Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-24
Six Weeks Was Required TO
Award Contract, Controller
Generals Office Says.
PRODUCTION SUSPENDED
FOR CHECK ON PROTEST
Commissioners Failure to Explain
Rejection of Low Bid in
Record Is Cited.

While the delayed class room furni.
ture for three of the Districts new pub
lie school buildings was being installed
this morning following its arrival at
the freight yards, the controller gen.
erafs ONCE today pointed out that the
real reason for the delay in the manu-
facture OF the furniture rested with the
District Building authorities. who re-
CURED six weeks to determine which
oioolng manufacturer should be awarded
the contract for the job.
1t further was pointed out at the
controller generals Office that tbs
$4,000 contract which the Commission
ers nad awarded to the Derby Co. of
Cardner, Mass, was not held up volun
tarly Dy the Federal Office, but was
checked there only after a lower hid
ding concern had filed formal pro-
test; IN which 1t charged discrimination
against It.
Production Halted.
At Mr.. McCarI,s Office IL was fnrtn,r
explained that the Derby Manufactur-
Ing Co. had ceased production ia dsvs
as result OF their competitor,s nroo
test and the resulting check by the
controller. The concern had sctuaIIv
begun manufacture of the euuiumeYt
as soon as the contract was awarded
ana stopped 1t only when the protests
were made
In laying blame for the delay on the
doorstep OF the District building au-
InoIitieS. the controller generals ONCE
cited the fact that the DEPARTMENT III
Commerce Building contract. inyolyine
expenditures of millions of dollars re-.
CURED only week to award. On the
otner nand, the Commissioners received
DIGS Tor the manufacture of the 81 000
pieces of school furniture on Nav
ana the contact was not awarded until
June 16. A day later firm which had
submitted bid Of ST. 900 presented its
protest TO the controller general, and
lt was on the basis of this action that
Mr.. McCarl's ONCE held up the con-
tract which the Commissioners had exc
cuted.
Five days later the Commissioners. NJ
the request of the controller general
submitted the record of the contract IN
the Federal ONCE, hat failed at that
time to explain in detail that the low
pidder's price was rejected because he
Jailed to comply with the specifications
requiring the submission of proper
samples of the furniture. It was on
July IL. that the Commissioners made
this explanation to the controller gem
eral, at which time they requested the
controller general to delay his opinion
until representatives of the Derby Co.
could be present to offer their side of
the case. This meeting was arranged
for July %, and four days later the
controller general issued new decision
in which he approved the award Of the
contract to the Derby Co.
Furniture Falls to Arrive.
Since that time the Derby Co. has
accelerated work on the order. and last
week, when the school authorities were
Notified that three carloads of the
equipment should reach Washington bv
Saturday or Sunday, Jere j. Crane.
school business manager, held star of
workmen in readiness throughout Sun
day to install the furniture in the
empty buildings. The cars did not ar
rive, however, and the new buildings
were opened Monday without furniture
OF any kind, so that several hundred
pupils were obliged to sit on the floor.
Monday afternoon, Mr.. Crane had
makeshift chairs installed. and they
have been in use until today, when
most of the regular furniture arrived
and was Immediately set up in the new
buildings. The schools which got the
new chairs and desks were the Mann
School, in Wesley Heights; Crosby
Noyes School, in Brookland, and the
Lafayette School. in Chevy Chase.