The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-21

4
Ing excessive profits, amounting to
more than $l,400,00O in contracts award
ed by the government to the Electric
Boat company, the committee says;
NO evidence appeared before this
committee and no calculation has been
presented by which these figures can
be ascertained. They seem to be en-
tirely arbitrary and fictitious, have no
basis for existence and certainly do
not show any definite thing as proved
before this committee, so that whoever
used them evidently received them
from the person who first prepared or
calculated them and then put them be-
fore the public without realizing or
caring whether or not they had any
basis of fact" These figures were bas-
ed according to Mr., Llleys testimony
on testimony covering the cost of
building submarines given by Admiral
Bowles before a house committee in
January, 1902, and the committee refers
to testimony of Admiral Bowles given
before the committee during It's recent
investigation In contradiction Of the
'SN''S ''iat 4ii' iSiiiND Ilit
committee says
Admiral Bowles stated that he and
Admiral ONeill and Admiral Melville
sought to prepare figures which would
give them an approximate Idea Of what
would be the fair commercial value Of
boat Of that type, The manner Of cal
culation was to take the total weight of
the boat, dry, and divide It into groups
of materials of a similar commercial
character; then assume for each group
a price per pound and IN that way a
fair commercial market value Of the
material could be made Admiral
Bowles stated that any estimate of val
ue per ton Is erroneous. Other wit
nesses corroborated this statement that
the cost and value per ton of a vessel
of this class Is misleading. Admiral
Bowles also showed that other correc-
tions should be made In his testimony
of 1902 In order to obtain a fairly ac-
curate result at the present time"
The error in the method of calcua-
tlon by which the figures used by Mr..
Lilley purporting to represent excessive
cost Of submarines was pointed out by
Admiral Bowles in a statement to
which the committee calls attention 1t
Is shown that the estimate of Admiral
Bowles, which was used as basis Of
, calculation, was made solely upon the
/ dry weight of the materials used In
the construction" and that when hgur-
! ed correctly what seemed to be excess
sve profits was wiped out.
} In making a final analysis OF Mr..
/ Lllleys motives and connection with
the Lake company's propaganda" the
committee observes: Indeed, they can
only he reconciled by considering the
recklessness with which he makes all
charges that are calculated to prove
the particular thing that he desires to
prove at the particular moment. Or
perhaps 1t can be reconciled to that
convenience of his memory which will
not permit him to remember anything
not in keeping with the particular
thing which he desires to prove"
Even remote statements made by Mr..
Lilley tending to show that he had not
been treated fairly, and that he had
been an object of persecution, seemed
/, TO have been investigated by the COM
mittee. One of the complaints was that
he and his family had been constantly
Swallowed by detectives after the intro
duction OF his resolution of inquiry
The committee clears up the statement
/ In these words 1T may be stated here
that the men whom Mr. Lilley's suspi.
a. cions had transformed into detectives
hired to watch his office were raw re-
cruits OF the new police force Of the
. Office building who were forced, while
n waiting for their uniforms. to patro
Q the corridors in plain clothes"
Q Taking up the attack which was
n made on Representative Loud of Mich.
n igan, and In which his former secre.
o tary Frank Marlborough of Bay City
r was concerned tho committee gives 1t,
- opinion Of Mr.. Marlborough, and Incl.
e dentally Of Mr.. Lilley and his privat,
n secretary, Benjamin Webster. for theii
a part In the affair The committee ex
c onerates Mr.. Loud, and of Mr.. Edin
borough's testimony says: Its lack o
e frankness, treachery to his old frienc
e and employer, and one distinct, wlfu
l. act of perjury, make 1t conspicuous.
l. II Is stated that Mr. Webster has writ
e ten what the committee describes al
y "a forged letter" to Mr. Marlborough
d attacking Mr.. Loud, and that Mr. Edin
h borough swore that he had never re
II ceived IT, Marlborough, the COMMITTEES
l. says, left the letter with Mr. Lilley, an.
n Mr. Llley destroyed II so that 1t coui,
l. not he produced In evidence.
J. To this the committee adds the fol
.e lowing comment: This committee AN
" not decide which wac the most jespie
y able act, Webster's, In writing tn
forged letter, Mr. Liley's In destroying
II. or Edinborough's in swearing tia
y he had never received It. It is chara !,
y teristic of Mr.. Lilleys attitude towar
= tho house and his colleagues throug
all these proceedings that when h
!, learned his suspicious OF Representa-
t. tive Loud were grounllsss and wer
:, created by the secret attacks OF N un
!. scrupulous schemer he has ne yer up {
! the present time expressed his graft
:. hcation at the removal of the c;ou
:, which hung over his colleague or mad
:, to him any apology or given any mai,
70 Hesitation of regret that he SHOULD hav
- mace an unwarranted attack upon III
"a honor and good name Of his fellow
MANNER