The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-11-30
UNCLE SAM FILES
$6,5O0,OOO SUIT
AGAINST CONTRACTING COM
PANY FOR IRREGULAR WORK
AT CAMP JACKSON.

! JuuSlllCHI dSaiiiSS thS 'SiSieS@iS iN'
the sum of six million, five hundred
thousand dollars, together with inter
est thereon from the 1st day Of No
vember, 1917, until paid, together
with costs of this action" is the
solemn demand Of the United States
of America in !: civil action filed for
the Eastern District Court for the
Eastern district Of South Carolina
here yesterday against the Hardaway
Contracting Company, Of Columbus,
Ga, which, in part, constructed the
cantonment in 1917 near Columbia,
now known ias Camp Jackson.
The suit alleges in general and
specific terms that the contracting
concern preached its contract, caused
many features of the work to come
at excessive cost to the government
and made no effort to protect the in
terests of the United States. The
suit is signed by District Attorney
]. D. Ernest Meyer, with Messrs.
Roscoe M. McCulloch and William T.
Chantland, special assistants to Unit
ed States Attorney General Harry
M. Daughtery, who is given as gen
eral counsel in the action.
1t is stated in the suit that the
contract for the contruction of Camp
Jackson was awarded by the govern
ment to the contracting concern on
June II, 1917, and that construction
work actually commenced on June Is.
Photographic exhibits accompanying
the bill of complaint, the contract
bearing the corporate style of the de-
fendant concern, as well as the name
of B. H. Hardaway, as president; W.
G. Cotton, secretary, and the United
States of America, by w. A. Demp-
sey, contracting officer.
After giving the scale of fees to
be paid the contractors, it is speci-
fed in the exhibit copy of the con-
tract that in no case could this ex-
ceed the sum of $250,000.
"That from the 18th of June, 1917,
when the defendant entered upon
the execution of the contract, until
on or about the 1st day Of Novem-
Der, 1917, when it ceased its opera
tons under said contract, without
having completed the same" the suit
alleges, in part, defendant permitted
caused to be committed, and did it
self commit, through and by its
agents and employees, great and un-
considerable waste of the materials
purchased or furnished for the con-
struction of the buildings and utilities
mentioned in the contract and paid
for by the plaintiff; that the. defend
ant sold to and also repurchased and
resold to at a profit to defendant
large quantities of material and equip
ment, some needed and some unnec-
essary; that defendant caused illegal
| and unwarranted claims and vouchers
in payment for said materials and
equipment to be presented to the
plaintiff for payment, and the plain
tiff, relying on the honesty and good
faith of the defendant, and its claims
so made, paid such vouchers as and
when presented under the conviction
that the materials and equipment, al
legged to have been purchased or fur
hished, in truth and in fact had been
purchased or. furnished and that cost
as claimed for, and the labor claim
ed for had been in good faith per-
formed, and that all were necessary
for the proper performance and ex-
peditions completion of the work un-
dertaken by the defendant; that dur
ing the whole or greater portion OF
the time the defendant was employ
ed by and was performing services
for the plaintiff under said contract,
the defendant without regard to re-
ouirement and in violation of its said
agreement, ordered and permitted
large amounts of useless and unnec-
essary work to be. done, employed
and allocated workmen in such places
land manner that the work was re-
tarded by reason Of the congestion,
confusion and idleness resulting; that
the majority of the worimen en-
ployed were engaged without refer
ence to skill, experience or other ca
psfity fine various building crafts
fof wh& employed and were paid 's !
the sate scale of wages as skilled
w9S'r6en and artisans, and were mix
3ed and mingled with those that were
skilled, all in such a way that the
morale and effectiveness Of the whole