Evening star., 1941-06-07
Pressure on Official
On Asphalt Contract
Charged 10 Pepper
w. P. A. Aide Testifies
Senator Demanded New
Bids on Air Bose Material

The Eglin Field project in Florida
change in the Senate between Sem
ator Pepper, Democrat, of Florida
and Senator Tobey, Republican, OF
New Hampshire, figured in testi-
mony before House military sub
committee yesterday when r. L.
MacDougall, assistant w. P. A. COM
missioner, testified he had been in
formed that Senator Pepper put a
lot of heat" on a Government Of
fetal in connection with the pur-
chase of asphalt to pave the run
ways at the field, an Army Air
Corp base.
Previously, another witness, Fred
T Bridges, vice president of Allied
Materials, Inc, of Atlanta, had told
the subcommittee that his firm was
low bidder for the asphalt contract,
but was forced to accept compro-
mise" because of activities by the
Florida Senator and others.
The row between Senator Tobey
and Senator Pepper f1ared last
month when the New Hampshire
Senator read a newspaper article
linking Senator Pepper with the
} award of the asphalt contract. His
remarks and Senator Peppers reply
were eXpunged from the Senate rec
ord.
New Bids Demanded.
Assistant Commissioner Mac
Dougall told the subcommittee that
Mr. Pepper, having heard only one
side of a controversy over the
asphalt order, believed the Pan
American Petroleum Corp. had been
mistreated, and demanded that new
bids be taken.
He said Roy Schroeder, then the
Florida w. P A. administrator and
now regional director at Atlanta,
told him he had been subjected to
"a lot of heat" by the Senator Mr.
MacDougall said he believed Allied
Materials, Inc, was entitled to the
contract and instructed Mr.. Schro-
der not to call for new bids.
The witness said the conversation
took place while he was w. P. A
regional director at Atlanta. When
he became assistant commissioner
here recently, Mr. Schroeder sue
ceeded him on the Atlanta job
The assistant commissioner said
that on April % he and Mr.. Schro-
der, accompanied by Chief w. P. A.
Engineer Perry A. Fellows, called on
the Senator here and found him
quite angry over the situation. He
said Senator Pepper seemed to
place the whole blame on Schroeder. u
Case Outlined to Senator.
Mr.. MacDougall said he told Sen
etor Pepper he was off on the wrong
track" and then outlined the other
side of the case to him. He said he
insisted to the Senator that the bids
were in order and that Allied was en-
titled to the contract, but added that
Senator Pepper argued specifications
we're written in such way that Par
American could not bid intelligently
Investigator j. J. McTigue ques-
toned Mr.. MacDougall closely as to
whether Senator Pepper limited that
he might interfere with the promo
tions either of himself or Mr.. Schro-
der. The witness declined to make
such an assertion.
Mr.. MacDougall said Senator Pep
per and the w. P. A men discussed
a compromise by which the Army
might Immediately buy enough as
phalt to get started on the Eglin
paving and also take the full amount
from Allied called for in the bid.
He and other w. P. A. officials
testified that later that afternoon
the w. P. A. wrote a memorandum
to the Army explaining that Pan
American had threatened an in
junction proceeding and recon-
mending the immediate purchase of
some asphalt to start on the Elgin
Field job.
Subsequently, according to an
Army Engineers testimony Thurs
day. telegraphic bids were taken on
100000 gallons of asphalt. But
Allied's invitation was misdirected
several witnesses said, and that
company did not receive it.
Under a final compromise ar
rangement, the Government bought
100000 gallons from Pan Ameri-
can and a similar amount from
Allied, with promise to the latter
that it could later deliver another
100000 gallons to Elgin Field or
some other project nearby.