The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-05-24
Low Bidder Declared Nc
Curdy Offered Contract
for Consideration.
AWARD TO $4,000 BID
OVER LOWER ONES
Investigation Began Yester-
day, Continues Friday.
Secret Witness Called.

Why was the Moline bridge con
tract awarded to the high bidder
when the specifications were in every
case the same
Did County Commissioner McCurdy
tell j. R. belong, Of the Austin
Bridge Company. Atlanta. that he
would get the contract if he came
across with a little cash?
Did the Converse Bridge Company,
of Virginia, the high bidder to which
the contract was awarded, Elk" any
body?
These are the questions that must
be decided at the board of county
commissioners investigation to he
held Friday morning at 3 o'clock in
the courthouse. when a number Of
witnesses, whose names are now a
secret, will be examined.
Graft Charged.
These are the charges that Mr.. De-
Long made Wednesday afternoon
when the Investigation was started.
NlT. DeLong declares specifically that
Commissioner McCurdy approached
him with a proposition of the char
acter indicated, and that he turned it
down, hence the awarding of the cot
tract to the high bidder, although the
specifications were the same, having
been prepared by Engineer RommelI,
acting for the county. Mr.. McCurdy
denied the statement absolutely, and
w. h. Converse, Of the Converse
Bridge Company, of Virginia, denied
that he had been approached or gas
giving out amy graft.
The Whole Story.
The following are the steps lead
ing up to the investigation:
Bids for the Moline bridge were
received February 6 but were not
taken up until last Saturday. the
bidders being as follows:
SCruggs Company, $4,000; Con-
verse Bridge & Steel Company,
$4,000; Virginia Bridge Company,
$4,000; Austin Brothers, $7,700.
At Saturdays meeting Mr.. De
Long stated that the rise in steel had
been so great since the bids were
submitted, in February, as to throw
the previous calculations below the
actual expense Of doing the work.
He asked that the bids be either re-
advertised, or that he be allowed to
increase his estimate by $500 to
cover the heavy advance in steel. Both
requests were refused, and Mr. De-
Long declared that the bid had been
held up for so long a time that he
could not be held to it's fulillment
now. He withdrew the bid, and on
motion of Commissioner Hardy the
award was made to the Converse
people for $4,000, the Virginia
Bridge Company's bid of S9.66O be-
ing passed over, not to mention the
Austin Company's offer.
White Calls Investigation.
! Mr. belong claimed that he could
have gotten the contract by handing
out money, and stated that Commits
sioner McCurdy had made the propo-
/ sition to him. Whercupon Chairman
/ White called the investigation to in
, quire into the charges, Mr.. belong
returning of his own free will, and
at his own expense, from Atlanta, TO
/ testify.
The board met Wednesday morning
/ in executive session and decided that
/ the investigation should be a public
7 one. At the court Of inquiry begun
Wednesday afternoon, Mr. belong
testified for upwards of an hour, re-
iterating his charge and "oing into
various details. W. II. Converse, Of
the Converse Company, declared he
. had given no bride and that he had
not been approached with any such
proposition. Commissioner McCurdy
also entered an absolute denial.
/ Mr.. DeLonF gave the names of five
, witnesses to be subpoened for the in
! quiry which viii open Friday morn
I ing at o'clock in the courthouse.
who he states will substantiate his
charges. These names are kept a
secret, it is understood, in order that
possibility of outside influence being
brought to bear against the Wit
nesses may be avoided as far as
possible.