Evening star., 1941-08-21

hurst, Corporation Counsel Rich
mond B. Keech and District Auditor
Arthur r. Pilkerton. 1t later de-
veloped also that Capt. Whitehurst
had no knowledge Of the report
until after 3 pm. when reporters
called on him for comment.
While he had no information OF
the Controller Generals action ex-
cent as read to him by. reporters,
Capt. Whitehurst said:
such complaints as may have
been directed against the District
government are completely unjusti-
fed, as can be seen from the record"
He then recalled that last fall two
investigators from the G. A. o.
called upon him for data regarding
QUESTIONABLE containing 73 specific
questions. He said these investi-
gators, who were identified as T. H.
Reavis and Harry S. Barger, were
acting in an irregular manner" in
that any Investigation proposal
should have gone to the Board of
Commissioners, but that, neverthe-
less, direct answers were made to
every one of the questions.
A formal reply to the complaints
made by Controller General War;
rem will be drafted by Capt. White
hurst. He was to confer this after
noon with Commissioners Kutz and
Mason to outline in detail the whole
system of drawing specifications for
street work and the awarding of
contracts.
McCarran Orders Inquiry.
Immediate inquiry into the con-
troller generals criticism of the Dis
trict governments highway contracts
will be made by r. F. Camalier, ad-
wiser to the Senate District Com
mittee, by direction of Chairman
McCarran.
AS soon as Senator McCarran
learned of the report at Forest Hills,
N. Y, where he is vacationing, he
got in touch with Mr.. Camalier and
instructed him to gather all avail
able data for later study by the
committee.
AS the first step in his inquiry
Mr.. Camalier plans to ask the Fed
eral Bureau Of Public Roads for the
aid of one Of their contract experts.
Text of Report.
The text of the Warren report:
Applicable statutes require that
streets and highways to be improved
in the District of Columbia be listed,
for appropriation purposes, in the
order of their Importance; that bids
for street improvements and re-
pairs be requested, and the bid Of
the lowest responsible bidder be ac-
cepted, for the furnishing of labor
and materials; and that all such
work be done on q truly competi-
tive basis, as shown by the follow
ing (title IL, chapter 8, District of
Columbia code):
"'Section II. Repairs to streets,
ETC.; public notice; lowest RESPONSE
BILE bidder to be accepted; rejection
of bids; subdivision of contracts
When any repairs of streets, ave-
nues, alleys or sewers within the
District of Columbia are to be made,
or when new pavements are to be
substituted in place of those worn
out, new ones laid or new streets
opened, sewers built, or any works,
the total cost of which shall exceed
the sum of $1,000, notice shall be
given in one newspaper in Washing
ton, and if the total cost shall ex-
ceed SIS 900, then in one newspaper
in each of the cities of New York,
Philadelphia and Baltimore also for
one week, for proposals, with full
specifications as to material for the
whole or any portion of the works
proposed to be done, and the lowest
responsible proposal for the kind
and character of pavement or other
work which the Commissioners shall
determine upon shall in all cases, be
accepted; provided, however, that
the Commissioners shall have the
right, in their discretion, to reject
all such proposals; provided, that
work capable of being executed
under a single contract shall not be
subdivided so as to reduce the sum
of money to be paid therefore to
less than $1,000. Gune IL, 1873, 20
Stat, los, c. 180, Sec. 81
"'Section II. Same: Commission
ers to submit schedules of streets
to be improved in order of impor-
tance-The Commissioners, In sub
mitting the schedules of streets and
avenues to be improved, shall each
year arrange said streets and ave-
nues in the order of their impor-
tance, as determined by them after
personal examination of said streets
and highways. March 8, 1908, 80
Stat. o62, c. 992)
Appropriations Jumped.
"'Sect. SO Limitation on contracts
| of District Commissioners. - The
commissioners in the District of
Columbia are prohibited from in
curing or contracting liabilities on
behalf of the United States in the
improvement of streets, avenues
and reservations beyond the amount
of appropriations previously made
by Congress and from entering into
any contract touching such i'm
provements on behalf of the United
States except in pursuance OF ap-
preparations made by Congress (R.
S. Sec. 1918; June 20. 1874, 18 Stat.
116 c 337)'
"The appropriation acts making
funds available for the improve
ment and repair of streets and
highways in the District of Colum-
bia have uniformly provided for the
improvement of streets listed in the
acts, with locations described in
general way, the amounts appropri-
ated being specifically stated after
each scheduled item of work; and
appropriations for the repair of
roadways, bridges and streets, al
leys, ETC., have been in the form of
lump sum appropriations.
THE appropriation acts prior to
| the fiscal year 1888 contained pro-