The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-02
BARE HUGE WASTE
L. S. Spent IA Million for USE
less Ordnance Plant.
No Shells Ever Loaded at Fort
Delaware, Charge.
PAID ENORMOUS. SALARIES
Treasurer Drew $4,000 a Year
for Endorsing Checks.
Site for Plant Was Selected in
a Swamp.


Washington, Sept. 2.-Evidence of
appalling waste of money by the ord
nance department of the army has
just been submitted to the sub-com-
mittee investigating ordnance. Repre-
sentative Graham of Illinois, chair
man, by Lieut.. Col. r. H. Hawkins, U.
s. A, in connection with the construc-
ton of a loading plant at Fort Della
ware where the government has ex-
pended fourteen million dollars, where
no shells were ever loaded and where
Secretary Baker would now eXpend
an additional $1S5,000 for land II
congress would permit.
| May %, 1918, the ordnance depart
ment gave a cost-plus contract Tor
this plant to the Marlin Rockwell cor
poration. which organized a subsidiary
| corporation known as the Marlin
Rockwell Loading. company. The esti-
4 mated cost of the plant, as stated in
the contract. was to be from Il mil
! lion dollars to l Y million dollars. Ac-
cording to the testimony of Colonel
Hawkins. the plant, not yet COM
/ pleted, has cost $14,000,00O.
Picked Site in Swamp.
The Marlin Rockwell Loading COM
pany let the contract for construction
| TO the Fred T. Ley company. Definite
Information regarding the selection of
! the site Maj Clair Foster, construc-
ton division, was wholly unable to
! procure, but that ii was thoroly bad
site he is convinced, saying that most
of it is swamp" and that NEARLY all
Of it was under water at high tide
| when a protecting dam broke on
April IL" G91S). Major Foster said
further that the vice president of the
Ley company urged that the site be
! abandoned and that his own inquiries
as to why IL was chosen were met
with answers which proved to be
untrue.
Major Foster cites some of the SAL
aries paid by the loading company and
by the Ley company, whose employees
| were all transferred to the loading
companys payroll. The first manager
for the loading company, he says, was
a good man, but he became so dis
gusted that he quit. The company
then employed a man FITTED for the
Job neither by experience nor tenn
! permanent. Altho his shortcoming
should have been at once apparent,
his salary was increased June 1 from
$3.50 to $500"
Increased Officials Salaries.
The first manager of the loading
company was paid $4,000. but May l
was Increased to $4,000. The second
in command" a lawyer and a former
bond salesman, at first drew $4,000.
He was increased to $4,000. The
treasurer. employed at $4,000, was in
creased to $4,000.
OF him. Major Foster says govern
ment officers questioned as to the
treasurer's duties. said they never
had been able to see that he did any,
thing except TO endorse the govern
ment's checks and sign the loading
company's name"
The assistant treasurer. who had
been working for $500, came to
work for $2,Os0, and was increased
to $500. The chief engineer whom
Major Foster declares to have been in
competent but far and away the best
, of the loading outfit" was hired at
$500 a year plus $3.50 for living eX-
penses. and was soon increased to
100000 Commenting on these sal
aries and increases Major Foster says:
A Town Without Inhabitants.
please bear in mind that all these
salaries do not come out of the load
ing company's fee. The government
pays them and then pays 10 per cent
on top of them"
The loading plant was not completed
in time to load any shells before the
signing of the armistice. A town, built
to house 200 people, with moving
picture houses and everything" &C
cording to Major Hawkins, was scarce
ly occupied.
Other Waste Charges.
Washington, Sept. 2.-Charges thai
from so million dollars TO IS millioI
dollars was uselessly expended on the
nitrate plant at Mussel Shoals, Renn.
and that many millions more were
. wasted in constructing the powder
plant a. Nitro. w. Va, are being in
vestigated by the ordnance subcom'
1 mittee of the house committee investi'
eating war expenditures. Chairman
Graham and Representatives Jefferie'
L of Nebraska, Republican, have gone II
4 inspect Nitro before that city is sold a
auction, as recently advertised.
Representative Nicholas Longwortf
of Ohio, Republican. has furnished thu
committee information indicating tina
\ this plant was decided upon by tn,
II government after several efforts haC
= failed in peace times.
There is "a million dollars of thu
Il peoples money being spent at this on
II particular place" he said, land it can
not be used for any other purpose, ex
n cept for the benefit of private cor
n poration to make an inferior Qualit!
a of fertilizer