Show extravagance IN SERVICE washington april 0 secretary root yesterday sent an answer to the house resolution of march 15 calling upon him for all facts that have come to his knowledge as to the conduct of tho transport service between san francisco and diio philippine islands the answer includes the report of inspector general chamberlain and lieutenant colonel maus the reports of the various officers cover several hundred pages major general S B M young in transmitting the report of lieutenant colonel chamberlain submits an analyst of the report showing no adequate supervision to any feature of the fitting out of transports for a long time after the service was inaugurated and later the efforts to reform the system general young specifies lack of securing competitive bids ho says in the case of the II ancock involving an expenditure approximating if not amounting to the matter of indicating needed repairs was put into tho hands of officials unknown to transport regulations under verbal orders and plenary power given by the honorable secretary 0 war to insure dioro sanitary arrangements on that transport general young dilno specifics the case of an inexperienced man who knew nothing about dainta being employed to supervise painting jn ft business where tho painting bill of a single firm in two years and two months amounted to in respects it is stated the report that work was given out and supplies use such as the tilting up af cabins purchased without duo regard the protection of the governments interests on that branch of the investigation covering alic cost of articles etc general young summing up the chamberlain report saya that in one case the bill was the work is pronounced generally charges excessive and material inferior prices paid for material were often strikingly in excess of the then current market prices for alie same articles of like quality and supplies were purchased in the open markets without ad it la further stated in uen eral youngs summary that preference seems to have keen shown special firms to tho point of ordering from them ar out bojc Im siness these a i 1 H h firms at the saino time charging exorbitant prices to alie extent in a few instances of per cent in excess of ruling market rates upon tho facts developed by the investigation vesti gation general young apologetically remarks that it was under the pressure of necessity of moving argo bodies of troops at short notice lack of methods and forms to safeguard the government that these frauda took place colonel chamberlain specifies in detail the features summarized by general young he refers to the report of alie bates board that much of the work done on the logan was defective also that tho amounts spent on the II ancock were excessive and was for luxurious fittings lengthy descriptions are given of of inferior analita ana lity placed on various transports t boot includes in his letter 0 copy of an instruction sent out by general corban at hia direction to the commanding general department of california ordering a thorough investigation into all that relates to alie transport service on the pacific coast beginning walli its organization up to tho present time the investigation was to bo absolutely thorough entering into the minutest details of alm conduct of affairs in the operation of the transport service it is elated that nothing in tho order is to be construed to indicate that any complaints have been made or that the department part ment ha any misgivings concerning iho administration of the transport bervice eer vice but that all facts aro wanted by the secretary in chiy colonel chamberlain saya most df alie abuses were uri ayi Jable and that tharo had been gradual improvement lie bays that there are but chrep firms in san franico equipped repair works and that they had an understanding among themselves by which there ads been no real competition in interior fl ting for transports ho js there has leen at times extravagance and in some cases great negligence n purchasing supplies preference hn been in the distribution of patronage and extensive purchases jinye been made without campeti colonel aada that ones of alie moa notable abatt lias been alie usa 1 of great if quantities of S high priced ja v iu ft disinfectants disinfect ants the transport thomas he says on five trips used worth i lie says there also lias been an eive use of high priced patent cleaning and polishing material the thomas using worth in five trips he adds that aliis abuse has been remedied the loss of government property such as furniture linen bedding tableware etc by imperfect accounting is also set lie states that the transport mcado was purchased when twenty seven years old for and she has since received in repairs in a report dated aug 20 1001 col oscar F long general superintendent of the army transport service at san francisco replied to colonel chamberlains inspection report he points out the magnitude of the service suddenly brought into existence and the systematizing of affairs as fast as possible he says the service has survived the perica when it was most subject to criticism and attacks and that mistrust has given confidence since its methods and means have acquired the sanction of success the report says it is not ad bitted that preference wad shown to particular firms as to high prices paid for disinfectants disinfect ants the prices arc declared to have been the same as those charged merchant ships other alleged larit iea occurred during an emergency war period the numerous other reports enclosed from colonels mans and sanger and from a great number of subordinate officers give the most minute details of transport service in some cases irregularities being shown and criticism expressed all of these reports seem to agree that the abuses were the result of lack of method on the part of the subordinates |