Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-03
Contractor Accused
OF Extravaganza in
'Shen-Loading Plant
Foolish Construction
Practices Charged
By House Investigator
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Silas Mason Co of New York
City was accused today Of defective,
extravagant and foolish construc-
ton practices In building q she'll
loading plant at Minden. La.
Gordon K Miller, investigator for
the House Military Affairs Commit
tee, who made the charges, said
they were based on reports Of w.
M. Perkins, civilian inspector for
Army engineers, who investigated
construction at the Louisiana ord
nance plant
Mr.. Miller told the committee that
Capt. George N. Kibler, assistant
Army engineer at Linden, reported
to 1t. Col M. w. Whited, area en-
gineer at Minden, by letter March
81 that some OF the buildings at the
plant were unsafe.
Truck Rental Under Fire.
Before the hearings we're recessed
until next Tuesday, the committee
heard a report from Mr.. Miller that
a 25-ton used auto-car truck rented
by the contractors at $850.73 a
month amassed total rental charges
of So 1851 05 to date. -..., 49,
Chairman Thomson. Democrat,
of Texas said he would ask 1t. Gen.
Brehon Somervell, chief of the War
Departments supply service, to look
into this matter with view of
stopping further payments" for this
truck and recovering any excess pay
ments made.
Il am also going to ask the COM
mittee counsel to turn this file over
to the Department of Justice for in
quiry by it's Bureau of Investigation
to determine if there Is a ground for
criminal action IN this case" Chair
man Thomson declared.
Told by the witness that the Silas
Mason Co. was architect-engineer
as we'll as contractor on the SGT ,0O0,-
900 plant. and that 1t also had a
contract for procurement Of mate
rails and operation of the plant,
Representative Thomson remarked:
Apparently there was no check
on them at all-they were the whole
show"
"Overdesiyn" Charged.
Mr.. Miller testified a ramp cost
$4,000 and that it was "overde-
signed and overstructured" as he
said were any number of buildings
spread over the 27-square-mile area.
Mr.. Miller said an investigation
showed there was definite grave
danger" of an explosion within a
smokeIess black powder building In
AREA D" from improper conduc-
ton for static electricity"
He said safety engineers had COM
planned to him about the use OF a
type of red paint on floors in pro-
duction rooms which they MAIN
tanned did not conduct current well
and that generally there was mad
equate protection against accidents
that might be caused by static elec-
tricity.
He said he understood red paint
was specified by the Ordnance De-
partment, and that he considered
ordnance officers thought it was
adequate protection.
Over Hiring Cases Cited.
In another phase Of his testi-
mony, Mr.. Miller produced a letter
from ID 1t. E. G. Simons, engineer
equipment Office, reporting there
are entirely too many mechanics,
welders and helpers" In the shops.
Cases can be cited where the
foreman has laid of the mechanics
because he no longer needed their
service and when the foreman came
back on the Job next day, he not
only found the three mechanics he
laid of, back on the job, but also
three additional new mechanics. +"
Throughout the project. Mr.. Miller
said, there was evidence of waste
Of Government money, materials
and labor on unnecessarily elabo-
rate, but not necessarily effective
construction