Evening star., 1920-01-23
VAST WASTEEOUND
f. AT MUSCLE SHOALS
System of Building War
Plant a Failure, Congress
sionaI Committee Says.

FLORENCE. Ala, January % (by
the Associated Press).-So many wit
nesses were waiting to be heard that
the House war expenditures commit
tee. investigating the Muscle Shoals
nitrate plant decided today to end
its sessions and have those unable to
go on the stand tell in affidavits what
they know about waste, extravagance
and labor Stacking.
Enough evidence on this phase of
the inquiry was taken to convince
the committee, members said, that it
never would do to build a war plant
according to that system again The
immediate problem relates to DISPOSE
ton of government properties. costing
upwards of $100,000,000. and now idle.
Might Advise Congress.
The committee has discussed this
informally, but Chairman Graham sa id
today he was not ready to offer sug-
eestions. Members feel that as moth
ing substantial is to be gained by pa
rading the cost and construction skel-
purpose by trying to advise Congress
what to do with the plants.
| AS to waste and extravaganza in
! building, Representative Garrett,
democrat. Tennessee, ended a long
discussion by witnesses of that sub
ject yesterday with the remainder that
everybody knew it. but that nobody
attempted to deny or condone it.
"Greatest Bunch of Loafers,-
Don't stop the work. no matter
low crude" was the government pol
icy in building the plant. j. K. Mac
kenZie, form merly government in
spector. testified today. Mackenzie
characterized the army of civilian
workers, often running as high as
$4,000. as the greatest bunch of
loafers on EARTH" Because of his in
ability to get construction work done
properly, the witness said, he told
officers in charge that he felt the gov
ernment was throwing money away
in keeping him on the job.
"They were bringing in droves of
skilled workmen when work wasn't
ready for them" Mackenzie said. 'Tt
was awful. 1 went to Capt. Coles and
protested. I told him it was a crime,
and he said for me not to get peeved,
that the government wanted speed,
hang the cost. 1t didn't matter how
bad the work was, it stood"
Bad management on the part of su-
perintendents and foremen was re-
sponsible for delay and general condi-
tions, according to Mackenzie, who
declared the commanding officer could
have put the camp on a business basis
With proper organization the plant
could have been built in Shorter time
and at much less cost, he said.
Stacking Widespread.
Evidence of widespread Stacking
by the great Industrial army en-
pIoyed in the construction of the
Muscle Shoals nitrate plant piled up.
There was no end Of it, according to
witnesses, who made no attempt to
deny the charge that erection of the
plant was held back while thousands
Of workmen moved about in helter-
SHELTER fashion. with union scale car
penters cutting underbrush and
water boys drowning down the pay of
structural ironworkers. The morale
of the whole organization, the wit
man told how material was wasted
under the general policy of finishing
the job at any cost.
Labor Agents Blamed.
In checking up the committee found
that one of the big causes of the
constantly shifting labor army, often
running up TO $4,000, was the hired
country painting wonderful pictures
of high wages and cheap life at
Muscle Shoals with gambling permit
ted and long vacation at the end
of the year. Arriving by the thou
sand. white and negro workmen dis
covered a little gambling. but went
away, the witnesses say, because of
poor accommod odations poor food,
trouble with the police and other
Il things.
were turned into big pen to await
their turn to begin the tortuous
march to the pay-check window.
Kenneth p. Smith, formerly in charge
OF the labor adjustment bureau at
Il Washington, told the committee that
to be recorded after entering the
i pen Meanwhile he received no pay.
Smith ascribed the delay in opening
the plant to the big labor turnover.