The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-12-20
TWO

AWN
Auiey. were so laid out as TO bring TO
Nm ssnsvssAnees and irregularities
~ any such existed
~Thh Investigation was conducted by
~ IN the midst Of other official labof'
II was given precedence until VIZ were
satisfied that excepting certain minor
frauds, no grounds existed for cflml-
nal process and that there probably
would be no delay in the delivery oi
ships II steel and labor were forth.
coming Those being the vital points
we represented orally our conclusions
IN regard to them and thereafter pro-
cecdcd in the normal course 10 CON
sider the issues Of fact and law in-
VOWED in this complicated record.
Csnt Account for All Funds.
Stating conclusions as 10 alleged
waste and Encouragement the report
rr "ccd'
"ln what wc have next - say wc
do no, wish 10 minimize the boldnrs'
oi the plan Of the agent and the couf-
acc and success oi the undertaking.
but we are not able 10 find alilfmn-
tivcly that the agent has SltlslaC
t,r.ly accounted IN the hearing before
~ for The expenditure NJ 90 large q
fum Of money ~ the construction OF
ihi rln'
N~rvrTT III minor rur-''1Uy ~
con'rO"crg the outstanding tact g.
that the agent, summer and iall c,.
tima,cs Of S2lwOOO and II, Noycm.
bcr y estimate of S270N OOO have
been 50 far exceeded that the praha-
llr cost of the ward will be- about
S1l Oo00o0 Gncluding ShODO0 for
reccr, additions made hy order of the
fleet corporatIon) Such a di'crcpan-
cy mus, he due 10 some fundamental
misCalculation m the original est
mate. 10 supcrvcning conditions, in
lcludlng enlargement Of the plant, 90
msmanagcmcut IN operation, or 10 q
combination Of these factors A dis
soreparcy ci such magnitude would
seem 10 cali for a clear explanation
Ifrom the agent but this has not been
furnished
Guessed at Costs.
"Conidcrable effort has been made
lby the agent IN 'hc hearings IN siuI-
ltliy It's own cStimltes hy claiming
tina, they were mere gue'scS that no
body could rely upon But the fleet
CORPORATION did rely on them: and
there is no coniemporoncous evidence
jus,iiying the agents present posi-
ton. The letter Of the agent trans
hitting the revised estimate of No.
vemher y. made after two and hail
months Of actual contact with the
work. IN nowiSc forcshhIows any
thing except the normal variations oi
cost which nigh, be expected in a
lob oi this maeniiudc
"Thc most significant single fact
indicating the point OF view at HOG
Island was that bills for ma'a AL
largely lumber, were prepaid and
properly prcuad) 10 the extent OF
over sl000OO00. but TO effort was
made hy the agent until our iuvc,'i-
cation TO prove whether prepaid bills
were IN iat, followed hy actual re-
ccint .i the material paid for
The Governm n Paid Bills.
"Ano,hcr fact oi strong s'gnii-
rarrr is ,ha' while the contract pro.
vidcd in expires, terms that the agent
. should keep a detailed plant cost &C.
count. and contained very careful
provisions defining cost vet the agent
al an early date took the position
that since the government paid 'n'
everything that went into Hog Island
& vas unnecessary 20 comply witt
this provision Hence. at no Uagt
of the work since last Dccembci
could II be determined what any uni
OF plant construction cost
IN was certainly possible TO super
wise the undertaking from the stand.
point of cost without dctrimcut to
speed In February Admiral Bowie
was sent 20 Hog Island 10 eNcrciS,
the full power OF the fleet corpora
tion in the matter oi direction auC
supervision: he was able 90 increase
the efficiency OF the wotk and ye
eliminate unnecessary salaries II
three departments and rental charge,
for unnecessary equipment, thereby
eiicctihg saving OF several thousan,
dollars a day. A similar reorgan7a
tion in other departments is unde
way"
Plans Not Changed.
In a foot note the report gives al
accountants report that thrty-Scyei
men Who were on the paw rolls o
Stone & Webster July !, l9l7, a, ay
eragc salaries Of &,973 were trans
ferred 10 the Hog Island paw roll II
September and October Of that yea
at an average OF $3.50 each.
A repOrt of the naval technical al