The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-04-16
4 SPANISH war SCANDAL.
Reckless Extravaganza il Fit
ting 0ut Transports.

Washington, April o.-SecreIary
Root has sent an answer to the House
resolution adopted on March 10 calling
npon him for all facts that have come
to his knowledge as to the conduct Of
the transport service between San
Francisco and the Philippine Islands.
The answer includes the reports OF In
spector General Chamberlain and
Lieut.. Col. Maus.
The reports of the various officers
enclosed by Secretary Root cover sew
eral hundred pages.
Major Gen. B. M. Young, in trans
mitting the report of Lieut.. Col Cham
berlain, submits an analysis of tie re-
port, showing no adequate attention
to any feature of the fitting out Of
TRANSPORTS for long time after the
service was inaugurated, and later the
efforts to reform the system. Gen.
Young specifies lack of securing COM
petitive bids.
He says: In the case OF the Han
cock, (before the board was organized. }
involving an expenditure approx
mating if not amounting to half a mil
lion dollars, the matter Of Indicating
needed repairs was put into the hands
of officials unknown to transport regula-
tions, under verbal orders, and plenary
power given by the honorable Secre-
tary of War, to insure more sanitary
arrangements on that transport. ;"
Gen. Young also specifies the case
of an-inexperienced man, who knew
nothing about paints, being employed
to supervise painting, in business
where the painting bill OF single
firm in two years and two months
amounted to S343, 074.''
In other respects, it is stated, the
report shows that work was given out
and supplies for general use (such as
the fitting up Of cabinsl were pur-
chased without due regard, habituaily,
to the protection of the Governments
interests.
On the branch of the Investigation
covering cost of articles, ETC., Gen.
Young's summing up of the Chamber
lain report SAYS that in one case,
where the bill was s105, 318, the work
is pronounced sgenerally unsatlsfac-
tory, charges excessive and material
Inferior
Prices paid for material were often
strikingly in excess Of the then cur
rent market prices for the same articles
of like quality, and supplies were .pur-
chased in open market without adver-
Using. It is further stated in Gen.
Young's summary that preference
seems to have been shown special firms
to the point of ordering from them
articles out of their line Of business,
these firms at the same time charg-
ing exorbitant prices, to the extent IN
a few instances of 100 per cent IN
excess of ruling market rates. ("
Upon the facts develoved by the IN
yestigation Gen. Young remarks that
under the pressure of necessity OF
moving large bodies of troops at short
notice lack of methods and forms to
safeguard the Government occurred.
Lieut.. Col. Chamberlain specifies
in detail the features summarized by
Gen. Young. He refers to the report
of the Bates board'' that much Of
the work done on the Logan was de-
fective, also that the amount spent on
the Hancock, s547, ,0l6, was excessive,
and was for luxurious fittings.
Lengthy descriptions are glven, OF
Furnishings, etc. OF inferior quality
placed on various transports.
In his conclusions Col. Chamberlain
SAYS most of the abuses were unavold.
able and that there has been gradual
improvement. In the interior fittings
for transports, he says, there has been
at times extravagance and in some
cases great negligence. In purchasing
supplies preference has been shown IN
the distribution of patronage and eS-
tensiye purchases have been MADE
without competition.
He states that the transport Meade
was purchased when p years old Tor
s4o0, 600, and she has since received
$3.50, 0c0 in repairs.