Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-30
BILL FOR $47.95
PRESENTED u. S.
FOR SHIP HINGE,

NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-Harold F.
Haines, a junior examiner for the
emergency fleet corporation, testi-
fled today in the congressional in
vestigation Of. the shipping board
here.
He said the government was spend
ing $5,000,000 a month for repairs
on shipping board vessels at the
present time. This was based, he
testified, on conditions in the port
of New York.
Last January, he said, a govern
ment vessel repaired by Cramps, of
Philadelphia, was considered unsea-
worthy by it's crew which signed a
sealed statement and left it behind
to be opened in event anything hap
pened to the ship. The ship, he said,
was disabled 400 miles out. He did
statement. Haines also testified that
a hinge on the steamer Lake On
tario cost so cents to repair, and
that bill for $4795 was submitted
by the concern which did the work.
Ship chambers at Ne wYork, Bal
| timore and Norfolk, he said, made
SO 1-3 to rs per cent on board pur-
chases.
He testified that 25 men had been
sent aboard ship in the same port
and remained from 1880 a. m. Monday
| to the same hour the following Mon
| thirty-nine hours a day. In New
Yale, he said, twelve carpenters were
| put to work at one time in wire
| less room of a ship which measured
| AKA feet.
Haines also testified to investigat-
shipping board employees. An audi
| tor, he added, was paid IS to assist
in preparing a bill which he would
have passed upon in the ordinary dis
charge of his duties. Investigating
resulted in the auditor being re-
moved, he said.
Short deliveries and overcharges
for beef furnished to the Emergency
Fleet ships also was alleged by
Haines. He said "a cents pound
was paid for 11-cent beef.
Payment of a eommission of $1,000
tain at Portland Oregon. also was
testified to by Haines. The name of
the ship was not given. The COM
mission. he said. was paid by the
Portland branch of a Boston ship
| supply firm.
Discovery Of silverware marked
gu. S. Shipping Board" in hotel at
Yokohama, and street vendors sell
| ing shipping board linen at La Pal
lice, also was testified to by Haines.
| He said he did not know whether
| these matters had been investigated
Haines said that within the last few
| weeks improved systems of check
ing supplies and repairs and making
purchases for shipping board vessels
had been installed and would soon
be fully operative. Robert l. Lag
germ, director of the eastern division
of supplies and sales. with head
quarters in Philadelphia, said that
in his department alone $4,000 had
been cut off the payroll in the last
| two months "by wedding out the in
| efficients." The hearings wer cad
| journed until Monday.
The name of Norman r. Hamilton,
collector Of the port of Norfolk, Va,
today was again mentioned in the
| testimony.
Haines said that while in Norfolk
he had been advised that if his in
quiries included Mr.. Hamilton, it
would be we'll for him to LAY off. "
His informant said, Haines testified,
that Mr.. Hamilton was the closest
man in Virginia to President Will
SON."
He addde that he understood the
man talking to him was related by
marriage to Mr.. Hamilton. HaineS
said the alleged warning did not de-
ter him from continuing his work,
but he adde it was not complete
| by him.