The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-10-26
MILLIONS SPENT
NASTEFULLY ON
WAR CONTRACTS
KITCHEN UTENSILS AT S1,7Sl
APIECE AND $40, 900 PoR BRAND
ING IRONS THAT NEVER
WERE MADE AMONG
ITEMS
Shoe LOSS 81 800, Erected
One Ftrm For $500, 900
to The Intelligencer

Special to The Intelligencer
New York, Oct. 25.-liow the War De-
partment under Secretary Baker paid
about $l,75l each for ninety-eiGht
kitchen utensils ordered from the Stein
Burn Camp and Field Equipment COM
pany of Chicago as the price Of cancel
lation Of it's war contract with that firm
is shown In testimony before the Con-
greSSional committee which Investigate
ed war expenditures and war claim
settlements.
\ record of contract cancellations
also show that the United States Treas
ury paid about $3.000,OQ0 to 4 Pitts
burgh steel company for toluol and ann
monium Sulphate never manufactured,
and $4,000 to a New York firm Tor cop
per branding irons which were not
manufactured.
Records show that the war depart
ment contracted with the Stein-Burn
company in August. 1918 three
months before The armistice-for fire.
less cookers. bread boxes and cooks
chests. The company bought a stock
Of the armisticc the company had de-
livered only SiXty-SiX nrelcsS cookers.
seven bread boxes and twenty-five
cooks chests. The War Department al
lowed the company its cost price on
the plating and then sold il back as
scrap iron. The treasury paid the
company $lIl,6S7.06 for the ninety-eight
kitchen utensils and good intentions.
Materials SOLO as JUNK
A War Department contract with the
mond. Ind. for the construction of SG4
howitZer carriages was costly ven
turc. The company erected buildings
in which 10 manufacture the product.
After the armistice the War Depart
ment sold these buildings back to the
company for 100000. At that time
there were materials in the buildings
which had cost the government s5.55S.-
900. These materials were resold TO
the company as junk for 100000. Up
to the armistice not a single howitzcr
carriage had been delivered by the
company, but the Ordnance Department
requested that 200 Of these be finished.
Records show that the 200 carriages
cost the government $lS.5S2. 42N.SS.
Edward 4. Russell, of Lake Forest. Ill.,.
chairman of the Chicago district claims
board for the war department, testified
regarding the howitzer carriage con-
tract He said that 1000 was the price
agreed upon by the car company and the
war department for each carriage. and
the original contract called for 964 car
riages. The car company was to receive
Il fixed profit Of $4,000 on each carriage
regardless Of final cost.
Representative Albert Jeffries, Of Ne
braska, who interrogated Mr.. Russell,
elected from the witness that there WIS
4 great deal Of criticism regarding this
contract.
Mr. Russell-Yes. sir there was a
great deal OF criticism.
Mr.. Jcffries-About when was that
agreed to?
Mr.. Russell-AuEust. 1918.
The witness affirmed that the armi =
tice caused the contract to he Cancelled.
but the government nevertheless had
the company finish 200 carriages. which
figured in final costs about $4,000 each.
or little more than half the original
estimate on which $4,000 profit per car
riage was figured.