The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-24
CHIEF ENGINEER
 MADE CHANCES
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(Continued from Page D conform to the original plans, and testified:
 'aThe change was made on my own responsibility. I did not consult my superiors."
 In earlier testimony, Sumner said no mathematical or general calcu- lations were made for construction of the grids over which the concrete pavement was laid.
 The witness told state referee George E. Hinman the department was in "error in advising we made any mathematical calculations"
 Corkey asked whether the steel used in the bulkheads "was equal to the specifications in the con- tract?"
 "No," replied Sumner, T don't think 1t was"
 Counsel for Cox, Attorney Joseph F. Berry, took over the cross exam nation, and brought out testimony from Sumner that there was mo customary method to determine the strength of the materials. It's really impossible to predict. The manu- lecturers develop by the trial and error method of testing"
 Sumner said the grid flooring sys- tenn was fairly recent and first was used in Connecticut in 1887.
 He said he had designed many bridges and designed the steel Speci- fications for the Middletown-Po Port land bridge, the Boston Post Road bridge over the Housatonic River, and the new Connecticut River bridge at Hartford.
 Governor Called
 All day yesterday, Attorney Gen. eral Pallotti called one witness after another, including former-Gov. Ray mond E. Baldwin in an effort to support his allegation that the con- tract award to the Mariani Con- struction Co. was irregular.
 Cox, charged with misconduct, neglect of duty and incompetence, kept close watch on all develop ments and conferred frequently with his counsel. The suspended com- missioner smiled broadly when for mer-Gov. Baldwin described him as "a man of his word and honor"
 Baldwin testified he never had ordered" Cox to hold up award of the bridge decking contract to the Mariani company after 8 contractor complained about circumstances sur- rounding the award-which followed a second letting of bids.
 Baldwin said he merely had "re- quested" the award be held up. At one point the former governor said he could not recall certain con- ference late in 1940 because:
 Busy Electioheering
 "1 was very busy at the time-a friend of mine was running for president"
 The reference was to Wendell Willkie.
 The former governor said that after he had requested" the hold ing up of the contract award, he never received any further infor- nation about 1t, because he was busy" with his reelection cam paign.
 Until Baldwin took the stand, the hearing was dull, involved in tech- nicalities, and slow. The proceed ings were marked by frequent minor clashes between opposing counsel, and Joseph F. Berry, chiecf ounsel for Cox, frequently objected to Pal- lotti's line of questioning. State Referee George E. Hinman, who is acting as Governor Hurley's deputy in the case, usually sustained the objections.
 The first days testimony was con- cerned almost entirely with the cir- cumstances surrounding the rejec- tion of all bids on the decking job on August 19, 1940, and the call for second letting on September IT of that year. The Mariani bid was not included in the reading on, August 19, because the highway de- partment at that time said 1t had been misplaced. Pallotti claimed there was an irregulartty concern ing the misplacing of the bid.
 The Mariani firm was the low bid- der in the second letting on Septem- Der IT, and subsequently, was award ed the contract.