Evening star., 1933-11-28

from the Fargo Motor Co for Dodge
| trucks was s695 80 for $50 trucks.
The affidavit to be incorporated in
| the sales agreement. under which the
contractor guarantees that everybody
and that means several hundred
concerned with production of the parts
entering into the makeup Of the We
hicles is operating under their re-
spective codes. constituted a handicap
which had at first almost persuaded
Sabine to keep cut of the bidding. in
asmuch as he would be liable for any
breaches, no matter at what point
along the line they occurred Friends
in several departments. however. Sa-
bine said, urged him to bid, in an effort
to bring a showdown in a situation
which has tied up contracts in several
departments.
Bids on Eight Cylinders.
The War Department offering, in
which Mr. Sabine charges specifications
had been juggled in an effort to bar
Ford products, is for trucks Of not less
than six cylinders, and Sabine bid
consequently. on the basis of eight
cylinder vehicles. as Ford produces
only fours and eights
The War Department yesterday denied
those charges.
Today Mr.. Sabine made further allie
cations of effort to exclude Ford from
Government bids, charging that in the
Bureau of Public Roads of the Depart
nent of Agriculture, vehicle specifica-
tionS we're written on basis designed
to be met by only one manufacturer.
Sabine also disclosed that another
result of the controversy has been the
holding up of a contract which he was
awarded month ago for furnishing
truck to the Veterans Administration
in Dayton, Ohio After the award was
made. he said. the purchase order
should have come along in couple of
days, but up until now has not ap-
peared.
Another Deal Hanging Fire.
An agreement with the Treasury,
under which he was to furnish two
trucks for civil works in two days,
week ago. still is hanging fire, he said,
although the Treasury had said the
vehicles were badly needed. There
also is a contract tied up in the In
terror Department; and others in
Agriculture and Commerce, where
Sabine's bids, low in each instance,
brought ruling from Controller Cen
eral McCarl earlier this month, that
an affirmative acceptance of the
automobile code by Henry Ford was
not required as prerequisite for
giving Sabine this business, although
compliance would be required if the
dealer accepted the contract.
The principal issue in the Agricul-
ture Department revolves around bids
for 1000 trucks which were intended
for the G. G. C., but part of which
now will be purchased on the War De-
partment bids. In a new effort to
keep Ford out of the rest Of this
business, Gen. Hugh johnson, N. r. A.
administrator, has protested that
Sabine would be in violation of the
retail code by making an offer based
on less than list price.
The dealer, however, in reply, pointed
out he raised this question in his orig
inal submission to McCarl. and that
the Controller General said this would
not stand as a prohibition in Gov
ernment contract This contention of
johnson is before McCarl-
Meanwhile, there was recurrence OF
a report in ofncial circles that Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Henry Ford might
talk things over soon. officials saying
bring them together for several days.
Charles Edison, son of the late Thomas
A. Edison was said to have made sew
eral trips recently between washington
and Dearborn in an effort to arrange
such a conference. and there were re-
ports that the motor manufacturer
soon might travel south to the vicinity
of Warm Springs