Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-10
ENTERS A PROTEST
Another Objection to Canal
Commissions Award.
STORY OF A. J. HOLLEY
DECLARES CONTRACT WAS I'M
PROPERLY AWARDED.
Says That Bids Were Not All Opened
at the Same Time, as They
Should Have Been.
STORY OF A. J. HOLLEY
Special Dispat tch TO The Star.

Special Dspatch TO The star
NEW YORK. September Con the heels
OF the protests OF Hudgins & Dumas and
II. Balfe & Co. against the award of the
fve-year contract for feeding and caring
for government employees on the Isthmus
of Panama came the charge today that the
canal commission had improperly awarded
a contract for roofing in May last.
Alfred J. Holley, general manager of the
Frank S. DeRonde Company, 46 Cliff street.
who prefers the charge, said that the award
cost the government 81 800 on contracts to-
falling s11 coo, and that when he, who was
the lowest bidder protested he was told
by Chairman Theodore P. Shonts OF the
canal commission. who is also president OF
the Panama Railway Company, that his
protest was useless, and that because ne
had made II he need expect no commission
business in the future.
Mr. HolIey said that when he presented
the protest in the form of an afldaVlt No
was greeted harshly. Chairman Shonts re-
fused. Mr Holley said, to entertain the pro-
test, and ordered him from the office
Opening the Bids.
In his affidavit Mr.. Holley AYERS that the
Frank s. DeRonde Company. in response TO
the advertisement Of the isthmian canal
commission, dated April 10 last. submitted
a bid for roofing work At the hour speci-
fed for the opening of the bids represent
tative of the purchasing agent appeared ana
said that some bids which had been re-
ceived had been locked In the safe OF the
purchasing agent, who was absent
The representative of the purchasing
agent Major H. ]. Gallagher, said that as
soon as the safe could be opened the bids
would be delivered to the official In charse.
70
cites. by representatives OF several OF the
bidders, including deponent, against an
opening of the bids until all had been re-
ceived, but said objection was oVerruleu
and the bids were opened.
about half an hour after the Official
opening of the first bid, which happened TO
be that of the Frank s. De Ronde Com.
pany, the assistant to the purchasing agent
entered the room with some fifteen or
twenty bids, which he stated We're those
which had been locked In the safe. pro-
test was made against the recapt OF these
bids, which protest was overruleo.
THE contract was finally AWARDED 10 =
w Bird & Son. East Walpole, Mass. Inc
successful bid was among those locked IN
the safe and was received, MIR. Holley says
at least an hour after the time speclhed IN
the advertisement for the opening OF the
bids The bid OF F. w. Bird & Son. accord
ing to Mr. Holley's affidavit, was shgntiy
lower, as a whole. than the DE Rohue piu,
hut he makes oath that after the reading
or all bids he called upon the purchasing
AGENT and inquired of him the system of
awarding by the commission whether py
items or classes, and was INFORMED .hat .he
universal custom was TO award by ltens'
ON June 90 according to Mr.. HONEY, ne
took this affidavit to Washington, where
he was received at the Office OF the com
mission by Purchasing Agent Ross vi 'he
Panama Railroad Company.
Protest to Shonts.
mfr. Ross, who received me most cour-
teously," said Mr. Holley today told me
that he had no authority to revise AWARDS
and suggested that l call on Mr. Shonts
I did so. Col Edwards of the United States
army was in the room. Mr. Ross was with
me l was received very brusquely.
What does this man want, hoss! MI
Shonts demanded
when l had explained my mission and
detailed my protest reading my aihoaVlt
Mr.. Shonts said: -,
commissions time on foolish and useless
kicks like yours you need expect no future
business " c, .,o,,
Mr.. Holley says Chairman Sbonts then
ordered him out OF his office.
II kent nv temper" said he, and even
NOW do not wish to make any personal
fight against Mr.. Shonts. My position rs
lust this II the commission paid *i,lo
more for roofing on a $1,000 contract ana
rejected another bid of $500 to accept a BID
of 81. 100, what sort of state OF anaHs Is
that? ., 49,
commission is extending millions. l have
no ak to grind. but / think II just as wen
that the people should know now thelr
money is going. l would have said moth
ing Of my case II the Hudgins & Dumas
protes, had not gained publicity
Statement of Chairman Shonts.
Special Dispatch to The Star
GREENWICH, Conn. September tive
had only one Kick personally since l have
been head OF the Panama isthmian COM
mission" said Chairman Shonts Of the
Panama canal commission at his Belle Ha-
ven home tonight and l presume II was
the one YOU refer to- although do not re-
member the name of Alfred I. Holley, gen
eral manager of the Frank 5. De Ronde
Company | know II was about roofing,
however and if there is any misunder-
standing about the matter / am willing to
explain We took charge in April and there
were requsitions as far back as the preVi-
Gus August Our efforts were directed to
catch up and get the things on the ground
which were so much needed. We accepted
bids and placed orders in classes instead OF
items as Mai Gallagher. the purchasing
agent previous to Mr. Ross had done.
This man came to me and insisted on
getting the contract for his class OF GOODS
because he was low on one Item
Mr. Ross spent four hours with him go
ing over matters and showing him why We
could not place orders by items. He was
very persistent and wrote letters which he
afterward apologzed for. We could not
stand on splitting hairs. / don't remember
telling him TO go to a worse climate than
Panama He was low one item, but.
following out our plan OF letting contract
by classes II would have cost the govern
ment several thousand dollars more TO have
given II to him"