The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-06-16
SAYS
CAR CD. HAS
CLEAN BILL
Declares Electric Co. En-.
tirely Separate From
Steel Car Co.

Details OF lne ldnO1nS OF the
big $40,000,000 gun contract, the
many problems encountered at the
Hammond plant in meeting the tre-
mendous requirements and an in
sight into the results which were
accomplished are told today by p
G. jerks, assistant to the president
of the Standard Steel Car Co.
Mr.. jerks declares tnat the company
has met all Of its obligations to the
government and that recent criticism of
the Standard Electric Co. Of Hammond.
should not involve the Standard Steel
Car Co. as they are entirely separate
organizations.
a representative OF THE TIMES saw
Mr. p. G. jerks. assistant TO president
Of the Standard Steel Car company. in
charge OF the offices and works Of the
company in the Chicago district in
Guiding the ordnance plant at Ham
mond. Indiana, in regard to the article
appearing in recent issues of the
Tribune" in relation to the $40. o.00o-
600 gun contract held BY that compa-
undertaken In 1917 at the urgent re-
quest Of the government after having
been once refused BY the company be-
cause its facilities were taken UP with
previous government contracts and
with others in prospect
The proposition to build asa of the
large gun carriages. made by the gov
ernment to the company. was of an
character nv,
both the government and the company
as involving the very greatest engi-
neering difficulties Similar carriages
had been produced BY the French in
very small quantities-only to a total
of about 125 during the entire war
The maximum of similar carriages
produced by the government arsenal
plant at Watertown. plant specially
planned in producing ordnance mate
rial. did not exceed Is a month. while
this contract called for the compile
tion of 10 per day.
After the order was given by the
ordnance department for the work. the
difficulties were far greater than had
been anticipated. It had been expect
ed that the French plans could be
utilized with but little change. 1t
was found that these required very
great number Of changes to adapt
them 10 American conditions. The
company's engineers were called upon
| to invent special machinery in order
to reach production in quantities far
exceeding any ever before contem-
plated.
! The government realized these diff
hculties as wei! as the company. after
/ the work had been undertaken. and no
criticism was made of the company's
action in not being prepared to deliver
4 carriages before they actually did so.
Indeed. some Of the essential compo-
/ nent parts OF these gun carriages were
10 be furnished by the United states,
but due to delays similar to those ex-
perienced by the car company. were
not furnished until early in the pres
ert year. 1t is well known that the
governments plans for the war were
! based upon the idea that it might last
three or four years. Even with all
the unexpected delays. had the armis-
tice not been concluded. the carriages
would all have been ready for the
spring and summer campaigns.
The company believes that It met all
it's obligations to the government
throughout this work and that a full
understanding of the facts will show
thar they are entitled to a large mea-
sure or credit for having undertaken
in an emergency task involving
enormous difficulties. both Of design.
engineering, administration and con
struction.
: The facts stated in regard to the
! standard Electric Engineering compa-
ny and their work did not justify any
criticism of the Standard Steel Car
/ comnany The personnel OF the cleo
| tric company was entirely different
from that or the car company. and the
car company had no interest in the
! electric company The only relation
existing between the two companies
was that the electric company was a
sub-contractor of the car company.
The original estimate of the Electric
company for this work was greatly ex-
caeded because as the gun carriage
work developed very much more electric
installation was required than contem-
plated and when this became evident.
! Mr. Jenks reached an agreement with
the electric company fixing the costs on
an actual basis rather than a percent
| age basis. thereby saving money for
The government though when the cleo
trict contract was terminated, the cleo
/ tric company had no profit for their
! work. While the government engineer
irenorted the cost 10 have been excessive
subsequent investigation was made
bv the Arnold Company, well-known
! Chicago engineers. who approved essen
| 4fallv the electric ompany's installa-
tor A. result of this investigation
and in consequence of liens filed by
oredttors of the electric company
CONTINUED on page twc.j