The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-09
EX0RBlTANT PRICES PAID
Certain Firms Favored by
 Government Agents.
Transport Meade Purchased for $4oo, 900 When 27 Years Old and Repairs on the Vessel
 Required $5so,o GOO.

He day sent. an answer to the House resolu. ton adopted on March 15, calling on him for all facts that have come to his knowi' edge as to the conduct of the transport service between San Francisco and the Philippine Islands. The answer includes th. repoYts of the Inspector General. and Lieutenant Colonel M .us.
 . The withholding of these reports from the Senate Military Committee subjected the secretary to criticisms by the minority members at yesterdays meeting. It 'ap- pears that the secretary held that, ac- cording to the exact language of the Sem ate resolution. these reports were not called for. The Senate committee asked for reports from the officers named rela- tive to the transport of private goods between San Francisco and the Philip pines. The House resolution was in general terms. calling for "ali facts that have come to his knowledge as to the conduct of thsA transport service." so the secretary has included these two reports in the vast mass of papers submitted to the House today. Secretary Root in- cludes in his letter copy of an instruc' ton sent out by General Corbin at his direction to the commanding general de partment of California, ordering "a thorough investigation Into all that re- lates to the transport service on thu Pacific coast from its organization up t' the present time"
 The reports of the various officers, en closed by Secretary Root covers severa hundred pages. Major General B. M Young in transmitting the report of Lieu tenant Colonel Chamberlain submits al analysis Nof the report shownig n adeotiafe supervision to any feature o the fitting out of transports. for s lont time after the service was insugurated and later the efforts to reform the sys tenn. General Young specifics lack ol securing competitive bids He says;
 Tn the case of the Hancock tbefort the board was organized) involving ar expenditure approximating if not amount ing to half a million dollars. the matter of indicating need of repairs was put into the hands of officials unknown to trans
  plenary power given by the Honorable Secretary of War. to insure more sanita' " arrangements on that transport"
 General Young also specifics the case oi an inexperienced man. who knew nothing about paints, being employed to super wise painting in business where the painting bill of a single firm in two year: and two months amounted to $3iS,6H
 In other respects, it Is stated. the re pert shows that work was given out auo supplies for general use tsuch as the fit ting up of cabins) were purchased with out due regard to the protection of tn, Government interests.
 On that branch of the investigation GOV cring cost of articles, etc. Genera Young. summing up the Chamberlain re port. says that in one case, where the bill was slo5, ISIS. the work Is pronounced gen orally unsatisfactory, charGeS excessiV' and material inferior"
 Prices paid for material were ofter strikingIy in excess of the then current market prices for the ssmo articles of like quality and supplies were purchased ir open market without advertising. It is further stated in General Young's sum mary that preference seems 10 have beer shown special firms to the point of order ing from them articles out of their hn' of business these firms at the same tim' charging exorbitant prices 10 the exten. in few instances. of 100 per cent il excess of ruling market rates"
 Upon the facts developed by the inves tigstion, General Young remarks that un der the pressure of necessity of moVtn large bodies of troops at short notice lack of methods and forms to sateguar' the Government occurred.
 Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain Speci fies in detail the features summarized b! General Young. He refers to the 'ratei of repairs" that much of the work done on the Logan was defective; also thai the amount spent on the Hancock ,S&5i2s nI6. was excessive and for. luXurio< fit tings.
 In his conclusion, Colonel Chs&1hsrlait says most of the abuses were npavoid' able, and that there has beett g4adna improvement He says that there arc hu' three firms in San Francisco edttipped fol extensive repair work and that they ha an understanding among themselves b: which there has been no real competition In interior fittings for transports, h, says, there has been at times extrava gancc and in some cases great negligence In purchasing supplies, preference has been shown in the distribution of patron age and extensive purchases have beer made without competition.
 Colonel Chamberlain says that one o the most notable abuses has been the use of great quantities of high price dis infectants. The transport Thomas, Inc says. on five trips. used S9.295 worth. H' says there also has been an excessive us' of high priced patent cleaning and pol ishing material, the Thomas using 8. 24 worth in five trips. He adds that this ahusp has been remedied.
 The loss of Government property. sucl AS furniture. linen, bedding. tableware etc. by imperfect accounting. is also SC forth. He states that the transpor Meade was purchased when twenty-seveI wears old for $4OO. 900. and she has since received S5s0, ,OOO in repairs
 In a report, dated August 20, 1901. Col O. F, Long. General Superintendent O. Army Transport Service at San Fran cisco. points out the magnitude of th' service. suddenly brought into existence and the systematizing of affairs as fas ss possible, ~
 The report says it Is not admitted tha preference vas shown particular firms s to high prices raid for disinfectsnts tn --s. .~. aartarsd tn hsya heen the sa m