Evening star., 1942-10-14
Senate Agents
Find No Fraud
In Paving Bids
District Committees
Investigators Report
Charges Are BoseIess

Investigators Report
Charges Are BoseIess
E Charges made more than a year
ago by the Controller Generals Of
fee against the District govern
ment's method of handling highway
bids and contracts have not been
sustained" in the opinion sof in
vestigators. for the Senate District
Committee.
R. F. Camalier, committee coun-
sci, made the inquiry, assisted by H.
K. Bishop of the Bureau of Public
Roads. Yesterday he reported to
Chairman McCarran that:
After a careful analysis OF the
controller generals allegations of
irregularities, togther with informa-
ton furnished us from other sources,
we must conclude that such allega-
tions have not been sustained"
GAO Report Studied.
Mr.. Camalier said he and Mr.
Bishop conferred with the investi-
gators for the General Accounting
Once and studied the full report
made by the latter to the controller
general.
The original allegations included:
Violation of general laws, improper
transfer of appropriations between
items, an assertion that inadequate,
inaccurate and overstated estimates
are used in requesting bids, and that
provision for increasing or decreas-
ing quantities within contract liml-
tations were included in specif1ca-
tionS.
The Camalier report states that
I'VE do not feel that the time of
the members of the Senate Com
mittee on District of Columbia
should be taken for the purpose
of conducting hearings on these
charges. However, we do recon-
mend that, as chairman of the
committee, you request the con-
troller general to submit any and
all additional information in his
possession bearing on the subject,
which will, in his opinion, justify
the holding of such public hearings.
"On the basis of what has been
submitted, and the conclusions
reached thereon by the undersigned,
together with what we have been
able to determine by personal con-
ferences with officials both in the
General Accounting Once and in
the District Building, we do not
feel that there is any justification
for the committee to take further
action unless and until supple
mental report, embodying actual
charges, supported by competent
evidence, is submitted by the con-
troller general to this committee" ;"
Commissioners Borne Out.
The Camalier- Bishop report bears
OUT In general, a comprehensive
answer to the controller generals
complaints filed with the Senate by
the District Commissioners on Au-
gust %, 194l, 10 days after the COM
plants were made. :.
Answering one of the specific
complaints that bids are solicited on
more items of material and work
than are expected to be used, the
Camalier report says this is stand
ard practice, followed by the States
and the Public Roads Administra-
ton. The purpose is to obtain prices
on all items that are liable to be
used, but whose necessity cannot
be determined in advance, the re-
port adds.
One of the sections in the con-
troller generals complaint pur-
ported to show that between 1897
and 1910 four contractors received
approximately equal amounts OF
work. The Commissioners answered
this in August. l94l, as follows:
1T is interesting to note that dur
ing the period covered by the report
the District let l25 separate con-
tracts for paving and similar work
Of which. according to the report
only 81 were awarded to the four
bidders. The District during the
same period let IA contracts fol-
highway structures to the value OF
So, ,894, 1903 .68. These contracts were
of the unit-price type. The report
is so drawn as to leave the impress
sion that the four contractor:
named were in collusion which re-
suited in a substantially equal di-
vision of the work and such con.
tractors performed all of the high.
way work of the District during thi.
period. Such Is not the case. Dur.
ing the same period the District lei
highway contracts to the total value
of $8,675, ,467l9 to IA different con.
tractors. In some of the years GOV.
cred by the controller generals re.
port contractors not listed therein
| by virtue of low bids secured con.
tracts aggregating more in amount
than were secured by some of the
contractors listed in the report
Pursuing this further, the Cana.
lier- Bishop report states that a re.
cent study of similar paving work ir
other cities showed the prices paie
by the District are lower than ir
Philadelphia. Baltimore, Richmond
and Annapolis.
200 Are Needed