Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-26


letter to the company: So on July IS.
1926, in the same manner, and "a in
December 1926.
Mr.. EIdridge produced figures show
ing from the order books in this re-
spect the following points:
Ninety.nine lights had been con-
tracted for under date II June IA,
1925, for which $9.04S had been paid;
two lights had been contracted for un-
$3.50 had been paid; 48 lights had been
ordered under date of May is, 1926,
and "a lights had been ordered under
date of December II, 1925. In neither
| of the last two cases has any pay
ment vet been made. This gave a to-
tai of 173 lights, Mr.. Eldridge said,
| and in addition II other lights, not
ordered were on hand making a. gen
eral total of 1874 to be accounted for.
He was asked to check up on the dis
crepancy in figures. and stated ne
would forward the information from
a further check-up to the committee.
Denies Giving Approval.
When asked what had become OF
the difference between 17S lights ana
232 lights. Mr.. Eldridge shrugged MS
shoulders, sighed and said:
search me. l don't know.
| Durinr the rest of the questioning
he denied that he knew OF COL MoiieI
advancing information to the Grouse
Kinds Co. or Of classification OIL VoucIi
ers or Of the changes In orders aneseo
| m have been made by Col. Moller.
He denied also that Col. Moller had
bis annroval to take such steps as
Col. Moller had intimated at nearing
Wednesday night.
| T. TnVvnA
District Auditor Donovan. upon oe.
inc sworn. told the committee unaI
he had held the position OF auoltor
since 1919. He sketched for the con-
mittee the methods whereby ma
terials are obtained by the Dls'ric'
government through contract.
First, he said, the contlac' rhan
nroved bv the Commissioners. Ihen
reouisition for the materials Is
| issued nv the office concerned WIN
the purchase. The purchasing oincer
checks on this requisition ana II Is
| then sent to the auditor for account
inc n,,rchases and to have a DOCK
keening entry made laying aside such
| funds as necessary to pay TOT the
article. Passing through the auui'oI
office the requisition Is inspected anu
checked for legality with a view aiso
| to the expediency OF making tne pua
chases. Donovan said. After approval
nv the auditor and the purchasing
office. the purchasing officer issues the
order for the purchase.
ono officer of the District or Co.
| lurhia is authorized to incur an oDlsa-
| ton by ordering any sort or material
| or supplies, except on requlsltlon anu
order by the purchasing officer, MAJ.
| Donovan declared.
Substitutions Called Irregular.
"Could Mr.. Eldridge or Col. Moiler
order materials directly themselves!
| he was asked.
Not unless they violated the regu-
lations," Maj. Donovan said.
Referring to letter of May IL,
| 1926. in which Col. Moller wrote to
the Grouse Kinds Co. instruct
ing the company to vary the shipment
| of materials from those stipulated In
| a contract, but to bill them as though
shipped in accordance with the orlgi-
| nal contract. Chairman Gibson asked
Mai, Donovan whether such letter
was in she regular order of business.
ut was absolutely out of the regu-
lar order of business" Maj. Donovan
declared emphatically.
did the Grouse Kinds Co. re-
ceive a legal order from the purchas-
| ing officer" Representative Houston
| of Delaware asked.
yes, SIR" replied Maj. Donovan.
Denies Approving Change.
| AS q result, Maj Donovan con-
| tinued, the company was on notice
| that the order was on the purchasing
| officer of the District Government.
and that the provisions of the con-
tract specified that deliveries should
| be made in accordance with orders of
the purchasing officer of the District.
Asked whether he had ever inform
ed any one that departure from the
regular order In changing the terms
of shipment was permissible or could
be DONE" Maj. Donovan declared
Absolutely. unequivocally and
| positively, no."
Ibid any one ever question you as
to whether you would approve pay
ment of a voucher in a situation such
as outlined?"
Maj. Donovan then said that such
| a request had brought up the mat
ter in which the committee was in
.terested.
Called for Conference.
IT thought 1t was in January. but
L
said, when my assistant, Mr.. Naylor.
came to me and said Moller had told
him he had an order for delivery of
| articles called for by contract and
| that he wanted to substitute other
articles for them. Naylor told him
! he could not do that, that it was
wrong, illegal. Moller told him then.
Naylor said, that he had done it in
| the past with the auditors approval.
When I learned this. I Immediately
sent for Col Moller and Mr.. Eldridge.
II told Col. Moller in language
which might not sound good here in
the presence of ladies what thought
about such a proposal. I recalled to
| him an indictment of a Government
| official here some years ago-his name
will do no good now-in a somewhat
| similar case.
| "Moller admitted at that time that
he was wrong in stating that the
auditor had authorized him either to
substitute one item for another or
| to certify a voucher as If goods had
been received which had not been
received" This admission, Donovan
added, was in the presence of Mr..
Eldridge and Mr.. Hargrove, the pur-
chasing officer. The same day, Don.
ovan continued, he told Eldridge he
had lost faith in Col. Moller and sug-
gested that Mr.. Eldridge take an in
| ventory of his materials to check. up
on receipts. Donovan himself ordered
a check-up of records in his office.
Wanted to Increase Order.
When Donovan around the first of
December last had refused to allow
an order for 247 lights to be placed
on a contract calling for 4S with an
| option for so per cent in addition at
the same price and a further option
! of as many more as were deemed
| necessary limiting the order tn an