Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-26
HIGH SIGNAL BIDS ARE BLAMED
ON PHRASE IN SPECIFICATIONS

Upon their complaint L was caueO De
fore a committee of Congress night
before last. and an investigation Of
the specifications was made, with the
result that the congressional commit
tee decided that I was perfectly JUST
fed in drawing the specifications in q
manner to guarantee that Washing
ton would get the best possible equip
ment.
Patent Articles Not Asked.
There is nothing in these specifica
tons that any manufacturer cannot
comply with If he desires. In other
words. no patented article Is called
for. It is probable, however. that the
Grouse Kinds Co. of Syracuse, N. Y.
and the General Electric Co. of Lynn
Mass, are the only manufacturers
who can meet these specifications al
a reasonable price. I am giving you
all this information so that If you use
our specifications you will be fore
warned so as to keep you out OF
trouble"
Referring to this letter, Mr.. Gibson
read from page 931 of the report OF
the investigation into District affairs
as published for record of the House
of Representatives as an account OF
the event mentioned. as follows:
MFR. Moller-We do not believe that
it is proper or that it is the desire OF
Congress that we should lay the Dis
trict of Columbia open to being re-
quired to purchase anything but the
very best available at the proper price
Mr.. Gibson-No; but 1 think 1t is
the expectation of Congress that you
will make these specifications open to
everybody.
Mr.. Moller-I can assure you that
there is nothing in these specifications
that excludes any legitimate manu-
facturers of signals"
Mr.. Gibson thereupon pointed out
that it was the impression of Congress
that the bids were to be open to all
competitors.
Night Session Held.
Shortly thereafter the afternoon
session adjourned and the committee
recessed until 1880 o'clock last night
when Mr.. Eldridge again was called
to the stand.
Mr.. Eldridge was questioned with
regard to a letter recently sent over
his signature to Commissioner Dough
erty, stating that any legitimate man
ufacturer of traffic signals can com.
ply with the specifications most re-
Gently drawn for traffic signal lights.
Mr.. Eldridge said he referred to the
specifications most recently made for
traffic signal lights.
But the same trouble exists in this
set" Mr.. Gibson said.
You mean they are written
around" started Mr.. Eldridge.
Yes; they are written around"
Mr.. Gibson stated, this phrase having
been used earlier in the hearings to
denote that the specifications were
aimed at favorable receipt by GER
tain bidder, as being written around
supplies on hand by that bidder.
Who drew these specifications"
Mr.. Gibson asked.
Mr.. Eldridge replied that they were
drawn by Col. Moller after consulta-
ton with Warren B. Hadley, the cleo.
trical engineer for the District, and
representatives of the Grouse Kinds
Co. and the General Electric Co.
Says Hadley Present.
He added that Mr.. Hadley, in his
belief. was present during the draw
ing of all specifications.
Evidently striking toward the favor.
1tism shown the Grouse Kinds Co.,
Mr.. Gibson asked the witness IL he
recalled when the General Electric
Co. and the Grouse Kinds Co. had
representatives in his Office together.
He said he recalled that instance.
Were any of the other companies
represented"
mo, sir"
who represented the General Elec-
trio Coz"
Il don't remember"
did you know that the night
before this meeting there was a meet
Ing at the Washington Hotel in which
Col. Moller and representatives of the
Grouse Kinds Co. conferred?"
mo, SIR"
Did the General Electric Co. g
representatives make any criticism of
the specifications"
Not that l know Of"
Did you know that they claimed
there were Is points in the specifica.
tons that favored the Grouse Kinds
Coz"
Not that / know Of" replied Mr..
Eldridge. I was under the impression
that both the General Electric Co. and
the Grouse Kinds Co. were in accord
in the belief that the specifications
were entirely fair and open"
Other Devices Superior.
The committee then drew from Mr..
Eldridge an admission that the Gen.
eral Electric Co. devices for control.
ling traffic were superior in some re.
spects to those in use here at the
present time, notably In the elimina
ton of the yellow light from streets
on which traffic had been stopped
thereby allowing traffic on streets
where the green light had shown to
use the yellow light to clear the inter.
section before the green light on the
street intersecting was flashed.
MIR. Eldridge added that the plan
was to take out the Grouse Kinds
scheme of timing eventually as Il
becomes obsolete and to replace It al
a reasonable cost with the General
Electric Co. scheme.
Mr.. Eldridge admitted knowing
something" of the plan Of Col. Moller
around last November to order 247
lights on a contract naming 48 lights
with an option to get as many more
as necessary.
Was that the order which Mai
Donovan turned down." he was asked
Yes, that was the one"
Eldridge said that when the cues
ton was raised as to whether the traf
nc directors Office could order more
lights on the contract than called for
on the face of 1t, or charge more tc
the requisition than called for on the
contract, Maj. Donovan went straight
up In the air."
He said: No, by no means"" Mr.
Eldridge declared. He said that Mai
Donovan made that emphatically
clear, and added that the idea of order
ing 247 lights was Col. Moller's plan
Letter Removal Cited.
he denied knowledge of the remova
OF IS letters from his office files by Col
Moller, saying that the only hypoth
esis he could assume was that 1t was
done In an effort to cover up some
thing.
AT this juncture Mr.. Eldridge called
to the attention of the committee thai
he had voluminous duties to perform
with regard to revocation and restora
tion of operators permits, stains