it Is being argued, the end in view may be accomplish- ed .without a serious disturbance to existing conditions. It is to be em- phasized, however, that no final de- cision will be reached and no an- nouncement made until the budget speech is delivered, and, from pre- sent indications, that is a long way off. 80 J . AMERICANS PLANNING FOR ATLANTIC FLIGHT String of Destro troyers 200 Miles Apart to Watch the ' Seaplane. Washington, March 20.--Plans for a trans-Atlantic flight by an Ameri- can seaplane are being made, Acting Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt an- nounced to-day. The fight is ex- pected to take place some time after May 1st. , Lieut.-Commaunder Patrick L. Bel- Hoger has been ordered from Nor- folk to Washington for work in con- nection with preparation of plans for the fight, Roosevelt announced. The plans are now. to' string de- stroyers along the route of the pro- posed flight about 200 miles apart. The seaplane, equipped with radio, would be in constant communication with the nearest destroyer. The plane would at all times be within four or five hours of a destroyer, and by constant radie communica- tion instant notice would be given of any mishap, thus insuring virtual safety for the crew and the scien- tists who will be aboard for Suser. vations. It has not been disclosed whether press representatives will be taken on the plane itself. Men probdbly will be stationed on the destroyers, especially near the start and the fin- ish of the trip, to write the story. NOT WEDDED TO GERMAN. Sir Charles Fergusson's Wife Is Earl ing Col. Peck's reference to the wife of Sir Charles Fergusson, the British general who ordered the Canadians out of bounds at Cologne, as a "wo- man of Cologne," a correspondent of the Chronicle, signing himself "A first cousin of Sir Charles Fergusson," writes: "Sir Charles Fergusson married Lady Alice Boyle, second daughter the late Earl of Glasgow, and sister the jranght Tord Sinsgow.