The Washington times., 1903-06-17
LITIGATION OVER IRIGG
SHIPBUILDING FAILURE
Navy Seeks Opinion as to
Validity Of Contract.
THE GALVESTON UNFINISHED
Treasury Department Also Worried
Over the Mohawk-GOvernment
May Seize Vessels.

Litigation following the failure of the
Trigg Shipbuildng Company. of Rich
mond Va, is attracting fully as much
attention at the Treasury Department as
az the Navy. The latter has asked the
Attorney General for an opinion as to
the validity of its contract covering the
building Of the cruiser Galveston, which
lies in the yards unfinished, tied up by
the defaulting contractors. The Treas
ury Department has a revenue cutter,
the Mohawk, in the same yard, and ii
is 80 per cent finished.
In the contract between the Trigg
Company and the Navy Department
there is o provision emitting the Gov
ernment to remove the vessel from the
yards and complete elsewhere after the
expiration of the contract time Credi-
tors, however have pooled their issues
and are opposing the removal of the
cruiser until the claims against the
Triggs are settled. 1t is likely that
the question is one that will have to
be settled in court.
Can Complete Work.
The contract between the Treasury
/ Department and the Trigg Company
providing for the completion Of the Mo-
I hawk. in the event of failure Of the COM
! pany to carry out the terms of the con-
tract differs from the agreement relat-
| ing to the Galveston. The Government
| is entitled TO complete the cutter, but IS
not privileged to remove it from the
yard at Richmond. Subcontractors have
also tied up the Treasury Department
/ plans. and the completion Of the cut
/ ter will be delayed until the courts de-
termine the validity OF the contracts.
The War department is also interest
I ed on account Of a hydraulic dredge for
/ the Engineer Department which is be-
/ ing built by the Triggs and is in sim
liar state of incompletion
About S157 900 has been paid by the
! Treasury Department on account Of the
Mohawk. About $4,000 is now due on
the contract price of $217. GOO. The Gov
ernment could complete the cruiser for
about $25, 900. and the remainder of the
contract price could be recovered by the
subcontractors If they would proceed
! in the proper manner.
After the completion Of the Galveston.
the Government will be under great ex-
pense in getting the cruiser to the ocean.
The part OF the yards where the cruiser
is being built is nothing more than q
hole in The ground. Navy officers say
that 1t will be necessary 70 deepen this
hole for the launching of the cruiser
J that a canal will then have TO be built
3. in order to take the ship to the river,
and the river dredged to float the ship
TO the ocean. This is one Of the COM
plications that got the Trigg company
into trouble.
Needed in the Service.
Captain Shoemaker. chief of the Rev
enUe Cutter Service, said today that the
Mohawk was badly needed by the ser
vice. He favors tactics which were re-
sorted TO number OF years ago on the
Pacific coast to recover a cutter which
was in the hands of defaulJing contrac-
tors and tied up by creditors.
The late Judge William H. Barton. OF
the Office Of the Solicitor OF the Treas
ury. was sent to the coast to see what
could be done to protect the Govern
ment
He looked the situation over and de-
cided that the Government would be
warranted in seizing the vessel and
towing ii 10 San Francisco. This was
done despite the protests Of the credi-
tors.
Ever since that time the Department
has been trying to decide whether 81
took the vessel. or. as the creditors say
stole it." When Solicitor OConnell
was asked for an opinion recently he
said: Steal IS a pretty strong term
but l wouldn't advise such tactics al
Richmond"
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