New-York tribune., 1918-12-21
Partly Unlyncled

EAItAy InlynCMcu
With the publication of the report on
Hog Island the controversy breaks out
afresh. The report recommends that the
question of any wilful and needless waste
he laid before a board of experts rather
than the courts for a decision. 1t would
have to go to the experts, if the quarrel
is to be prolonged, in any event. for it is
purely a technical question. The charge
of fraud Or wrong dealing is completely
dismissed. There was no graft"
In spite Of this exoneration, the
charges of wild extravaganza blazoned
over the country against the construction
company remain undetermined, and on
these a simple word may be said. De
Quoting the $4,000 900 authorized by the
government for additions to the revised
project, the final cost is about $55, ,000,-
600. The revised estimates Of last year
called for about $27,OO0,OO0 The COM
pany in rebuttal declares,v very briefly,
that these were simply estimates for a
new, untried and gigantic undertaking;
that the scope of the plant was subse-
quently enlarged by so per cent, and that
the cost of the work was not greater than
in other yards. 1t claims the concurrence
of the Emergency Fleet Corporation Of
fcials in this statement 1t may be added
that the whole work was. under the
closest governmental supervision, and
that all contracts, purchases and pay
ments had to have the governments ap-
proval.
Further, "in February Admiral Bowles
was sent to Hog Island to exercise the
full power of the Emergency Fleet Cor
direction"
All the facts as to the amount of the
extra cost were fully and completely
known to the government officials last
winter, and. in spite of this the work
was continued, with no change of drec-
ton, and large additional contract for
ships was made with the company as late
as last May. Moreover, the whole mat
ter was ventilated to the last detail in
the Senate committees investigation last
winter and spring, which covered $500
printed pages of testimony. This pretty
thoroughly disposes of any suggestion of
scandal"
Next, of the entire sum Of $55,000O00
two-thirds went for materials and stor-
age charges, which materials were used
in construction. All of these were pur-
chased under official approval through
the government, and at prices fixed by
the government. The entire outlay for
labor costs was under $18,000,OO0, and
here alone could any serious question Of
waste or mismanagement be raised. We
know the conditions Of labor in the last
twelve months. To maintain a working
force averaging under 10000 men a
total Of 175,000 men was hired up to last
September. The tremendous wages paid
were fixed by the government boards.
Even to-day, full month after the sign
ing of the armistice, the company is able
to secure only half the number Of rivet-
ers required to complete the ships on
schedule time, and yet it is only about
ninety days late on its contracts 1t has
done a wonderful work, at unheard-of
speed, and it would have been a miracle
if, under all these adverse conditions, the
cost should not have been high.
We do not need to be reminded of the
emergency, nor of the dark outlook un-
der which this prodigious undertaking
was pressed forward. Whatever the con-
fusion and disorder of last winter, this
vast work has come through, and it
stands as one of the highest achievements
of American engineering and enterprise
a part of the work that in little more
than a year has moved the United States
from one of the smallest to one of the
greatest shipbuilding nations in the
world. 1t would seem to deserve some
thing more than the grudging recognition
and lnsidious derraction of the report
from the Attorney Generals Office.