New-York tribune., 1919-07-14
Exhaustive Inquiry Ordered
Into Contracts for WOOD
for Airplane Building:
Cost Plus Basis Ruled
Camp Waste Is Alleged
Expensive Outfits Installed
and Abandoned Without
Reason, 1t Is Declared
Ner York Tribune
Wash ~, ,yo,, P,

washington Bureau
WASHINGTON. July 13.-Complaints
OF nagrant waste and costly misman-
agsment' which have long been in cir
airplane spruce in Washington ana
oregon, have been laid before the War
department Expenditures Investigatine o
committee by "The Providence To,,rs
nai. Each charge is backed bv az
amdaylt: The documents have been re.
ferred by Chairman Graham ~ ~
committee, to Representatives Fresr of
lsconsln, chairman of the Av;ation
Suo-c o-committee, and will be reviewed in
connection with the exhaustive invesfj-
being planned ''o'
Inc investigating committee to-day
gave out summary of the cbarS 10y
some OF which are as follows: 7'
IL is declared that the government
was subjected, under the cost nIus
system to cost of about $3.50 nar
ehousand tor spruce lumber. when ~;
s saee concerns were getting it ont for
$3.50 to $17s u ou' ior
lum oerman is alleged to have said
i, III ,he presence of two witnesses. that
ne was one OF four men who could sret
SSo.eracts from the government, But
.ney could be gotten it was
OGliC6rS Il
wine and dine them and nyov;de a' +han' ana
with wild women" and anto,roh;1 .''ein
Big Waste Charged
1T Is asserted that the waste cansea
oy inexperienced contractors bujldinc
camps IN inaccessible localities. which
uamp' nau 10 be abandoned, ran into
many thousands of dollars.
There are affidavits allegino tho+
miles and miles OF two-inch nlanL road .1,a
were built into the forests and ne~ar Uar
used' also that in some camps muck
spruce lumber was felled, but not a
SUCK was ever brought out.
AlnoaVlts assert that workmen. run
nlng IN numbers into hundreds
as well as United States soldiers
were transported to camn s;tn
and that, after shacks had bean
Quit roads constructed and prov
slons and equipment brought in
.il:seruc'lons .l were received to abandon
tne camp. So far as could be learned
. 10 a,cempt was made to salvage ma
'.,. eel.al. Another allegation is that
workmen were asked to sign the;r nv,
vouchers in blank, and manv d;d O. pay
Much of the cores pondence from tho
once of Colonel Bryce P. Disque. chief
Oh the spruce production division. was
turned over to the committee. alone
with charges against his management
The correspondence and signed
statements" STAT the summary says, "indi-
cate that when Disque took charge he
was asked to aid in the construction
OF railroad into this territory and
refused. The company which made the
proposition. according to documents.
already had made its survey. had Sc
cured ITS right of way, had made loca-
tions of all character and even had ,rs
stations laid out.
On Cost Plus Basis
This company had been orranized
prior to the war and was to have been
financed by English capital, but the war
had stopped the negotiations. When
the United States entered the war the
oHclals offered to build the road on a
cost plus basis and agreed to furnish
logs practically within four months bv
ran, at fixed cost to the government
OF S45 thousand for No. / and $50