Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-15
Sensational Charges in
Special Masters Report

| misleading. Tom Allen, the foreman
Of q gang Of workmen. also testineo
that the tests as reported by Morrison
! were never mAde, and that on one
occasion q pin or peg was put In the
/ testing machine In order to make II
appear that a certain pressure was
being maintained. In accepting the
plaut, therefore, II IL evident that
majority Of the directors. who were
| ignorant OF the true state OF facts
were deliberately deceived as to the
plant and the work thereon. Mr..
], NJ. Cumming declares that this was
done over his protest.
I'm this connection II
would be proper to state that Barham
contended that his contract contem'
plated only twelve miles Of mains
The contract itself does not show the
exact number OF miles Of mains. nor
the specifications, nor any map In ex'
, istence at the time Of the awarding
OF the contract. J. N. Cumming tes'
titled that twenty miles OF mains were
contemplated. milestone bears Out
Barham. There IL 80 much conflict
OF evidence that l took the evidence
OF Boardman who made the estimate
from plans presented to him by bar'
ham and Whetstone.-which plans
called for iO4,5lO feet or practically
20 miles OF mains. 1t seems. there
fore. that this was the number OF
miles originally agreed upon. Board
mans original copy Of the map there
! u, ~ fiieu with his evidence showing
where the mains were intended to be
laid, with sizes. Barham's original
proposition was to lay mains through
the Normal School, Soldiers Home
and upon the Federal Reservation at
.! Old Point. none Of which was done
! and no reason whatever was given Oh
could 10 ascertained IA to why this
was not done.
Changed Sizes Of Pipe.
"The record further shows that
| Barham without the consent OF the
company changed the sizes Of the
pipe in numerous instances. He
claims that this was done with the
consent of the directors, which Is de-
MED by several Of them: at any rate
It was done without the consent Oh
| the company. This, change resulted
: In q saving of from 100000 tG
! 100000 to the contractor. The rea
sons given were that six-inch pipe
was hard to get. yet a letter signed
by him as general manager to Whet
stone and Company. who furnished
the pipe bearing date the 7th OF DE
| cember, 1906. expressly stated that NJ
! had then on hand q carload Of SIX
inch pipe, which was In excess OF MI
requirements.
| A co.partnsrship Formed.
while the contract for construction
was. ostensibly awarded to J. A. Ear
ham. the record discloses that at tna'
time Walter MILESTONE and James N
| Cumming were interested with hin
| and that subsequently Cumming wal
eliminated, and Barham. milestone
and Charles Baker formed co-part
nership for the construction Of the
| plant. All three Of these were direc
tors In the company. and their hrs'
duty was supposed to be to that cor
poration; vet the record shows thai
! the interests OF the company were en-
tirely secondary to their own private
gain or end. Boardman protested
against the manner In which the plant
| was being constructed and. the mains
were being laid. to which no atten
! ton was paid and he was practicaii,
: deposed. There, was q useless extrava
kance and waste OF the assets Of tne
| company. for while the record SHOWS
! that with careful management the
| plant could have been easily buii'
With the proceeds Of the bonds. vel
| the company had to spend large sums
In order to partially complete Bar
hams contract, the plant not navine
yet been completed according to the
plans and specifications; that on Jan
! uary .9th. Barham agreed to complete
his contract. yet never pretended Al
ter that date to do any more WORK;
that waiter MILESTONE, although d.
rector in the company, shared IN the
prpflts Of construction With Barham
and AZ director on one occasion made
, Rarhsm as general manager put the
endorsement Of the Public Service Cor
poration on notes which Barham owes
, him. milestone, or his company, fol
material furnished to Barhsm, and
!, for which the company was In nc
way liable: (Barham subsequently,
paid theee notesD that when Baker
Barham and Milestone realized that
they had lost money on the contract
they undertook Arsa to have the com
many assume all the Indebtedness IN
Cured by the company on account Of
their contract. Is appears by a meet
inr az the executive committee com,
posed OF ". 9. Gray. Baker and bar
har.-only Baker and Barham beins
present. a. which an attempt vas
made 10 ratify and confirm oil the
accounts OF Charles Rakcr. treasurer,
which wouid necessarily have carried
: with II q complete release Of Bar
Ram - to liability incurred By the
-. IL. ..-ucsuna TN. HSso0r0