Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-23
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"A Woeful Waste"

"A Woeful Waste"
Neigh. Neb.. Feb. 1S.-To the
Editor or The Bee: was very much
interested In reading a digest of the
report OF the committee investigating
the aircraft program as appeared In
yesterdays Bee. Interested, because
I am somewhat familiar with the
spruce railroad" which seemed to
be under discussion, having spent
six weeks trout fishing in Lake Cres-
cent and vicinity. and having trav-
eled for several miles along this rail-
road by auto at various times during
July and August of last year.
For the benefit of those who might
be interested, and who have not had
the opportunity of acquainting
themselves with the facts, will say
| that this spruce railroad was built
/ Tor the purpose, supposedly of haul
| ing spruce Nor the construction of
airplanes. 1t is located in the Olym-
| pic mountains about 80 miles south
west of Port Angeles, which is To-
| Gated on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
1t is said to be AZ miles in length
and 1t follows the west and north
| bank Of Lake Crescent for some.
thing like 10 miles.
To construct road in this locality
| must have been at a tremendous ex-
pense, as almost the entire roadbed
had to be blasted out of solid rock
Deep cuts and long tunnels are in
evidence frequently, with here and
there high trestles, so that the cost
must have been even greater than
shown by the findings Of the COM
mttee.
am not conversant with the facts
as stated by this committees find.
ings, and do not know whether or
not the government was buncoed,
but this do know, from information
gathered by talking with old timber
men who have lived in that locality
for many years and who had some
part in the construction of this road,
that the property Is now a complete
waste so far as service to the gov
ernmept Is concerned. 1t is the gem
eral opinion of all with whom I
talked that the construction of this
road was a deliberate frame-up, by
the Lacy Timber company and the
Milwaukee, Railroad company, as it
is said to- run for several miles
through the Lacy Timber company's
holdings. I was informed also by
men who claimed to know, that
there never has been stick of
spruce hauled over this road, and If
trains are running over it failed
to see them while there.
I was Informed also by timber
men that the government sent
spruce experts" clear out there
from Washington to select airplane
spruce who were unable to tell a
spruce tree from a weeping willow.
and they had to hunt up these tin
ber men and have them point out
the spruce.
1t was claimed by men who were
supposed to be familiar with condi-
tions and localities that the govern
ment could have sent men to Grey's
Harbor, a few miles down the coas.
and could have gotten millions Of
feet Of the finest spruce in the NORTH
west delivered on shipboard and not
had to lay out a single cent for
transportation.
1t is a notorious fact that thou
sands Of our soldier boys were sent
out there to do construction work
and the benefits of their services
accrued to the benefit of the con-
tractors.
This railroad runs about<50 yards
back of the summer residence OF
Hon. D. e. Thompson of Lincoln,
who. by the way. has lovely home
on the banks of Lake Crescent. 1t
| was my pleasure to have several
chats with Mr.. Thompson, and I am
sure that gentleman could give some
| interesting information as to the
value of this road to the government.
/ am not posted as to the cost of
this railroad, but was told by men
| who had part in the construction,
| that its cost was approximately $55,-
100000, and judging from the coun-
| try through which it runs, and the
"cost plus" plan under which it was
built, l haven't a doubt but what
| this estimate is very nearly correct,
and / heartily agree with the ma
| jority report Of the committee that
| it was "a riot Of waste"
If the government really wants to
make an investigation that will be
''the talk of the town." they should
give more than passing notice to the
shipbuilding program. l counted rs
| freight vessels at anchor in Lake
Union at Seattle, vessels that had
never been touched by salt water ex-
cept while being towed from the
yards on the sound around to an
chorage in Lake Union.
These vessels are said to be prac-
tically junk, because it is claimed
that seamen won't ship in them be-
cause they are considered unsea-
worthy. Think of it, ships built by
men who were drawing from So to
S12 per day, with good quarters and
free from danger and who struck for
higher pay while our boys were fac
ing Hun bayonets and stopping Hun
bullets for $50 per month. Can you
imagine it? And then to think that
the work they turned out should go
into the scrap heap.
This committee should go out to
Seattle and look over the hundreds
upon hundreds of bull-neck boil
shevics that are lettering in the
street, men who drew as high as $12
day and were not satisfied. Is it any
wonder that investigations have been
started? The wonder is that this
country isn't broke. A year or so
more under the "cOst plus" plan and
this country would have been on the
rocks, for that system is a direct bid
to contractors to fix the cost as high
as possible, for the higher they could
mount the cost the more profit they
could make on what they produced,
and yet some people talk about the,
efficiency" of the administration
just as though there was such an
animal.
1t is almost an unheard of thing
for democrat to resign, but am
glad to know that there have been
two or three who have had the nerve
to establish precedent.
J. C. JENKINS.