Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-18
TRANSPORT SERVICE
ROOTS REPORT SHOWS
GREAT EXTRAYAGANCE
Transfer Of Officials Follows InveStiga-
ton High Prices Charged the
Government for lis
Supplies.

| Washington. April S.-The Score.
tary Of War today transmitted to the
| House oi Representatives a number OF
reports regarding the transport ser.
vice on the Pacific. These cover a Sc.
ries Of special Investigations into the
entire service practically down to
date. They reveal. among other
things. state OF affairs which resulted
in the transfer of Major Oscar +. Long,
general superintendent OF the trans
port service; enforced the resignation
Of Captain John Barneson, marine SIR
pcrintondcnt of the transport service,
and will. no doubt. lead TO a roOrgani.
cation of the service. While there Ia
nothing in these reports rejecting up.
on the integrity or ability OF Major
-.onE the correspondence clearly
shows that the Secretary of War reach.
cd the conclusion that Major Long
could be of greater service to the de.
partmcnt in another field.
Regarding Captain John Barneson. II
is charged that he was \ member oil
! the firm of Barneson 4 Chilcott of Sc.
attic after he assumed The office OF
marine superintendent Of the transport
service. and as member of that firm
chartered two vessels, the Morgan
! cry and Centennial. to the Govern.
ment The reports show great eXtrav'
agance of the conduct of the service
during the early period with later
improvement. 1t concludes by prais
ing the general superintendent and
assistants for the herculean task per
formed.
Charges against Captain Barneson
are contained in supplemental report
by Lieut.. Col. John l.. Chamberlain. In
spcctor General. dated San Francisco
August ~. 1901. In this he states that
the steamers Morgan City and Centen
NAL were chartered to the Government
by Barnesun 4 ChiiCott in January
1899. The charter papers were signed
by John Barneson on account oil the
firm. The charter oil the Morgan City
was renewed on July /. 1899, Barne
son & Chilcott still aciing as arent'
for the owners. From the date OF The
charter until the sale OF the Centennia
in July, 1899, and until the loss Of tn,
Morgan City. September 2, 1899. mos
of the vouchers were signed by JOIN
Barneson tor Barneson 4 Chilcott
Most of the checks in payment for the
same were receipted for and received
by him.
The records o. Kings county, Wash
ingtOn. show that on December 2G
1899, notice Of the dissolution OF tn,
firm OF BarncsOn & ChilCOtt was fled
This notice bears the date November
IS 1899. and states that John BarnUsoI
severed his connection with the firm
December 81, 1898. Barneson was ap
pointed marine superintendent OF tn,
Army transport service at san iran
cisco on May /, 1899.
His connection with the Morgan
City and the Centennial subsequent t.
that date" says Lieut. Col. Chamber
lain appears to be in violation o
paragraph $50 OF the Army regulation
and OF section IFS: of tie Revised stat
utes. 1t appears that John Barneso
was in reality member OF the firm q
Barncson a. ChilCott for some tim
after he entered the transport servic,
and he was in reality the agent for tn
owners of the Centennial and the Mo
gan City None Of the money receive
by him on account OF these ships wa
ever RENTED to the firm in Seattle"