Arizona republican., 1920-11-17
COSTLY PLANTS
 WERE JUNKED BY
 SHIPPING BOARD
TRepubIIcan A. P. Leased WIre1

Republican A. P. Leased WIre1
 NEW YORK. Nov. 16 Machinery and shipbuilding equipment valued at millions of dollars was left out in the open to deteriorate in value months after the plants were closed down with the ending of the war. Paul H. McNeil former resident engineer of the ship ping board, testified today before the Walsh committee Investigating ship ping board affairs.
 McNeil said he was stationed at Savannah and had five men under his supervision, his immediate chief being R. H. Dillingham; at Jacksonville, the district plant engineer. Just what his own authority was he did not know. he testified, but he said he assumed a great endeavor to straighten out tangles."
 He said the yards were well organ ized, better perhaps than the Elmer gency fleet forces for they generally could get the better of the government organization"
 He brought into his testimony the name of the Terry shipyafds and the National Shipbuilding company and a marine railway organization, over which he had supervision. He said the Terry people had trust Joan from the fleet corporation to be used in ship construction and that over his protests money in this fund was used to finance 9 subsidiary organization engaged in dry dock work. when their contracts were only about one-third complete. Through his efforts S116,000 of this fund was held up, but he added that he had ascertained that part of the money was again diverted.
 Speaking of the National Shipbuild- ing company the witness said that work there had shut down previous to his arrival on the scene.
 T found nothing had been done to take care of the properties and valu- able machinery was left uncovered to the weather" he said. On his own re- sponsibility he took steps to save as much of 1t as was possible. He fn- voiced the properties as to quantity and percentage depreciated but not as to value.
 His guess at its value was be- tween S1,500,000 and s2,000, 900. He also asserted that in the auditing of the affairs of the plant 1O1 vouchers could not be accounted for. Another point he made was that the equipment ordered previous to the closing of the plant was still coming to the yard He tried to have it stopped and sug- 5VStCN IL WdS new ana could be r3- turned to the vendors by payment of the freight only.
 The Terry yard. he testified, had a complete equipment and contracts for several tankers and composite ships none of which was completed. He valued the equipment of this yard a. about $1,500,000. and added that while there was sufficient lumber at hand 1 to build sheds to protect the exposed machinery, it was not done. The ma rine railway. he testified, was built on land owned by a private individual who had an agreement for rental ot his property, with no specified amount named. The railway was built with emergency fleet funds, amounting tc about $100,000. with an additional SIP. 600 worth of fitting supplied by the government for another operation.
 This property, he said, was in con- troversy and it was his opinion tha under the laws of Georgia, it wa. "owned by the man who had title tc the land" The rental asked. he un. derstood, amounted to about ten time. the appraised value of the plant.
 The witness said he had no criticism of the manner in which the yards un. der his jurisdiction were handled whil, they were active, but he did criticis, the manner in which the financing wa. taken care of.