The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-18
ROAD BOARD
SPLITS OVER
NEW POLICY
Leslie May Take Hand in
SquabbIe Over State
Cement Purchases.
DECISION STILL PENDING
Commissioners Reported to
Be Evenly Divided
on Matter,

Once again a split and fight
in which Governor Harry G. Leslie
may take a hand looms for the
state highway commission.
Possibility of conflict between
commissioners lies in the proposed
adoption of new policy whereby
the state no longer will purchase
the 100000 to 100000 barrels of
cement used annually for construc-
ton, but will leave the matter of
purchasing all materials, including
cement, up 10 each individual con-
tractor
So far, no definite decision has
been made.
Director John j. Brown of the
state highway department offered
this comment:
Under present conditions, we are
proceeding with caution"
Commissioners had discussed the
matter at meeting Tuesday after
noon, and today they were busy
with delegations and did not expect
to get back to the subject, Brown
said.
Compromise Is Reached
But sort of compromise has been
reached in that advertisements are
being prepared for 100000 barrels of
cement for the first of the 1882
paving program. These bids will be
received with first paving bids on
Nov. "a. The paving will be around
100000 and about ninety miles.
William H. Titus, chief engineer,
explained that it was necessary to
have cement for these projects fur
niShed by the state as that was the
understanding upon which bids will
be based.
What the future policy on cement
purchases will be, neither he, Brown
nor the commissioner would commit
themselves absolutely today.
But from the comment, it ap-
peared that Chairman Albert j..
Wedeking and Commissioner Arthur
P. Melton favor the new plan of
letting the contractors make their
own purchases, and Commissioners
Arthur Sapp and Robert Boren IA
vor retention of the present scheme
for state purchase in large guam
tity.
Price Only One Factor
All are agreed that by receiving
the 100000 barrel bids a definite
idea regarding price trends may be
cleaned. This data will be used in
determining the future policy, it was
said.
But price is only one factor which
will play part in what may turn
out to be another major engagement
between material forces and their
alleged friends on the highway
commission.
Wedeking long has been labeled
as a "black-topper," and some of
the cement boosters smell a mouse.
They point out that to decentralize
the purchasing might be an attempt
to disSipate the cement forces fur
ther than they are now.
On the other hand, it was pointed
out by e highway official that in all
likelihood the 400, barrel bidding
will show the cement industry still
Cor AGAIN. united.
Brown admits that if the con-
tractors furnish the cement it will
require increased supervision to see
that state specifications are fully
met.
Getting Lower Prices
He also said that the constant
contention of black-top men that
bids announced on concrete paving
never includes the cement used is
another factor which brought about
consideration Of policy change.
When cement was around $2.25 a
barrel and all bids were about alike
the matter of change never was dis
cuSsed. But cement is down to as
low. as SIS cents or less now and last
year bids differed materially.
State contracts always have con-
tanned clause whereby any fall in
price levels were reflected in state
purchases throughout the year.
But one of the Wedeking argu-
ments is that reports have come to
the commission that contractors are
getting lower PRICES than the state.
IF they can buy it cheaper the
staet should get the advantage in