Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-02-19

that at the close OF Mr.. Robcsons ad.
after all his enormous
expenditures,th there existed an indebted.
ness unwarranted by any law. of 81.
O83. SOB rs. Mr.. Thomson roported
to Congress at the same time that he
had suspended contracts involving
several millions of dollars, which were
made by Mr.. Robeson subsequent to
March j, 1877, without any authority
of law. ~
The information furnished 10 the
Committee by The present Secretary
in regard to the manner in which con.
tracts have been made since 1870. the
manner in which Indebtedness has
been incurred. and the manner IN
which public property has been dis.
posed Of shows constant and almost
ceaseless disregard and violation of the
law.
Dnr;,, tho e;,b, vears oe A. poha
son,s adn,in;s,ra,;on ,Lo.o a;aanao.oa
from Tho Novv ron;s,er ,So ~ Z, ., 81 =,
seventy vessels Of gh;ch fve Sere @ los, 81
a. 500 fortysiy wore so,d and ,ho 80 40
ooads na;i 80 ,ho Tnaasnu, ~" IL, r.
roro soid and ,ha nroaaoSs nS,a 'nreo a,,',,
20 con,raotors and oe ,moo,, pu 49, a. do
s,ror"d | bv ,he ordsr I os NJ Pohosoe o oe
and the materials cut up and turned
over or credited TO contractors n
this DESTROYED propertv which cost
the government one hundred millions
is credited at only fifty millions we
bayean expenditure during eioht years
of over s532 600 900 The nronertv
sold and disposed of would certainly
have Welded revenno ors20 OOO 600 r.
any prudent private Individual In fact
the governmen, received ior il lass ,Ler
two millions Now. sobtraeting from
the animal appronriations for he navy
the sums applied TO its maintenaoce !,
il tonnd thot ovor sg1 ooo 0oo ,,or
applied TO construction eoninment
and armament This makes neorIy
s6b 200 ono annhed 70 cons,r,c,;nn I,
snm which # annlied ~ bniIdin,, ro,
vessels wonld have Given No seSen.r M
new vessels like tho T,entonNono .
the hest in the Navv--a nnmher srf
ficient 70 have made novv AZ ono,
resncctahlo and useenl ~ '''
Iao,,;,;.,,.n .'h,,,,
.o,aS c. "eA. mnoen.i .ne ", AVS en-
"o,,;, rossG ao' ~ .a0 s., so,0i.,no''' y, 'no NaVa
~. sa',,s ~ ""u .o'se..o" VI eno goNeri,
~ as',s rs.'..,' : '".e,os'o nano peeh ooserVeu
od oi0 ~, SV'h,,s..e ,h s s''y .hey hre coEstIaln
~ ~ II 4 '"Y pt ,ao's "uu 'ne,r sense oi uuly
~ o,.',",. ~. ~, v''e - anu .ho country Y
',hsa.,.ai i"as ~ 'asso sSs's 'a"s nav ny ooci
tra,r. haro ~ ou., '.a oa sne con
Ia,o3 @ al ~ ~, a,osa'ueu n,r,9r,' w anu r'o y,
i"s,,a e .rs ~ t'oy ,,,,; iuisuer answsr 'na
onsn,i,;es ~ nnh,;a Z o.os "n' MS
bcen ,lIoooIi,, d;sno..aa LAY
ministra,ion 20 ,ha Ss. Ne, " !" sn0 ~
Ths 80 raDn,, - ,'rn,,a,ss VIZ .'ssa' so,s,.', WV.
nrmher nf & ;nI,annos pvsS1s ~ I pm o"t
v;oIatio,s ~ jsw eronS, Ju r.L;ot " ~ ~
tho d;sregard os ,he Laws Ia ~ rsor;,;n wp,en ~ az =
nl;os ~ 5e n,rchasod So ,h' sup
bidder ana iha, reon;rin,, n,a,,oso,, .uu ,omV. !,
bc accon'non;ad ~, plDPo.a,o . y :
foo and sure,ios ,va,ch "a ~ 3 sa'a. :
ste,es hos henr h",,1r ;e.,oas .ns ,Vpo,
osr casas Tha $500 ~ oNo
on;r;notho no opP,.rao, Pt,oOIs ah ~ Jaw ~ y
nnless enthor;~ad b1, Ia, ,~, ~ ~ ,nau' u =
nronriation adeo,s,a ~ ~ a. si s,,iei,' an =
baye been v;o,ptsd IL ~ ~ a"'n',"en' nna,.s'
mods Cav ,ho rohn;ld;n ~ ~ .nv ~ eVu.raoS w. =
nock M;on,oronaS y, 49, tuS ;aa'au y,
Puritan Tbo Iaw sh,hid1;n sS,, an' y
navmcnts In eyccss of mors ra"o' 49, y
ppr;or p to del;vor, of ~ o,o,.;oIa %yA eopo =, y
disregarded in The delivery 81 ma,er
ial to Roach and others The law nro
hibitinr anv department from exceed
ing the appropriations made bv law /
declared 10 have been disreg.rded nm,
the report goes on at considcrabl
length asserting similar DISREGARD a
law, and in summing nm tho ACTS re
forrcd TO- the COMMITTEES saw thev dcer
it to be their duty TO call mon IN
proper department Of the Governmen
to bring the responsible parties to ius
tice. The persons referred TO bv nam,
are George NJ. Robson; w. w. Wood
chief of the bureau of steam engineer
ing from March, 1873, to February
1877 Isaiah Hanscom, chief of til
bureau of construction and repair
from 1871 to April, 1877 John o
Bradford, Paymaster General from
1873 to February, 1877; j. II. Wat
mough, acting head of the bureau O
provisions and clothing from July, 1879
to March, 1877.
The Committee eonsiders nj leno,l
the defenso md explanation ,endaSSe'
for these alleged violations Of law an,
! further on saw thai the tes,imon,
taken. will show that verv biai
prices have been paid 10 certain nariies
the frequency of whose names il sng
gestiye of fayoritism and that mn !,
The close OF Mr. Robeson'a adm;nistra
ltion low prices while having ,bei,
effect ON general business did not afIec
! tho trade of The Navy Department
Boilers vera oontractaa for Will
Messrs Hunt Roach & Gardner I,
1876 and 1877 at nrIcea which ba,
prevailed in vears before M HINT
| indeed beIng mid higher nrices ,ha,
he bad preyiously bnilt car and hi,
e~nlanation that tho same h;oh n,;co
were mid 10 other nor,ics 10 na donh
correct From thjrv a. ,hIr,,, ,,y,
and a hall cents ner yonnd cnr So;ler,
was contracted 70 bo Maid 20 ,hes,
mn rt;es when n comne,i,ion had hoo,
admitted n Ia tho oninion Of the Com
mittee thai tbe cost conld have hoo,
rodnmd 40 from cIgh,een' 40 ,wan,,
cont a ,onnJ ,Ru. eerhsns a. s"sa', ',ssa;
az, loss Z in ,ha mn rchasa ~ H. i;.a sas NV
her n an,ears from sha r"nor, s ~. =