Evening star., 1927-09-23
DISTRICT PROBES
BRICK CONTRACTS
Commissioners Investigate
Awards for Projects, Fol-
lowing Complaints.

An investigation Of the award OF
brick contracts for construction prof.
ects for the District government is
being made by the District Commits.
sioners following criticisms by Henry
E. Stringer. vice president and man.
ager Of the Hydraulic Press Brick Co.,
and John Clark of the Victor Crushwa
Co. of Hagerstown. Nd, it was learn
ed today at the District Building.
The complaints involve contracts
for face brick for the public. schools
covering a period of several years,
and a recent award for supplying the
bricks for sewer construction work
which Clark charges should have
gone to the firm he represents, as 1t
was the low bidder. A COMMITTEES of
District officials which passed on this
award rejected the bid of Clark s
company on the ground that the brick
did not meet specifications.
Procedure Is Criticized.
Mr.. Stringer's chief criticism con-
Germs the procedure followed in the
purchase of brick and that the prod
ucts of his company are never Sc
lected as samples, although the specl-
fications require that the contractor
must bid on brick comparable to the
samples on display in the office or
the municipal architect.
The files OF the District Building
are yoluminous with correspondence
between District officials and Mr..
Stringer over the award of brick con-
tracts. In one letter addressed to
Commissioner Proctor l.. Dougherty.
under date of April 7, Mr.. Stringer
said:
Il have had check made and ]
find that in the Winter and Spring of
1929 we furnished on direct orders
from the District of Columbia some
934, 900 red brick which were used for
the interior lining of the Macfariand.
Langley, Lovejoy and Garrison
Schools. In the four years that have
interviewed we have served bricks on
only four District of Columbia opera
tions.
"These orders were 10 900 salt-glazed
brick and face brick and 100000 COM
mons, the latter brick not needing
any approval in the District Building.
This record undoubtedly speaks for
itself, particularly when correspond
ence on file in the District Building
will show that bricks sold in the Win
ter and Spring Of 1928 were purchased
after parties connected with the Dis.
trict government had tried in every
way to keep us from getting the con-
tract. Notwithstanding we had the
lowest bid and were offering high
grade product"
Wrote to Moore.
Later, Mr.. Stringer wrote to Repre-
sentative r. Walton Moore of Vir.
ginia, complaining of the award of the
brick contracts and pointing out the
failure of the municipal architects
office to select the products of his
company as samples.
This selection" he said, gives such
brick a preference"
Mr.. Moore referred this letter to
Commissioner Dougherty with a sug-
gestion that the Commissioners ascer-
tain the facts land determine whether
or not there is any failure to give the
same opportunity to the Hydraulic
Press Brick Co. which is given other
companies"
Commissioner Dougherty sent Mr..
Moore's letter to the engineering de-
partment and reply was written by
Engineer Commissioner William B.
Ladue. which read as follows:
II have gone into the question with
the municipal architect and find that
Mr.. Stringer's complain is based
upon his failure to sell brick to con.
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