Evening star., 1951-10-05
CountyFavors
Highest Bidder
|ForInsurance
Prince Georges Group
Demands Explanation
From Commissioners


The Prince Georges Civic Fed
Grafton wants the county COM
missioners to explain why they
awarded an insurance contract
to one company for $1,000. when
another company had bid $4,000
for the same policy.
In a strongly worded letter to
the commissioners, approved by
the federation last night. the civic
group called on the county board
to justify it's position on disputed
insurance contract in a statement
to the press.
The commissioners last week
awarded a contract for insuring
county vehicles to Arthur Keir,
Hyattsville, agent for a stock in
Surance company, who bid $1,000.
Rejected was a bid of $4,000 from
James E. Daisey of Glenn Dale,
who represents mutual type
company.
The federation's letter, proposed
by Mrs. Irma Bogdanoff, chair
man of the County Affairs Com
mittee, said both bids were based
on indentical coverage and that
claims would have been handled
in the same way.
Vehicles in Mutual Coverage.
The letter said the county
Board of Education has its school
buses. plus some maintenance
trucks. covered by a mutual COM
pany.
Furthermore, the letter added,
the Board of Education awards it's
insurance contracts "by public ad-
vertisement and sealed bids where
as no public request for bids has
been made for this insurance nor
any other county insurance placed
with Mr.. Kerr
Mr.. DaiSey was requested to
give bid by Mr.. Latimer (Thomas
E. Latimer, president of the COM
miSsionerS) in order to have a
basis for comparison and effect
economy in that field" the letter
stated. "Mr. Latimer and Mr..
Daniel A. Abbott voted in favor
Of awarding the contract to the
mutual company"
The other three members of the
all-Republican board-Edward j.
Ned" Waters, H. Wilson Spick-
nall and w. Everett Marion
voted to give the insurance to Mr..
Keir's old-line firm.
Review of All Policies Urged.
Mrs. Bogdanoff's letter also
asked that "a review be made
of all insurance carried by the
county, with the view of opening
it to public bids to insure the best
rates possible in the public in
terest."
A resolution opposing a one
party crime investigating commit
tee for Prince Georges was mar
lrowly defeated. 16 to IA. with
about 20 members abstaining.
The resolution would have put
the group on record as urging
that, if any special group be
created to investigate county
Icrime, it be bipartisan and be
composed Of persons not holding
elective Offices.
The resolution was prompted by
a recent proposal of the Repub-
Ilican majority of the county's leg
Iislative delegation that it be
named as a special subcommittee
Iof the Maryland Crime Investi-
eating Committee to investigate
Prince Georges gambling, with the
power of subpoena and oath.
Mrs. Bogdanoff, who proposed
the defeated resolution, argued
that such a one-party committee
could be used to start a smear
campaign against political enemies.
Those who expressed opposition
to the resolution seemed to base
it on Cd reluctance to commit
the federation, since the special
subcommittee probably never will
Ibe named. and (2) a feeling that
1.-THE grand jury. perhaps imple-
mented with a professional inves-
Itigating staff. is the proper body
Ito probe gamblers activities in the
county.