Ogden Daily Standard | 1919-04-04 | Page 1 | Steel for Navy to be Brought on Competitive Bids

yjyj Steel for Navy to Be Brought on Competitive Bids WASHINGTON, April 4. Steel for the navy will continue to be bought on competitive bids, regardless 6i prices agreed upon by the industrial board with tbe industry, and whatever may be the outcome of the conferences now Loing rm to determine the future polioies pi the board. Acting Secretary Roosevelt said to-dav to-dav this decision had been reached after the legal officers of the department depart-ment had ruled that the department was required by law to secure this ma-ferial ma-ferial b) public advertisement of contracts. con-tracts. The original program of the industrial indus-trial board for prue agreements already al-ready has been upset, by the refusal of the railroad administration to buy steel or coal at agreed prices. Now the whole question of the board's pol-icy pol-icy is ripen, awaiting the outcome of further conferences between the membership mem-bership of the board and heads of the government departments and purchasing purchas-ing agencies. .Most ol the cabinet officers are said to take the position that no action of the board can be binding In the matter mat-ter of government purchases and that prlci fixed i agreement can be regarded re-garded onlj as setting a fair standard of reasonable prices.