The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05
WOOD UNDER FIRE.
Thompson Committee Dclves Fur
cher Into subway signal Contract.

Joseph s. Aucibach went before the
Thompson legislative committee yest,r-
day and denied that lie ever told Public
Service commissioner Williams that he
would startle the community IL he got
q chance to tell the circumstances under
which "A contract for installing signal
devices in the Brooklyn Fourth avenue
subway was let to the General Hallway
sigma. Company of Rochests; in prefer
ence TO the Federal Signal Company of
Albany.
Thc contract in question was awarded
Oh recommendation az COMMISSIONS
Wood IN December Of last year. Tes-
timopy last week showed that the Fed
eml Signal Company had been the low
est bidder. but that after changing the
specifications 50 as 10 admit the future
Installation of "A speed control system
The Public Service Commission. on
recommendation of Commissioner Wood.
had awarded the work to the General
Railway Sigial Company. The oilange
In the specifications enabled the General
Railway signal Company ~ undetbid the
Fedt"a, company h! $40 600. but il was
not disclosed until yesterday that after
the hearing held by Commissioner Wood
the various bidders dickered over the
contract, that The Federal company also
offered to reduce It's bid without public
Teadycrtising and that the General Rail-
way sAI'hA COMPANY SIUlpiN peat OUT ltS
chief competitor under rules to which
both had agreed.
This Information was given by Alfred
II. Eenshaw, president OF the Federal
Signal company, who testified after Mr..
Aueibaci had left tine stanu. When the
Thompson committee took up this mat
ter last week Commissioner Williams re-
affirmed testimony given by him last
February. at which time he asserted that
ne aud others felt thor. uaS Gnfro.' hing
queer about Commissioner Woods
award. lie followed this testimony with
An account of the conversation with Mr..
Auerbach. in which he said Mr.. Auer-
bach minated his possession of start
ling facts.
Mr.. Auerbach not only denied such
possession, but said he had no recollec-
ton of having talked to commissioner
Williams at all. He said that as coun-
gel for the Federal Signal Company he
did apply to the commission for a re-
opening of the case after the regular
bids had been opened. the dickering over
reductions had taken place and the Gem
eral Railway Signal Company had been
successful. He said the reason he
dropped the matter without setting forth
the argument Of the Federal Signal
Company was that Mrs. Renshaw died
suddenly and made IT impossible to call
Mr.. Renshaw as a witness.
Mr.. Renshaw testified that his rom
pany was the lowest bidder on the
original specifications for the Fourth
avenue subway work. His chief rival.
the General Railway Signal Company,
then offered to install a speed control
device and to reduce its previous bid
by 800, 900. Mr.. Renshaw said he also
got a chance TO reduce his bid and of
fered to cut II down $50. 900. The offer
Of a s10O,0 900 reduction made the Gen
eral Railway Signal Company the lowest
bidder and Commissioner Wood gave
hat company the job. Mr.. Renshaw as
serted, however, that nothing has been
done with the speed control device and
that the work is now being done under
the specifications on Which ne was
originally the lowest bidder,
Members OF the Thompson committee
admitted yesterday that the admission
Of Mr.. Renshaw thai he had agreed
20 change his bid without readvertisins
materially weakened any claim of UNI
fair preference he might have. But the
committee will hold that COMMISSIONS
Wood failed to protect the interests OF
the public by permitting such changes
In the bids, the idea being that ever
more might have been saved had there
been "A readvertising.
The Thompson committee will resume
its hearings tomorrow morning.