The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-06-18
War UnscrambIing Almost Fin.
ished, Technical Committee
viii Be Dissolved.
FROM POWER TO CASTOR OIL
incidentally the Committee Adjusted
the Great Kansas Rabbit Meat
Claim Along With Some 2oo,.
600 Others.

Washington.-After assisting In say
Ing the country several millions of dol
lers through adjusting more than "a
oOO war contracts which were abrupt
~ terminated by the armistice, the
technical advisory committee of the
war claims board Of the war depart
ment is about to be dissolved, accord
Ing to Campbell Scott, who organized
the committee under the direction OF
Benedict Crowell, assistant secretary
of war and director of munitions. The
committee, which was composed Of ex-
perts In practically every branch of
engineering and manufacturing, was
organized to meet the critical situa-
ton which developed as soon as the
war claims board attempted to settle
the 10000 contracts In existence at the
close Of the war;
The greater number of these con-
tracts involved questions of highly
technical nature, and 1t was to settle
these that the technical committee was
organized. Many Of the contracts In
volved had been let on basis Of the
war lasting four or five years more /;
the great majority had been placed
during the last six months Of the con-
aict. An idea of their scope Is oh,
tanned when 1t Is understood that there
were more than 10000 contractors
who, in turn. had let sub-contracts to
more than 100000 others. In fact, TO
have finished the war contracts for
munitions and supplies of every con
ceivable nature which were In exist
ence on Armistice day would have
meant the tying up Of practically 60
per cent of the manufacturing re-
sources Of this country.
An outstanding feature of the great
work Of the investigations which were
completed by the technical COMMITTEES
Is the fact, contrary to general belief
more than 90 per cent Of the contrac.
tors We're found to be scrupulously
honest In their dealings with Uncle
Sam.
1--WE found that the great majority
Of the contractors" said Chairman
Scott yesterday. "had undertaken thei'
work with the prime idea Of assisting
their country In a time of peril While
they did not forget that business :,
, business. many Of them might have
made much more money than they did
''Of course. II is true that the small
minority took the viewpoint that TIN
government had made the war ant
| therefore should he made to pay for ',
Sut when II came to adjusting the'
claims even these were found to ~
! fair and reasonable. Indicative Of tn
~eod spirit which prevailed. Only 2
out OF $4,000 contractors have ap
pealed to the court Of claims froi
! the awards made to them. Tht
| shows the painstaking work done b
| tl=> technical committee Of the wa
claims hoard"
1 Claims Big and Little.
Some of the claims adjusted wer
distinctly Of an extraordinary natur,
they ranged from the adjustment i
ne great power contracts in the Pitt:
tnrgh district. which involved 1000
100000 horse power. to the re-arrang,
ment Of the rabbit meat industr
which had sprung up In Kansas. II
cidentally, the castor oil contracts
the oil to be used for Liberty motors
save come up before the technic,
( ...r.mittee. The fact that the entiI
.mount Of more than $780, O0(
!. worth Of war contracts was settled
- per ceat Of their total face valu
shows that real Americanism pervads
tlss industries Of this country.
"it Is the biggest job Of arbitratit
10 world has ever known" Is Il
Wy in which a prominent member
NE administration characterized Il
work " "unscrambling the war"
Ono Of the most highly technic
r~,ntr~rts, and zone which require
deep Investigation, was that affectii
she power supply Of the Plttsburi
district. This district, the chief pro
acts Of which were munitions Al
steel Of every kind, was practical
Tied up In government work during q
last year Of the war. Additions we
N ~ -