Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-15
ASKING
FOR BIDS ON
WAR SUPPLIES
Highway Commission Embarks on New
Policy to Sell Four Cars of RefrigeratOrs
Firms Other Than Goldberg and Son
Are In on Sale.
ORDERS SEALED OFFERS SUBMITTED

came from the same firm. Highway Of.
ficials decided not to accept the offer
and told both to make sealed propositions
and opened the way for others to submit
proposals.
MANY COMPLAINTS
CHARGE MONOPOLY.
Complaints have been numerous that
Goldberg & Son have been given
monopoly in buying at bargain prices
practically all Of the unusuale equipment
received from the United States Cow
ernment.
This was taken to mean the way had
been opened for other buyers to have
the opportunity to acquire surplus
property, and also was taken as an in~
dication higher prices could be obtained
through competitive methods.
A conference was held by Chairman
! Zeigler, Earl Crawford, member, and
John D. Williams, director of the COM
! mission, with Governor McCray shortly
before noon today, the Governor having
returned Unexpectedly from New York
The question Of whether the highway
commission will continue to receive and
dispose Of material unavailable for use
in road construction and maintenance
will be thoroughly discussed at the next
meeting of the board. probably on June
%, according to information obtained in
the Statehouse today.
Members Of the commission and John
D. Williams director, were reluctant to
talk about the statement made yesterday
in Washington by Thomas H. Macdonald,
head Of the Public Roads Bureau Of the
Department Of Agriculture, that Indiana
does not have to receive goods useless
Tor road purposes, but 1t was manifest
there IS a disposition on the part of the
/ officials to formulate a new policy at
the earliest opportunity.
1t has been pointed out to the commfs-
/ sion by persons interested in the hiChs
way program that it can not afford to
continue the receipt of a lot of useless
material which has been finding its way
into the hands Of a single junk dealer
and there is no doubt that the commis-
sioners are keenly aware that their de.
fcnse, that it is good business practice"
Is not meeting public criticism.
GOVERNMENT APPEARS
CHOICE OF MATERIAL.
The Bureau of Public Roads sends out
lists Of available material at certain
periods to all Of the State highway de-
partments. These lists are headed with
this statement:
Materials. equipment, and supplies
available for transfer to you under the
provisions Of Section 5, of the Federal
Highway Act approved Nov. 0. 1921"
and they conclude with this statement:
Such of the materials, equipment and
supplies as have not been requisitioned
Tor transfer to the State will be returned
to the War Department for sale"
This latter tends to bear out Mr.. Mac
Donald's assertion that goods will be
sent on specific requisitions and that the
surplus will be returned to the War
Department for sale, rather than being
disposed Of through the highway commis-
sions. The highway officials have leen
In the habit of telling Washington that it
would take "Indiana's quota" and this
has led to the receipt Of thousands Of
dollars worth Of material which can not
be used in road work.
The commission has repeatedly said
that it feared to make representations
to the Bureau of Roads that it did not
desire to be made an agency for the
sale OF second hand stuff for fear that
the bureau would decline to give Indiana
It's share OF badly needed equipment. 1t
mas been made plain to the commission.
however, that it does not need to fear
retaliatory tactics, and the way has been
opened for frank expression of opinion
between the commission and he Federal
bureau.