The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-29
Former Chief of Construction Bureau Denies Department Was overoharged for
 Submarines.
COMPLAINTS PROFITS SMALL
ES-Nayal oilicial, Now Head of Ship building Firm. Says Cost of Pres ent Boats Exceeds Con-
 tract Price.

Washington, April 2s.-one of tho main charges of Representative George l., Lillcy of Connecticut against the Electric Boat company namely. that the company has received exces- siye profits on it's contracts with the United States government. was natly denied to-day by Admiral Francis T. Rowles formerly chief of the bureau of construction of the navy depart- ment and now president of the Fore River Shln Building company. which Is building the boats for the Electric company Admiral Bowles stated that the octopus, the last submarine boat built for tho government, but which has not yet been accepted, will cost the Electric Boat company for construction alone s235,000 This figure does not include royalties or the general expenses of the Electric conn pany, and he thought that tho total cost of the boat would exceed the contract price of s960 000
 A number of other witnesses were examined to-day by the committee in a1 effort to close up the inquiry Ad- journment was taken until Thurs day.
 Washington, April 2s.- The statc- ment made hy Representative George L. Lilley of Connecticut to the special house committee Investigating his l charges against the Electric Boat ! company, that he was being shadow ed by private detectives. was positive ly denied before the committee to-day by Frederick Wehber, the detective officer al the capitol. Mr Wehber said that no detective officer of any character had been engaged in watch ing Mir. Lilley either in the capitol tho house office building
 Francis T Bowles formerly chiet of the bureau of construction in the navy department. and now president of tho Fore River Shipbuildng com. pany, was questioned regarding tho cost of submarines. He said the cost of construction of the Octopus had approxlmated $235,000. This. he said did not include office charges, etc The contract price of the boat was S250.0 GOO
 Mir Bowles denied that he had eve made any staten mt qualifying the in ference that any cost in excess of $7i ton for submarines was excessive. II, thought that $l,120 ton would he {
 fair p;ice now Nor did he accept Nil Lilley's estimate of sl,5la.7iS as the az : greeate profits of submarines since tn
 original Holland boat was built. He be : lieved money would he lost on the Oc
 topus
 A strong denial was made hy Ad . miral Bowles that he had endeavore 1. in any manner whatever to hay Charles Ferry of Bridgeport Conn.
 brass foundry influence the legislativ
 atcion of any member of congress.
 Representatives Arthur l.. Bates Q
 Pennsylvania and l.. P. Padgett Q
 Tennessee, members of the naval af fairs committee and James & Sher
 man of New York, appeared bcfor the committee. Both Mir. Bates an Mir Padgett stated there was no con nection in the committee discussion O
 the naval appropriation bill betwee : the battleship and the submarine pro
 positions.
 1 David Carvalho, the handwriting ey s pert, was recalled to testify regardin an anonymous letter that Mr. Lille i received and which he handed the con
 mittee on April 1S The letter was dat f ed New York, Feb 20, and was sigr | cd "A Citizen The letter mentione f number of prominent names. It ha f not yet been made public by the com f mlttee. Mir Caryllho stated that tn letter was not written on Feb. 20 ( - March 20. He said that 1t was write . not later than five or six days prior |, April IS. The handwriting, he said wa
 undoubtedly disguised, What the con
 mittee hopes to bring out by this @ , animation has not been disclosed. The committee adjourned unt
 Thursday afternoon.