Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-27
EIdridge Assistant, at Scan
dial Hearing, Tells of
Signals Sent Free.
"N0 CHARGE" INVOICES
SHOWN INVESTIGATORS
Sensation Produced at Probe When
Seller Reveals Memoranda
to 0usted Engineer.

Further revelations concerning the
Districts dealing with the Grouse
Kinds Co. of Syracuse, N. Y. in the
purchase of traffic signal equipment
were unfolded yesterday before the
Gibson subcommittee of the House
District committee as it continued to
delve deeper into the irregularities
which already have resulted in the
suspension of Traffic Engineer I. G.
Moller, and involved trio Of other Of
f1cials Of the District governmsss.
The outstanding development, NsN-
haps, Of day of continued disci6sr
ures, some Of them so amusing that
smiles replaced frowns on the usually
stern faced committeeman, came late
in the afternoon as Alfred G. Seller.
assistant to Traffic Director NJ. o. Ed
ridge, approached the close of his testi-
mony.
Seller, the final witness, sat before
the committee and in a character
istically quiet manner, produced a
surprise from an innocent looking
cardboard folder in the form of a
batch of documents sent to Col. Mol
ler by the Grouse Kinds Co.
mo Charge" Lights Sent.
Among them were a number of mo
charge" invoices and credit memo
randa, which made the Syracuse firm
appear to be a virtual Santa Claus"
to the District to the extent OF an
apparent gift" of % expensive sig
nal lights, in addition to a credit to
its account amounting to $289.50.
OAfI
planned, had been reposing in bas-
ket on Col. Moller's desk in his Office
for the last two weeks unsigned.
They represented, according to the
Investigators, the efforts Of the
Grouse Kinds Co. to get the
traffic engineer out of the hole" he
admitted he had fallen into upon dis
covering that he had been guilty Of
irregular practice in the purchase of
the electrical equipment.
Representative Gibson of Vermont.
chairman of the committee, read
every item in the vouchers and
credit memoranda, and then turned to
Director Eldridge. who was seated
nearby.
what do you think of that, Mr..
Traffic Director" he asked.
"It looks to me-" Eldridge replied,
llhC LUC COulPdHy nOtL~CA1aAl5C0 10
and is now making good"
Sent "to Meet Shortage"
The mo charge" vouchers stipuia-
ted that the equipment shipped on
the dates mentioned, January Is, 10
%, Of this year, were to meet the
shortage on the apparatus called for
in the contract of May II. 1925.
The investigation veered at its out
set yesterday from the Traffic Di-
rector's Office to the electrical depart
ment. and then suddenly turned
again to the traffic department. where
It will center again tomorrow morn
ing at 1890 o'clock, when the COM
mittee resumes its examination Of
Seller. A representative Of the Po-
tomac Electric Power Co., which
figured prominently in the proceed
ings yesterday, also probably will be
called.
AS a matter of fact, Chairman Glib
son intimated that he may send for
Col. Moller to return to the witness
stand in order to amplify certain Of
the latest disclosures.
The committee spent most OF the
day linking a chain of circumstances
about Warren B. Hadley. District
electrical engineer, in an endeavor to
show that irregularities were prac-
ticed in his department as well as the
traffic office.
Three Hours on Stand.
When Mr.. Hadley left the stand
after more than three hours of Sc
we're examination, the committee had
drawn from him statements indicat-
ing that he had not followed the spe-
cific instructions of the Commission
ers directing the electrical engineer to
supervise the work of the Potomac
Electric Power Co. in installing the
traffic signals and to certify to the
bills for the same.
Only one other witness was exam
ined by the committee-E. E. Naylor,
assistant to District Auditor Daniel
J. Donovan. He was on the stand
only short time. The substance OF
his testimony was more in the nature
of a corroboration of a statement by
his superior to the effect that Mol.
Ter had been warned not to fudge
his accounts by purchasing items in
excess of those called for in the con-
tracts.
Naylor did. however. tell the COM
mittee in this connection that he. too.
attempted to check an irregularity in
the purchase OF the traffic signals.
UH6 ftcqulSitiOH noGuFncu.
Some time ago. he said, District Pur-
chasing Agent M. C. Hargrove for.
warded a reQuisition Of Col. Moller's
to the auditors Office calling for 247
additional lights on an original con-
tract for As, with a memorandum at
tached questioning the legality Of such
an unusual procedure. Naylor eX-
planned that he returned the requisi.
tion to Hargrove, pointing out that
its approval would be in violation of
the law.
Even before Seller amazed the com.
mittee with the submission Of the mo
charge" vouchers and credit memo.
he caused q mild sensation by
telling of his unsuccessful efforts to
have Col. Moller sign a voucher from
the Grouse Kinds Co. for the payment
of $S,84S, which came into the traffic
Office some time in November, 1925.
Twice, Seller said. he asked Molier
to sign the voucher, the last time
about 10 days ago. On the first oc-
casion, the witness declared, Moller
said he wanted to check up on the
before signing the voucher.
The second time, he said. Moller
promised Ito take care" of the docu.
ment in a few days. Seller added that
he then called Director Eldridge's at
tention to the traffic engineers delay
in action on the voucher.
Seller was asked IL he know that
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