Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-21
L|LLEY PREPARES
TO SUBMIT FACTS
Man from Connecticut Promises
TO Show Boat Com
pany's Profits.
WHAT SUBMARINES COST.
Uncle sam Paid s2s6,00o for Crafts
lie says MAY Have Been
Worth About 100000,

Washington. March 2O.-ia support
OF lis assertion that more than $1,000
OOo of unnecessary profit had been paid
by the United States government to
The Electric Boat company in the pur-
chase OF submarine. torpedo boats anu
that similar high profits were contem-
plated In pending contracts proposed
10 be awarded 10 that company. Rep
rcSentatiVe Lilicy of Connecticut mas
prepared for submission to the special
submarine investigation committee of
The house certain statements COMPARE
sons and conclusions
The statements include extracts from
the hearings before the house naval
anairs committee In 1901 and 1902. when
Rear Admirals Melville. o'Neil and
Bowlos were examined as TO the cost
of construction OF submarine torpedo
boats. In his statement Admiral O'Neil
ssl,id that from his own observation he
f4ought 100000 each would he 1t very
libSnul price for the Holland boats, the
CONTRACTS for which Mr.. Lilley CONF
plains call for purchase price of $685.
900 per BOAT.
COST COMPARATIVELY LOW.
Admiral Melville testified that the
probable cost of the manufacture of a
Holland boat was between $4,000 and
1901 when the Holland was "a feet long,
and il was proposed 10 Increase this
langth to so feet. These new boats said
Admiral Melville wuuld also have a.
greater storage battery ana would
naturally cost more money. probably
as much as $4,000.
Admiral BoWles explained that the
department had estimated Si25,0O0 per
boat as a proper appropriation on ac-
count of the probable cost of conduct
ing experiments to satisfy the depart
mont of the efficiency of the boats be-
fore acceptance,
In "a note accompanying these quota
tions, MIR. Lilley says:
''At the time Rear Admiral BoWles
made the foregoing statements he was
chief OF the bureau of construction and
repairs OF the navy department and
necessarily had much to do with the
construction OF craft Of this charae-
ter
HUGE PROFITS SHOWN.
Continuing. Mr. LilIey says: There
fare, basing calculations upon the fig
urcs OF Admiral Bowles, which he says
would give a handsome profit to the
builders of the Holland boats--namey,
$50. 1856 for a 12l-ton boat, or $i45,45 per
tou-it viii readily be seen by compar-
atlve statements that there has been
an extra handsome profit of N,5l9,73S
since the United States contracted for
the first Holland boat, the Plunger. In
March, 1898; and 1t will be seen that
the excessive profits to be made on the
eight boats which 1t is now proposed
10 buy from the Electric Boat company
would be Sl47l $50.
81 submit Il comparative statement
OF the bids submitted by the Electric
Boat company ANA the Lake Torpedo
Boat company for the construction OF
submarines on April 30. 1907, from
which 1t appears the submarines to be
constructed by the Electric Boat com
pany are to cost on an average about
$500 per ton more than the prices Of
fered by the Lake Torpedo Boat COM
pany, under guarantees required by the
navy department and subjected TO the
performance prescribed prior to ac-
ceptance. BY this time 1t win
also be seen that the lowest price of
the Lake orpedo Boat company is
$500 per ton, which approaches very
closely to the price given by Admiral
Bowles.
BOATS NO GOOD ANYWAY.
1.-THE foregoing facts and conditions
Influenced me to introduce house reso-