The age-herald., 1902-04-09
TRANSPORTS COST ENORMOUS SUMS ad Management of Officials is
 Responsible - DION I KNOW THE BUSINESS Prices Paid for Material strikingIy In Excess of Current Charges and
 Work Was Unsatisfactory.
 Root Sends Report.
DIDN'T KNOW THE BUSINESS

edge as to the conduct of the transport service between San Francisco and the Philippine islands.
 The answer includes the report of In- spector General Chamberlain and Lieu tenant Colonel Maus.
 The withholding of the reports from the Senate military committee subjected the secretary to criticism by the minority members at yesterdays meeting. It ap- pears that the secretary held that ac- cording to the exact language of the Sen ate resolution these reports were not call ed for. The Senate committee asked for reports from the officers named rela- tive to the transport of private goods between San Francsico and the Philip pines.
 The House resolution was in general terms, calling for "all facts that have come to his knowledge as to the conduct of the transport service" so the secre tary has included these two reports in the vast mass of papers submitted to the House today Secretary Root includes in his letter a copy of an instruction sent out by General Corbin at his direction, to the commanding general, Department of California, ordering "a thorough in- vestigation into all that relates to trans port service on the Pacific coast from it's organization up to the present time
 Reports of officers enclosed by the Sec retary cover several hundred pages. Maj. Gen. B. M Young, in transmitting the report of Lieutenant Colonel Chamber lain, submits an analysis of the report showing no adequate supervision of any feature of the fitting out of transports for a long time after the service was in- augurated and later the efforts to reform the system General Young specifics lack of securing competitive bids.
 Lack of Management. He says: "In the case of the Hancock (before the board was organized), 1nvolV- ing an expenditure approximating if not amounting to. half a million dollars. the matter of indicating needed repairs was put into the hands of officials unknown to transport regulations under verbal or ders and plenary powers given by the l honorable Secretary of War, to insure more sanitary arrangements on that l transport
 General Young also specifies the case of l an inexperienced man who knew noth- ing about paints being employed to su- perintend painting in a business where | the painting bill of single firm in two 1 years and two months amounted to SS4o'- l 674.'
 In other respects it Is stated the report that work was given out and supplies l for general use, such as the fitting up or l cabins, were purchased without que re- gard, habitually to the protection of the l governments interest.
 Work Unsatisfactory.
 On that branch of the investigation l covering costs of articles, etc., Gen. l Young summing up the Chamberlain re- port, says that in one case, where the bill was $105, ,31S the work is pronounced gen orally unsatisfactory; charges excessive | and material inferior"
 | Prices paid for material were often strikingly in excess of the current mar ket prices for the same articles of like | quality and supplies were purchased in l open market without advertising. It Is | further stated in General Young's sum mary that preference seems to have | been given special firms to the point Of 1 ordering from them articles out of their l line of business, these firms at the same ! time charging exorbitant prices, to the ex- | tent, in a few instances, of 100 per cent | in excess of the ruling market price," l Upon the facts developed by the inves- tigation, General Young remarks that un- der the pressure of necessity of moving large bodies of troops at short notice, lack | of methods and forms to safeguard the government occurred. Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain specifics in detail the fea- lures summarized by General Young. He refers to the report of the Bates board that much of the work done on the Logan was defective; also that the amount spent on the Hancock, $547 016. was exces- sive, and was for luxurious fittings
 Abuses Unavoidable. In his conclusions. Colonel Chamberlain says most of the abuses were unavoid able, and that there has been gradual im- provement. He says that there are but three firms in San Francisco equipped for extensive repair work, and that they had an understanding among themselves by which there had been no real competition. Tn interior fittings for transports, he says, there has been at times extravaganza, and in some cases great negligence. In purchasing supplies preference has been shown in the distribution of patronage. and extensive purchases have been made without competition.
 Colonel Chamberlain says that one of the most notable abuses has been the use of great quantities of hign-pr1ced disin- fectants. The transport Thomas, he says, on five trips used $9295 worth He says there also has been an excessive use or high-priced patent cleaning and polish ing material, the Thomas using $S24S worth in five trips. He adds that this abuse has been remedied.
 Loss of Property. The loss of government property. such as furniture, linen, bedding, tableware, etc, by imperfect accounting is also set forth. He states that the transport Meade was purchased when twenty-seven years old for $40O,000, and she has since re- ceived $5S.O0O in repairs.
 | In another report, dated August 2, 1901. l Col. O. F. Long, general superintendent of army transport service at San Fran i cisco. points out the magnitude of the service. suddenly brought into existence 1 and the systematizing of affairs as fast l as possible The report says it is not ad-
 mitted that preference was shown par
 ticular firms. As to high prices paid for
 disinfectants, the prices are declared to have been the same as those charged
 merchant ships. Other alleged irregulari-
 ties occurred during an emergency war
 period.