Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-16
Representative Good of Iowa
Makes Charge Against Sec
rotary of Treasury.
HEATING AND LIGHTING
PLANT PLANS ARE BASIS
Questions Employment of Outside
Architects-Contends Intention
Of Congress Has Been Changed.

made the charge that the Secretary Of
the Treasury has expended money with
out authority in connection with the pro-
posed heating and lighting plant that has
been authorized by Congress to distribute
power to nearly all the important public
buildings. He declares that although the
recent appropriation act directed the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury to employ tech
nical men on salary basis in the office
Of the supervising architect to draw
plans and specif1ca tons fer the big 81, $780,
600 plant, that official has gone to New
York to employ L. B. Stillwell & Co. and
has already paid $1,000 for preliminary
plans.
In a resolution which sets forth the
entire matter as it appears to him, and
to other members of the appropriations
committee, Representative Good calls on
the Secretary Of the Treasury to inform
the House what contracts have been
entered into with L. B. Stillwell & Co.
Mr.. Good also charges that it is apparent
that the original intention of Congress
as to central power plant for the
principal buildings has been entirely
changed by Secretary McAdoo.
The Resolution, in Part.
The resolution says, in part:
THE total limit of cost of such cen
trail heating. lighting and power plant.
including all necessary buildings. boil
ers, engines, generators. pumps, ma
chinery appliances and equipment, tun-
nels, ducts and SO forth, is liked at not
to exceed the sum Of $1.494.1O4. and the
Secretary of the Treasury Is authorized
to enter into contracts to the full limit
Of cost hereby fixed"
TT was demonstrated that great
hn cd Inv IN nm
struction OF such a plant; that the cost
to produce electricity would be SIX
tentns cent per k. w., and that the cost
to produce and distribute electrical
current would be III cents were k W.;
that the saving in the purchase OF coal
alone in heating the building to be
furnished with neat from such plant
would exceed $4S,OO0 per annum, and
that the total saving to the govern
ment would be about $l76,S45 annu-
ally.
1t was shown that unless such plant
was constructed without delay some
of the buildings which it was proposed
to heat from said central plant would
have to be equipped with new heating
plants at great expense.
Power Company Made Objections.
1.-The only objections made to the con-
struction of such central plant was
Company. which has been and still is
| furnishing electrical current for light
ing some of said buildings at a price
OF 3 cents per k. W.
I'm making said authorizations Con-
gress delegated the following author
lty to the secretary of the Treasury:
Inc secretary OF the treasury is
further authorized and empowered to
employ, without reference to the civil
10 ,lat
salary basis in the office OF the super
vising architect, such technical serv-
ices as may be deemed necessary in
connection with the plans, specifica-
lions and construction of the power
plant herein provided for
In violation of such authority and
direction the Secretary of the Treasury
has employed experts outside of the
Office OF the supervising architect, and
has paid to the firm OF L. B. Stillwell
& Co. of New York city about $1,000
for technical service that was not per-
formed in the office of the supervising
architect, and for plans for a different
plant than that authorized by Con-
gress.
There is great similarity between
the objections and showing made by
the Potomac Electric Power Company
and the report of L. B. Stillwen & Co.
regarding the plant SO authorized by
Congress.
Work has not commenced on the
construction of such plant, though more
than fifteen months have elapsed since
Congress authorized the construction"
Mr.. Newton Gave Explanation.
BYRON R. Newton, assistant secretary
of the Treasury, appeared before the
appropriations committee OF the House
May. rs and attempted to explain to
Chairman Fitzgerald what Secretary
McAdoo was doing with the Stillweu
Company figures and plans. Repre-
sentative Fitzgerald read the law,
which placed the matter in the office of
the supervising architect completely.
At that point H. S. Putnam, consult
ing engineer for the Stillwell Company.
said he wanted to explain how his firm
got into the affair:
I'VE were called in." he said. "by the
Secretary to prepare in line with the
prearranged program the plans and
specifications for the plant. and that
;,,o< haf have dnnan