Evening star., 1918-01-04
SCORES failure
IN BUYING CLOTHES
Many Large Manufacturers
Not Called Upon, Says Turn
bull, at Senate Inquiry.
TOO MUCH sHoDDY USED


many large clothing manufacturers to
make uniforms was assailed before the
Senate committee investigating the
Army activities today by Frank S. Turn
bull of New York, president of Rogers.
Peet & Co.
There was no earthly reason why we
couldn't have colthed the men, and
clothed them fast" he said. citing that
virtually none of the large plants at
Rochester, n. Y. had been used by the
government. He thought too much
shoddy was being used under the new
cloth standards.
To conserve wool. Mr.. Turnbull said.
Charles Eisenman, vice chairman of the
National Defense. had proposed that all
civilian clothing during the war be
made of shoddy.
Declared Visionary.
THAT was visionary and impractical"
Mr.. Turnbull said, land could only be
done by law. Mr.. Eisenman wanted to
start propaganda to stop wearing OF
all-wool garments by civilians"
When he saw that the object of a
committee considering the subject was
to promote the general use of shoddy,
Mr.. Turnbull said. he withdrew from
the committee.
The new. standard of Army CLOTH
containing shoddy, the witness predict
ed would not be as durable or warm,
contradicting testimony given by other
manufacturers.
Julius Forstmann, a manufacturer of
Passaic. N. j.. told the committee linn
tied percentage of shoddy would not de-
teriorate quality of Army overcoats. but
Nc L. .lL -.
shoddy was used before the war. he
said, in the German uniforms.
Continue Clothing Probe.
In further investigation of clothing
and other Army supply contracts nego-
tiated by the civilian supplies commit
tee of the Council of National Defense
ceived from Charles Eisenman, vice
chairman Of the contracting committee
statement of merchandise bought
from firms whose members or em-
ployes are or were connected with the
committee.
OF supplies worth about $500, 0,oOO, 900
bought during the last eight months.
Mr.. Eisenman's statement discloses that
S12S.S30,000 worth came from such con-
Germs. but that all except S14,S30,064
worth was contracted for before the
contractors representatives became
connected with the committee. :.
z THAfere presenting the statement,
asked Tor by Senator McKe1lar yester-
mony, stanchly defended the commit
tees work. upheld the policy Of secrecy
in advance of letting contracts and
again insisted that the men given the
much discussed scrap ap-sorting contract
would have been limited to a nominal
profit :
Names Nine Firms.
Nine firms were named in Mr.. Eisen-
mans statement as being among those
who had received Army supply orders
from the committee and whose repre-
sentatives served with the committee.
The first named. their representative
on the committee, the amount Of the
tracts for the kind of mercha ndise in
which they were interested follow:
American Wooden Company, II. r.
Ellington; s92.755.ooo: s3ss.6s2. 900.
s5.675.00O: s10l. $4,000.
William Iselin & Co. Lincoln crom-
well: s1o2s.ooo; s74.s27.oOo.
J. Spencer Turner. A. L. Scott; ss.437,-
900: s101. $4,000.
Turner. Halsey Company, A. L. Scott:
s5.239. 900; s102.370. 600.
United States Rubber Company, A. W.
Lawrsncs; W Go. sa;7ss.ooo; s2s:s7s.ooo;
Elwain: $3.50. 900: sss.s5s. 900 NC
GeoIke Stevens; s1.54s.ooo; seo,s1s 900.
Cleveland Worsted Company, Charles
Eisenman: $4.o57.o00; s149.s3S.ooo.
OF the contracts given the Cleveland
|orsted Company. Of which Mr. Eisen-
man is a stockholder. 1t was stated
that only s612.700 were negotiated
after the supplies committee was
formed.
During his explanation of the COM
mittee's work. Eisenman again vigor-
ousiy resented what he termed ques-
tions impugniag his motives and in
sulting, and ciashed with Senators
Weeks and McKeilar