Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-19
RECOVERY Of FUNDS
URGED IN REPORT
Allege Thousands of Dollars
Were Expended Improperly,
Says Committee.
ARCHITECTS DREW BIG PAY
Civil Suits to Recover $4,000
Spent for Extras Are
Advocated.
lny Asaoe!atea rrcss j

iny Associated prcs.l
MASHlNGToN. Dec. neillciency.
provisions OF The act undcr which il
orerated. were charged against The
nni'ed Sta,os iloq4ing Corporation by
Grounds investigating subcommittee
toaay IN - report accommodating that
sands OF dollars alleged by the sub
%ommittec 10 have been expended i'm
pr2Shsr,y hy ,he corporation.
MiSinana cement by the corpora ton.
nc report as submitted to the Senate
,hi5Scd, resulted IN its failure !" have
nntii almost Two months after the arm
isiicc wae signed. or ,iGnt months
aiter the passage Of the appropriation
act.
Cite Specific Instances.
AithouSh citing specific expenditures
suihcienti% crave to warrant tho gov
rrHmeHt IN entering civil suits for res
i'ui!on. the report Expresses the opin-
lon that IN most Of these cases the per
sons who profited VIII restore volun-
1ariiy the alleged unearned portion.
other recommendations made by the
s1bcorn ntitge provide that, architects
4" no: !; Is charged were paid excessive
~. ;or overhead" expenses. be called
upon 10 civ. The committee an exact
mead expenditures. Thee employees Of
t1e corporation, the committee believes.
wHse not parties to Intentional viola
uaicd h. the patriotic principles at
'r:nn;el 10 them they VIII refund the
Gums .taaH them IN excess OF the exact
cost ot the overhead" The amour, tho
committee considers recoverable from
mis- course Is placed at sao.ooo.
Seek 10 Recover S31.0On.
Civil sui; 70 recover S3c,1oo spent .or
extras" and $4,000 charged 10 sub
letting OF labor By a contracting firm.
tee In the event OF n failure 10 return
he money voluntarily, The extras"
s,ruction Of ttc dormitories in wash
tngt.tn for women war workers. in con-
nection. with which IT wac $lieSed
tered. indicating n willingness to "suh
ssitu;e the contractors demands for
the es,imatins diyisi,ons ,n 'udEmessnn6s" esn6 "oo
made 10 tho Springfield Consolida,cd
Water COMPANY. OF Philadelphia: also
rsror;. ,ogetIer with Other ioa'ns TO
railroads. stree; railways and utility
eompan!es." The iai!rr concerns w"rs
loans by the Treasury Dcpar rtment was
rscen1lnz ndsd Win dememh for "dd; ad
had Management Alleged.
Charges OF inetictency and bad man.
repor, than references to overpay-
inents. while attention is called to the
dcnials Of the ,oilieiais, 81 ,ne corpor3.
for. more than the approximation act
provided. the repor; declares the o.
ficais had nannhSH h~ mcG"r%imE ,,I, !" is me
.,xpnndi,ure OF $I4j,l75Go5. although
t'ie amount of the appropriation was
Practically all buildings erected by
the corporation were Of a pcrmanen.
"narac,.e, ,hs c9mmi'@S on rGporhed. ,h,
they be OF temporary character. The
failure OF the corporation to produce
!, completed house until The first OF
,hc committee as indicative of the
cumbersome nature OF the ,orgHnizn
cheney OF the corporation. tho com
rnittec cited the custom of using u
triangular commission. comprising the
architect, the engineer and thc town
planner.
;AyeraEe Cost Given MS s1,:aa.
house st"ob bsd been @ "fdS fiSed al p s5.s7s. the
committee declared it found houses in
bridgeport, Conn, costing ,S7.26$ each.
declared to be the use OF architects
OF one city in work in cities At the
other side of the country. the com
mittec pointing out that travel and
other expenses were paid for by tho
government.
"a failure to promptly cea1c huld-
complete their town beau,ifui' cx-
ties involved" said the report. The
Crane tract at Bridseport was half
6. 1918, yet 1t was completed by the
Housing Corporation at a cost Of ST.
37I.S39. Nincty-two of these houses
were still vacant in September. 1919.
The philadelphia project WAS only 6
per cent completed on the date of the
signing Of the armifticc. but WAS fin
ished by the Housing Corporation at
cost OF s3.4o6.0oO. These two trans
ACTIONS cost the government not less
viii Offer LcEisIntion.
the committee promised that with
in the next few days proper and
pointed legislation will he introduced
TO meet the situation.' The commit
tee expressed the opinion that further
existence OF the Housing Corporation
is mo longer TO the best interests
Of the government" and suggests that
its activities can better be carried or
by the existing departments Of the
government.
Throughout the report there runs
a sharp, criticism of the methods en-.
ployed by tho corporation both dur
ing the war and after the signing
G.. a. Fuller &. Co. was charged with
making excessive profits by siiblettinm
tcaminE and trucking work in connnr
tion with constructing the woman.
dormitories in Washington. Tho con-
mittec referred to these nrofts no
secret" and placed them ut $4,000
which 1t suggested might be recev
cred by civil process unless refunded
voluntarily by the company.