The daily banner., 1918-02-09
Feed ADMITS HOC
ISLAND Waste
Navy Offer Q1i2zed by the
S3ndte frOh9rS.
THOUGHT IT UNAVOIDABLE
Commander T.soen.:y Stationed There
Declares Steady Flow If Material
Was Nece5sa.y y.

Was Necessary.
Washington. Feb. y.-Commande.
Paul /. /. II. one OF The Emergency
Flee, corporations representatives
stationed until recently at Hog Island
to hold down expenses. said he real
lied there was great waste.
He said he did not make recon-
mendations 20 lis superior officers tC
cu-tail it, fer he believed it was
unavoidab' III the hasty completion
of the Delaware river shipbuildins
plant.
Commander Reed test;fi d before
the SeHat" commerce committee
which i Investigating alleged extrav
agar2e at leg Island.
The commander declared "a defec,
in the railroad yard" at Hog Island
was responsible for tie piling up OF
huge Quantities of materials.
He said he did not know how many
freight cars were congested in the
vicinity Of Hog Island, but tLat from
3""o to 1000 were always rolling to
ward TIE island
There was a feeling that they
the American International Shipbuild
ing corpoTatiOn-had undertaken the
most stupendous contract in the his
tory OF shipbuilding." the officer tes
titled, in telling about the demand fol
'areHd" in building the plant.
The most stupendous contra cts
since the day OF Solomon" interrupt
ed Senator Knute Nelson, Minnesota
81 was never asked what I though:
about the flow of men and supplies
to Hog Island" resumed the com
mander.
VINO was Your superior?" demand
ed Senator Nelson.
admiral Rosseau whose office is
in Washington" was the answer. 81
had no immediate superior in Phila-
de!phia"
"Couldn't you in your capacity
check this flow Uf material?" persist
ed Senator Nelson
Il never felt they were ordering tco
asst" replied the naval officer. 81
thought it was necessary if they were
to turn out ships I didn't think it
right to hold them up"
The witness said all the contractors
furnished was their individual equip
ment and superintendent. The
American International Shipbui!d 'ng
corporation ae said, carried the ma
jority OF wOrkmen on its payrol!s. and
furnished all the materials, paid for
by the Fleet corporation.
Did you pass on plans for ship
yard and all other plans?" he was
asked
4 passed on the Details" he an
swered. MY duty was to approve all
orders, and contracts. and watch their
fulfillment.''
Commander Reed said he had hee2
ct Hog Island since the mfddfe 3
last September, as resident engineer,
representing the Emergency Flee:
corporation. He is now with TIE com.
| pensation board of the navy, his for,
| mer post AS the Fleet corporations
| representative, he was associated
| with ]. w. Towle, the plant engineer
| representing the government.
The witness described the early
work at Hog Island, including the
building of temporary roads AMI
buildings. He next said of the A. l
S. c. summoning contractors and Civ
| ing contracts for the construction OF
the five groups of ways. He named
the successful ways contractors anl
also firms that were awarded other
contracts
How about the report of Charles
Piez, vice president and general man.
ager of the Emergency Fleet corpora,
ton that there should have been a
moderate working force?" asked Mr..
Nelson.
There is no doubt the work would
have been more economically done
with fewer men" was the response.
You first cGngested the plant wi n
materials and then with men," snap
ped Senator Nelson. Did yCu try to
relieve the congestiGn?"
I'VE tried" the witness said.
did you do anything personally, as
| a representative OF the government,
| which was paying the bills?" came
back Senator Nelson.
mo, sir" responded Commander
Reed 81 didn't feel they had more
men than they could put to work.
didn't feel l was in position to tell
them to cut down"
He said 10000 men had been re-
cruited within four months, which he
/ declared was almost unprecedented
| for any industry in America. Senator
vardaman drew an admission that
| most of the men were unskilled la
| borers.
| Five ways are almost ready" fol
the laying of keels at Hog Island
Commander Reed said. no work what
ever has been done on twelve, he I'd
! ded while the balance of the fifty are
in various stages Of completion.