Evening star., 1946-08-13
Surplus
Continued From First Page

and would give him the luncheon
recess to make up his mind.
Order "Hand-Processed."
When the witness said he hac
been told by three men in the Phila
delphia office that he was beine
gunned for and that he did not
want to violate their trust, Mr.
Slaughter replied that surplus
property disposal should not bt
banded around on political basis
and if it is the committee wants
to know about it"
Mr.. Gilrein made his remark that
he probably was negligent" in tell
ing how the Philadelphia Office
handled the order for wire screen
ing which Fields said was hand
processing" for speedier action.
There was probably negligence
on my part but nothing beyond
that" Mr. Gilrein testified in ex-
planning why he gave Fields order
/ to subordinate after the closing
date for sale
/ He also stated he didn't notice
that the order lacked proper~certifi-
cation to show it was intended for
retailers to help ease the shortage of
! housing materials.
/ Mr.. Gilrein insisted that the new
Washington manual regarding allo-
cations. which gave preference to
the small order" bidder as against
those asking for the larger ouanti-
ties. was not used at the time of the
Fields alloca tions because he had
not yet been instructed by Washing
ton on how to use it.
/ Many Visits to Office.
Mr.. Gilrein testified later that
agents of Fields. Glenn A. Dies and
John E. Drummer, had made num-
erous personal visits to the Phila-
delphia office. The first time they
came, early in March, he said. he
was introduced to the two agents
by Joseph Dellert, then regional di-
rector of the old Office of Surplus
| Property He said Mr. Dies and Mr..
/ Drummer had brought orders for
about s4,000000 for various ma
teirals. including nails and barbed
wire and other items not under his
jurisdiction.
! He told them. he said. that such
materials were not in the inventory
that what supplies were there had
been sold. He added that Mr.. Del
lert jokingly had remarked, We
are not hard people to deal with"
On another issue raised yesterday
by the committee. as to why the
Fields order for the bronze screen
ing did not contain the "certifica =
ton required on all orders, Mr.
Gllreln could give no explanation
except that he had failed to note
this was lacking
Fields finally obtained SO 900 linear
feet of the bronze screening. getting
one of the four largest orders.
Just before Mr.. Gilrein took the
witness stand Anthony J. Flood
head of the sales unit in the Phila
delphia office. had told the commit
tee that Mr. Gilrein had told him
not to follow the new regulations.
Mr.. Gilrefn, who lives in Silver
Spring, Md. said he had been in
formed it had been decided at a
meeting that the new manuals
which gave the suprlus property
break to smaller purchasers-were
not TO be distributed at the les
unit level at the time the Fields
transaction took place.
Told He Was Through.
In answer to questions about his
dismissal, MI. Gilrein said he was
told verbally that Il was through
on July 31-a few days after the
committee held it's preliminary
hearing on the wire screen trans
action. Last Tuesday, he said, he
received a registered letter saying
that If he did not report in three
days to discuss a change in en-
ployment he would face disciplinary
charges.
! At that time. he said he was
told by WAA official, James Nc
Grath: Bill. the truth Is, the,
want your resignation. Last Sat.
urday. he said, he received letter
saying he was dismissed and he hac
no right of appeal because he wa.
a probationary employe
Mr.. Gilrein gave his testi.
mony as the committee sought Il
! learn how Fields split a s4,420 fe,
collected on the sale to C. B. War;
, an Oklahoma City housing con
tractor, of sa,085 worth OF tn,
screening material On the stant
Yesterday, Fields could not remem
Der who was the John Doe" t,
whom he recently gave s1.48
split of the commission. But he wa
sure it was not a Government off
cial.
. Sought $1,000. 900 in Materials.
Fields went after WAA surpluse
in a big way, he agreed yesterday
He told the committee he has
sought allocations of more thar
s1000,000 of materials, by con
servative estimate" But he dit
not do so we'll on closing deals, &C
cording to his testimony, for he sait
his approved ALLEGATIONS amounted
to less than s5O.O00" and tina