The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-23
COM MISSION
.RECHECk|NG
Bull DING BID
More Than Two Hours Spent
in Executive Session Mon
day Reviewing Figures.
Dickson DiscIaims
Such Action

conducted by the city commission
and has already. practically sub
=. stantiated claim of the Atlanta Con-
struction company that It's bid was
lower than that of D. E. Manaseo,
Birmingham building promoter, to
whom the contract was awarded by
a four to one vote Of the commits
sion 10 days ago,
Further checking of the bids
mayreveal that there are still others
lower than Manasco or the Atlanta
Construction company, according to
authentic information Monday aft
ernoon, following an executive
commission conference of two hours
and a half, at which some of the
figures were studied minutely. 1t
is considered probable that con-
clusions will have been reached by
Thursday, when an adjourned ses-
sion has been requested by Commits
sioner w. B. Cloe for another pur-
pose, and if the contract with Man
lasco is rescinded it will be done at
that time.
Dickson Sphinx-Like
Commissioner w. L. Dickson, who
| has had cl srge of the auditorium
project throughout, and who recon-
mended that the contract be awarded
to Manasco, declined to divulge any
of the proceedings of the conference.
He dismissed reporters with the
statement that many things affect
ing the general future of Birming-
\ ham, such as viaducts, etc, We're dis
cussed and the auditorium matter
was only slightly touched upbn.s II
/ was learned from trustworth source
later, however, that more than two
hours of the conference was devoted
to a minute study of some of the au-
ditorium bid figures and that the
only reference to viaducts was a
casual inquiry into the progress
being made with the railroads
Commissioner Dickson said imme-
diately upon coming out of President
McLendon's office, I'VE are in no
hurry, now to settle the matter of
signing the contract with Manasco.
1t will be 10 days before the Chamber
of Commerce check is completed so
there is no need to rush matters"
When questioned, however. he adj
i mitted that the checking would not
affect the excavation work and that
1T could be started, regardless of the
results of the investigation. When
this was pointed out, he reiterated:
I'VE are in no hurry, and that Is the
attitude of the commission
Action Thursday Probable
1t appeared from subsequent, re-
liable statements, however, that the
recheclking of the bids would prob
ably be completed in few days, and
that action might be taken Thursday,
lrescinding the award of the contract
to Manasco. 1t is understood, how
ever, that the four commissioners
who voted for Dicksons motion to
award the contract to Manasco will
be reluctant to retract. since it viii
place them in the light of having
acted too hastily in the face of the
warning of Commi ssioner William l..
! Harrison, who alone voted against
the motion.
Denies Reported Action
When called upon the telephone at
his home later in the day, Commits
sioner Dickson denied that there was
indication that the bid of the At
lanta Construction company was
lower than that of Manasco. He re-
peated that the auditorium project
came in for only a small share of
attention at the lengthy conference.
When asked If it was not true that
all the bids were being rechecked,
The said mo, we are not rechecRing
the bids. We made some comparisons
from figures VI carried in my head,
but there We're no bids in the confer
ence." He was then asked how long
lit would take to determine whether
the Atlanta Construction company
was lower than Manasco. He said
he thought that could be determined
readily at any time. He was then
asked why it was not determined in
the two hour and half that the
commission was in conference dur
ing the afternoon. He refused to an
swer this question and said he had
to go to supper"
| Dickson has consistently refused to
! give out information following con-
ferences on the auditorium, although
he has requested of the commission
that he be allowed to make the state
ments to the press. In public adj
! dresses recently he has given his
| version Of the auditorium history.
much of which he had previously re-
! fused to give to the press. On ons
| occasion he said information regard
! ing rechecking of the plans by an
employed engineer had been withheld
because .it was thought best for the
interests of the Birmingham public. "
| Answer 10 lllC CHAMBER. Oh COM
merce's proposal for the plans to be
completely rechecked by competent
auditorium expert outsidez Birming-
/ ham was framed by the comm ssion
/ in conference during the smorning
The commission consented to a cheek,
provided it required no more than 10
DAYS and that 1t did not involve
\ drawing of new plans
The reply was said by o. L. Bum,
secretary OF the Chamber of Com
/ merce, to be fairly satisfactory, but
he added that it would be acted upon
! officially at meeting of the direc-
/ tors called for 1890 o'clock Tuesday
morning. 1t is understood that a
isouthern city architect will be called
in.
Following is the reply of the city
upon which commissioners declined to
comment further:
Your communication of the 18th
Continued ON Page Five)