The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-09
TRANSPORT. SERVICE
SEEMS ROTTENER THAN THE DEN
MARK BUSINESS.
ROOT FURNISHES REPORTS.
ExTRAvAGANcE AND wASTEFUL
NESS EVIDENT.

Gen. YOung's Analysis of Lieut.. Col.
ChamberInin'S Report shows a
Bad State of AHairs-No Adequate
supervision, No Competitive Bid
ding for Supplies md Incompetent
Men Appointed as InspectOrs-Im-
mehEe Bills Run Up for Inferior
WOrIS-Excessive Prices Paid for
Materials and Preference Given
Special Firms.
Washington, April S.-Secretary Root
to-day sent an answer to the House
resolution adopted on March Is, calling
upon 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. Maj. Gen. Young,
in transmitting the report of Lieut..
Col. Chamberlain, submits an analysis
Of the report, showing no adequate
supervision to any feature of the fit
ting out of transports, for a long time
after the service was inaugurated, and
later the efforts to reform the system
Gen. Young specifies lack of securing
competitive bids. He says:
''In the case of the Hancock (before
the board was organized) involving an
expenditure approximating, If not
amounting to 100000 the matter of in
dicating needed repairs was put into
the hands of officials unknown to
transport regulations, under verbal or
ders and plenary power given by the
Honorable Secretary of War, to insure
more sanitary arrangements on that
transport"
Gen. Young also specifies the case of
IAN inexperienced man, who knew
nothing about paints, being employed
to supervise painting, in a business
where the painting bill of a single firm
in two years and two months amount
ed. to $34S,074"
In other respects, 1t is stated. the re-
port shows that work was given out
and supplies for general use (such as
the fitting up of caoins) were pur-
chased without due regard, habitually,
to the protection of the government S
interests.
On that 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 S1o5,31S, the work is pro-
nounced generally unsatisfactory,
charges excessive and material i'm
ferior."
| Special Firms Favored.
Prices paid for material were often
strikfngly in excess of the then current
market prices for the same articles of
like quality, and supplies were pur-
chased in open market without adver-
Using. 1t 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 bust
ness, these firms at the same time
charging exorbitant prices, to the ex-
tent. in few instances, of 100 per cent.
in excess of ruling market rates"
Upon the facts developed by the in
vestigation, 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 ,016, was excessive.
and was for luxurious fittings.
Lengthy descriptions are given of fur
nishings, etc. of inferior quality plac-
ed on various transports.