Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-17
NAVY YARD
Irregularities Charged by Two
Former Clerks.
INQUIRY TO BE THOROUGH
Alleged Construction Of Motor Boat
for Paymaster Merriam
BY GOVERNMENT employees
Navy Department Issues Statement
Denying the Administrations
mittee to Sit Monday.
INQUIRY TO BE THOROUGH
BY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

The House committee on expenditures
In the Navy Department will meet Mon
day morning to continue its inquiry into
alleged irregularities at the Washington
navy yard. The charges laid before the
committee by j. w. Lucas and J. b.
Sims. formerly bookkeeper at the navy
yard. with respect to shortages, are con-
sidered sufficiently serious by the COM
mittee to warrant probing them to the
bottom Representative Rufus Hardy
of Texas told a Star reporter today
that the committees inquiry would be
thorough and that Secretary of the Navy
Meyer would render all the assistance
possible.
One of the charges which will be gone
into Monday will have to do with the
alleged construction at the navy yard
with government labor OF a motor boa,
for use Of Paymaster J. H. Merriam, gen
eral store keeper OF the navy yard. The
assertion has been made before the com
mittee that Paymaster Merriam has gov
eminent employees do private work fol
him. The paymaster declines to discuss
the case, but will testify before the com
charges.
In view Of the fact that no inventory
has been taken for years of the millions
or dollars worth of stock at the yard,
the committee will endeavor to ascertain
II there is any shortage in this regard
Denial Of Charges.
In statement given out at the Navy
Department this morning with regard
to the testimony Of J. w. Lucas and
J. B. Sims before the committee on
expenditures in the Navy Department,
1t Is declared emphatically that the ir-
lregularities charged have no existence.
MI. Lucas was bookkeeper at the
ment. denoted for ineff1ciency. after
having been repeatedly tried in various
positions. who resigned recently.
Mr.. Sims is bookkeeper at the same
yard. He has been frequently suspend
ed for intoxication and the use OF
drugs. and was recently dismissed for
| the same reason. but reinstated at the
| earnest request Of friends. who i'm
plored one more chance for him..
1.-The motor boat of Paymaster Mer-
In cellar in the yard, was, az a mat
ter OF fact. built outside a year before
he was assigned to the yard.
Covered by Deposit.
THE commandments permission having
been obtained, and an adequate deposi,
made. certain work was done on the
boat at the yard, the deposit of So full,
covering all expenditures. which wa.
s1s4i. including all labor and material
Paymas1e- Merriam also obtained Per
mission TO have MS automobile repaired
at the yard. and deposited 81 ~ 70 coTe-
the cost. which was SG.e-
Another charge is made tha. PaymAs
ter Merriam has an eIuploye named
George Lawrie working for him in gov
eminent time and on government pay
to attend TO his automobile and moto,
boat outside OF government time and
pays him out of his own pocket. Pay
master Merriam affirms that he never
| authorized Lawrie to work for him dur
| ing government hours.
AS for the statement that there ha S
been no complete inventory for seven
years, inventories have been and are
being made. and are clearly in line with
the policy established by Secretary
Meyer. the Washington yard taking its
turn.
| During this administration an in
ventory and appraisal Of all govern
ment property at the Boston yard was
pleted in October. 1909; one at New
York in November, 1909, completed
January. 1910: that at the Philadelphia
yard was begun in April. 1910. and the
appraisal at Puget sound reached the
department three months ago. The in
ventory at the Washington yard will
come In due course.
Not Shortage.
"As for an alleged deficiency Of 5000
in some electrical material. there was
no shortage whatever. Certain stores
which were outside Of the general
storehouse and under the charge Of the
captain Of the yard were drawn out
from time to time and q proper record
kept When this was discovered by the
general storekeeper stub acquisitions
covering all materials were obtained
from the different departments and
charged to the proper appropriations.
This was last July"