Evening star., 1947-06-20
Probe Of Friiede
Fire Purchases
Voted in House
Inquiry Into Dealings
In GumeweII Alarms
Requested by Dirksen
By Harold B. Rogers

GCIlpleI6 luF6StlSdtlUu VI tAlC
relationship between Herbert A.
Friede, former superintendent Of the
Districts fire alarm system, and the
Gamewel1 Co. of Massachusetts,,
which sold fire equipment here, was
ordered today by the House District
Committee.
At the same session, the committee
approved the bill to extend the
Districts day care program for the
children of working mothers until
June 80, 1948. While the committee
acted favorably on the $50, 600 pro-
gram, it strongly recommended that
this should be the last year the pro-
gram is paid for from public funds.
It proposed handling the program
privately after next June.
The riede-Gamewell Co. inves-
tigation was voted unanimously on
the recommendation OF Committee
Chairman Dirksen, Republican, Of
Illinois, who told the committee he
thought there was peculiar situa-
ton in Washington" in the purchase
of fire alarms.
Assigned to BealPs Group.
The responsibility for investiga-
ton was assigned to the Subcom-
mittee on Public Service, Streets
and Traffic, of which Representa-
tive Beall, Republican. OF Mary
land Is chairman.
The Gamewell Co. is under in
dictment on charges of violating
the antitrust law Correspondence
between Mr.. Friede and the COM
pany was taken from the Came
we'll files by the Justice Depart
ment and is being used as evidence
in prosecution OF the firm In
Boston. f
Mr.. Dirkson said that Mr.. Friede
was a focal figure" in the situa-
tion. Mr.. Friede was denoted last
February to the post of communi-
cations superintendent and the
alarm system was turned over to
the Fire Department.
Mr.. Dirksen indicated that the
committee may need to bring In
competent investigator, perhaps for
three OF four weeks, to work on the
case. He said he thought the in
vestigation should cover the acquisi-
ton of fire alarm equipment from
the Gamewell Co. in the past and
whether it is expected in the fu-
ture.
Briefs Studied by Dirksen.
Briefs of the Justice Department
in the Gamewell case have been
studied by Mr.. Dirksen, he said.
Meanwhile, it was understood the
District Commissioners had reached
no final decision in their own inyes-
tigation of charges that Mr. Friede
had drafted specifications for fire
alarm equipment in favor OF one
company.
In the opinion of Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West, made jan
uary 6 but released only recently,
Mr.. West said he had been unable
to decide whether Mr.. Friede wrote
the specifications the way he did
because of friendship" for officials
OF the Gamewell Co or because he
feiS the companys product was "far
superior to any other"
The coropration counsel declared
that Mr.. Friede used bad judg-
ment" in delegating to the Game
well Co. the complete drafting of
specifications.
Undertaken Licensing Approved.
The House District Committee to-
day also approved bill to license
undertakers and set up a. board of
examiners consisting of five persons
approved by the committee. The
bill was reported with the amend
ments recommended by the subcom-
mittee headed by Representative
Miller, Republican, of Nebraska.
Other measures approved by the
committee would:
Retain the present two-platoon
system in the Fire Department, but
establish a five-day work week of
not more than 10 hours for night
duty and not more than so full
hours for day duty.
Amend the District Unemploy-
ment Compensation Act to give
former service men and women the
benefit of previous employment ex-
perience in calculating the rate of
their tax.
Authorize construction of a siding
for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
under the Hiaduct st Franklin
street NE.