The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-11-17
WAR MATERIALS
LEFT TO WEATHER
Resident Engineer Charges
Much Negligence
HUGE RENTALS
FOR YARD SITES

ing Bcf0rc Walsh Committee,
Charges That Government Suffered
Heavy Losses Through Mismnnagc.
mcnt and Neglect.
New York, Nov. 6.-Alachinery and
shipbUildins equipment valued at mil
lions of dollars was left out III the
open to detcrioratc in value months
after plants were closed down with
the ending of the war, Paul III. Mac
Ncill, a former resident engineer OF
the shipping board in the South At
lantic district testified today before the
Walsh committee investigating ship
ping board affairs.
MacNei!l said he was stationed at
Savannah and had five yards under his
supervision, his immediate chief be-
ing r. III. Dillingham;, at Jacksonville.
the district plant engineer Just what
his own authority was he did not know
ne teslllled. but he said he assumed
great deal in the endeavor to straingh-
ten out tangcs."
He said the yards were well or
gained better perhaps than were the
emergency feet forces for they gener-
ally could get the better Of the govern
menl organizations He brought into
his testimony the name OF the Terry
ohip yards and the National Ship
building company and q marine rail
way organization over which he had
supervision. He said that the Terry
'lop!e had Il trust loan from the fleet
corporation to be used in ship con-
aLruction and that over his protests
money in this fund was used to finance
a subsidiary organization engaged i'm
dry dock work, when their contracts
were only about onc-third complete.
Through his efforts $4,000 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 Shin
building Company, the witness said
that work there had shut down pre-
vious to his arrival on the scene.
! Lett in Weather. :.
Il found nothing had been done IL
take care of the properties and val.
liable machinery was left uncovered
TO the weather." he said On his own
responsibility he took stems to save
as much Of it as was possible. He in
voiced the property. His guess as to
its value was $500 900 and $4,000
oOO. He also asserted that in the
auditing of the affairs of the plant 101
numbered vouchers could not be ac-
counted for. /,
Another point he made was that
equipment, ordered previous to the
closing of the plant was still coming
TO the yard. He tried to have it stop
ped and suggested it was new and
could he returned to the vendors by
payment Of the freight only.
They told me to keep my hands off
and let he machinery come" Mac
Ncill declared
me 'rcrrN yard, he testified. had a
complete cniipment and contracts for
several tankers and composite ships
none of which was completed. He VAL
ued the equipment OF this ward at
about $l,500,00O and added that while
there was sufficient lumber at hand to
build sheds TO protect the exposed
machinery, it was not done. The ma
rlne railway, he testified, was built on
land owned by private individual
VINO had an agreement for rental or
his property with no specified amount
named The railway was built with
emergency fleet funds amounting to
about 100000 with an additional
$1,000 worth of filling supplies by the
government for another operation.
lhis property he said, was in contro-
versy. and it was his opinion that un-
der the laws Of Georgia it was owned
Dy the man who had title to the landn