Show f IN SH 4 nE DERL l BAAED BAAED- I T B WITNESS W Expert rt Declares s s. s Hog Island W Work d Was s as l Il Muddled da ed High Fees Fecs Charged U. U S. S Fleet r Merely i Expostulated or NEW NE PROGRAM I TO SPEED WORK IORI ADOPTED I r Country D. D I I Into nto S. S Six I Shipbuilding Zones Each S Under a Director Who lio ho Will ill WillBe rill II Be Br Named in iii Fe Few Fes Days By Cr News Service W Feb 9 Mot rOle More e I revelations about the startling n re I log hog 0 Island shipyard came eam out toda today I before the Senate commerce commit commit- tc tee tC John H. H Towle who represented I I the emergency fleet corporation at atthe the island admitted that millions million were wasted in iu construction while Ke fleet corporation merely eXI expostulated stu- stu with Avitu the American International corporation i Francis K Bolden of Phila Philadelphia one of the owners of or tho the island leland said It was optioned up to February or March 1917 1317 at 1000 an acre Yet In Ina inJune j a June he said aId twice that sum was paid t for Cor the land Mr Towle who was an Omaha civil engineer was sent to supervise the thc construction construction con con- I o of the yard on the barren Is Is- Is I land Inefficiency y and delay were evident evi dent everywhere c he said Sometimes 1300 1100 freight cars waited to be unloaded ed lie He reported this Did the tho shipping board direct you to remedy the situation asked etl Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Nelson J The he emergency fleet leet corporation took look the stand eland that the American In International In- In corporation assumed all re responsibility re- re and that the fleet corporation corporation corpora corpora- tion should not Interfere Three Vre Ires enfA on The situation ha has been beon changed has It not asked Senator Nelson Yes I understand Admiral Bowles I went there last w el with full tull authority au nu- to supervise lse I M Ir V- V To Towle Tolo lo said saW he was regarded b by the A A A. I C C. people as an Unfriendly ly I critic because he expressed himself I freely I f The Tiie testimony showed that R. R L L. Hunt Bunt D. D T. T Pierce and Thomas Breed l were hired as press agents at and ana isoo monthly I Were they employed to boost the corporation questioned Senator l 1 letcher I Id rather rather not not comment on ori that answered Mr r Towle Mr Ir Bowles has no takEn over o the Publicity work 4 r I Did political pull count In setting getting 1 COntracts was another of or Senator I Fletchers Fletcher's queries I Cladis AnT r. r I 1 i wish Ish you rou would not In Insist on an r answer answer eald Mr ir r Towle I f t Continued tI on Ince 1011 1 11 i J VAST iAsi SHIPYARD WASTE IS BARED Continued From Page I 1 1 This Section You answer b by hesitating the senator sen son ator said Ill answer this wa way way not not not to m my knowledge the witness replied Cant you ou give us Information that will help run down the scoundrels Senator Vardaman demanded I dont don't know lenow a n groat deal about It of or m my personal Most of ot the men were fair tall and square Mr I I Towle said It developed de' that Cabot and Rollins were to get a contract to build piers on which 33 33 profit was to be realized I Experts Drew 1 Fat root Fees It also came out that thirty days das ago I Stone and Webster who are interested In the yard ard agreed to furnish experts exports from their Boston office office for for consultation consultation consulta consulta- tion at per cent advance over oYer their regular reb salaries The government was to pa pay this advance It was explained that tho the usual custom was to charge private individuals three times Umes themon's the themen's themen's mens men's salaries I Mr 11 Bohlen who 1 is a law lacy professor at t tho the University of or Penns Pennsylvania owned of or the tho S 86 46 6 acres used on the Island for the shipyards Charles N N. Black of ot New York and his sister and brother owned the remainder Land Graft Falls Fall Through One night In June 1917 1017 said Mr Ir Bohlen Bohlen Boh- Boh len en a Philadelphian Philadelphia named Steinmetz telephoned him first intimation that the he property was desired desire He and Steinmetz went to New ew York Pond and visIted vis- vis visited ted offices which seemed to be headquarters head- head Cuart quarters Is I's for fOI both Stone and Webster eb ter and nd the American International corpo- corpo ration A Mr McCormick and Mr lr Stevens vice Ice president of oC the tho corpor corporation re refused reused re- re used fused to pa pay 2500 an acre A price of ot 2100 was agreed upon the understandIng understand- understand Ing ng being that the tho New ew York inch got gol commission an acre on the sale to o the government Later the tho government go refused to bu buy the he land 11 and the commission was called oU off ff the thc flat price being 2000 Think Thinks Price Fair The government however holds an option on tho the property In October 1916 an option of ot 1000 per acre was allowed to private indi- indi The option expired in February February- or March larch 1917 said Mr 11 Bohlen We Ve were vere glad Wo 0 thought the land was wasI I undervalued aue We Ve refused an lon sion Hu Ho explained that at the time of the 1000 option there were no railway fa facilities facilities fa- fa c for reaching the tho Island I Country Divided Into Six Shipbuilding Zones Division lon of or tho the country countr into six shipbuilding shipbuilding ship ship- building zones with a n competent shipbuilder ship ship- builder In charge chargo of ot each as zone di director hi- hi rector is planned b by the emergency fleet corporation as a a. means of ot speeding speed speed- In ing ng up shipbuilding operations There Thero will bo be two zones each on the tile Atlantic and Pacific coasts and one ono each on tho the gulf guU and on tho the great lakes Ope The plan calls for an almost complete complete complete com com- decentralization of or shipbuilding work Construction in each zone will willbe willbo bo be put Into the tho hands of or the zone di director director dl- dl rector who will bo be given full tull authority to act for tor tho the fleet corporation The directors In each Instance will bo be chosen from the heads of or tho the large shipbuilding companies In the particular lar zone The Tho three government fabrication stcl stel ol l shipyards near Philadelphia willbe will willbe willbe be loft as at nt present In charge of or 1 F F A A. Bowles assistant general manager manas-er oC of the tho fleet corporation who has headquarters headquarters head head- quarters in Philadelphia More Hort Hurley y Speed d. With Wilh I yards ar lI established In all sections of the tho country countr said Chairman Hurley Burley of the shipping board tonight The Tile question of ot concentrating the efforts effort efforts ef ef- forts fort of or a compact and complete organIzation organization organization organ organ- in each zone should produce a greater do degree of oC efficiency and a n more I rapid de development dJ In ill the tho work worl of ot shipbuilding ship ship- building building- ShiP ShiP-I I The Tho zone zon directors will b be named within a few days daya and General Manager I I of ot the fleet corporation hopes to have tho the zone system in operation within two or three weeks Mr Bowles Is c his attention now on tho fabricating rubricating plant under ul construction at Ho Hog Island Pa h by the American International corporation Plans for reducing the country's less loss essential foreign trade tralle to release ships for the tho tran transport port of or troops and supplies to Europe will ho bo completed within afew u a few days daya 3 and Pro President Wilsons Wilson's proclamation proclamation proclamation proc proc- putting punting all exports and amid im imports um- um ports licence as aM a Sf step will be Issued cli probably bl February February ar ary 18 IS |