The Ypsilanti Daily Press

Building Cost to be Probed

Washington, Apr. 6-INS-The House Military Affairs Committee today ordered a general investigation of Army construction costs throughout the country. Decision to extend drastically the scope of the study was made as a result of an investigator's report of asserted "excessive" costs at the huge shell loading plant at Minden, La. "We have decided to find out once and for all if the sort of practices turned up at that plant are general in all Army work," said Rep. Thomason (D), Tex., chairman of the subcommittee which is handling the matter. Thomason said his committee will first complete its study of the Louisiana ordnance plant, and then will go into other similar plants. He indicated that committee investigators will soon be in the field at the other undesignated plants. These disclosures came as the group prepared to reassemble tomorrow to hear further evidence from its investigator, Gordon K. Miller, who spent a month at the $27,000,000 Louisiana plant. Later in the week, Thomason said, officials of the Silas Mason Co., of New York, named as the contractor in the case, will be called. They are to be followed by Army quartermaster and engineer officers, according to the announcement. In his report, Miller declared that building costs at the Minden plants were "excessive," asserting that the per unit price of some temporary frame buildings there ran about as high as the cost of erecting the Supreme Court building and other marbled structures in Washington.