Mr. FULTON. Did you regard that as an explanation for the lack of activity in June? Major HOFTO. No. I assigned my operations officer to check into those particular pieces of equipment and report to me. Mr. FULTON. Is there anywhere in this explanation of theirs any explanation of why it was idle in June? Major HOFTO. No, sir; there is none. Mr. FULTON. Not a word, is there? Major HOFTO. No, sir. I didn't ask for it. Mr. FULTON. And was there an explanation as to what it was doing in July? In some cases there might have been, but in the average did they even tell you that? Major HOFTO. I beg pardon. Mr. FULTON. Did they even tell you, as to the average piece, whether it had done any work in July? Major Horro. They didn't tell me that. That had already passed when I was notified of what idle equipment there was. Mr. FULTON. Well, it was a past act. Didn't you think it was desirable to do something about rentals that were being collected on this equipment for this idle time? Major Horro. I was trying to take care of my job the best I could. Mr. FULTON. Well, the contractor here, of course, was spending a great deal of Government money for rentals, and he was given a large fee to use good judgment, the same kind of management that he would use in his own work, wasn't he? Is it usual for them to rent a lot of equipment on their own work and allow it to stand idle a month or so at a time? Major HOFTO. Maybe not a month or so, but most lump-sum contractors have spare equipment on hand. Mr. FULTON. They have some, but not Major HOFTO (interposing). On a large project such as that they do have. Mr. FULTON. You have item after item of heavy equipment idle 100 percent of the month of June. Do you think that would beMajor HOFTO (interposing). Perhaps not 100 percent. Mr. FULTON. Most of these items, or at least a good many of them, are 100 percent, and a lot of the others are 98 percent. Isn't that true? Major Horto. That equipment, by the way, has the idle time figured on a 24-hour basis. Mr. FULTON. But on 100 percent, it doesn't make much difference whether you figure it on 24 hours or 8 hours. Major Horro. No, sir. Mr. FULTON. It is still idle for a month, isn't it? Major HOFTO. Yes, sir. Senator MEAD. Ninety-seven percent would make 3 percent difference. Mr. FULTON. Yes. You didn't think it desirable to check on whether the contractor had exercised prudent care in getting that equipment there long before he had any use for it? Major HOFTO. I felt that action was required to get it off the job if it wasn't required. Mr. FULTON. But that there was no action necessary to see to it that he should be held accountable for waste if he got it on the job when there was no necessity for it. The CHAIRMAN. Do you understand the question? Major Horto. I understand. It is my job to look after that; yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. And particularly where the equipment perhaps belonged to the contractor himself. Did any of this equipment belong to the Oman Construction Co.? Major HOFTO. I am not sure. Mr. FULTON. Did you check on that? Major HOFTO. I did not. Mr. FULTON. But it would be particularly important that none of his equipment should be brought on there when it wasn't going to be used, would it not? Major HOFTO. I might add some of it was to be used in the Milan ordnance depot, which was starting at that time. Mr. FULTON. Any way you look at it, this equipment was at least a month ahead of time, during which time rent was paid while it was sitting idle? Major HorTo. I would not say that. Mr. FULTON. Why wouldn't you? Major HOFTO. I would say, though, that the equipment had been used on the Wolf Creek ordnance plant and had been held there after the completion of its work for use in the Milan ordnance depot as soon as plans could be completed for it. Mr. FULTON. And did you ascertain that that was the fact with respect to this particular equipment? Major HorTo. Well, it was right at that time when we were doing it, and that is the reason that I wasn't so much concerned right then. Mr. FULTON. But I speak of this particular equipment. Did you check to make sure that these items came from the Wolf Creek? Major HOFTO. They were on the Wolf Creek. Mr. FULTON. Are you sure of that? Major HOFTO. I am not sure. Mr. FULTON. As to all these items? Major Horro. I am not sure about 100 percent of them. Mr. FULTON. But as to some of them? Major HOFTO. Most of them. Mr. FULTON. And when did they cease to be of any use on the Wolf Creek project? Major HorTo. Apparently during the month of July. Mr. FULTON. Well, June, isn't it? July. How about June? Did you ever check June? Major HOFTO. No, sir; I never have. Mr. FULTON. Did you check May or August? Major HOFTO. No, sir; I never have. I don't know that a record was kept of idle equipment in the past months. I am not sure. Mr. FULTON. So that you would tend then to agree with the testimony in Memphis that it was difficult to get records during those early times? Major HOFTO. No; I don't. Mr. FULTON. You disagree with it? Mr. FULTON. Why do you disagree if you now think you may not know that there was a record? Major HOFTO. Well, I am not sure whether you see, that record is prepared by the constructing quartermaster. It is merely a record at the job site, and I am sure that there is a record kept. However, I have not looked into it. QUALITY OF IGLOO CONSTRUCTION Mr. FULTON. Now with respect to the quality of the construction that the contractor was engaging in, particularly cement-igloo work, did you ever have occasion to criticize that? Major HOFTO. Yes, sir; I have. Mr. FULTON. And do you have any letter that you wrote to the contractor criticizing the quality of his work? Major HOFTO. Yes, sir; I have. Mr. FULTON. Could you produce that? Mr. FULTON. Would you produce the ones that you wrote being critical of it? Major HOFTO. Do you have in mind this one, on August 14? Mr. FULTON. That is one that I hadn't in mind, but let me see it. This is a letter requesting that attention be given to your previous memorandum that you apparently had sent, asking for an explanation of the "incorrect location of platforms on igloos in the M area." A follow-up memo was mailed to the office of the architect-engineer on July 30, stating that no reply had been received. This failure on the part of the architect-engineer-that was the Ferguson Co., was it not? Major HOFTO. H. K. Ferguson. Mr. FULTON. They acted both as architect-engineer and as one of the two joint contractors. Major HOFTO. That is right. Mr. FULTON. What do you think of that practice in general? Do you think it should be the situation where you should have one outfit acting both as architect-engineer and as contractor? Major HOFTO. Well, I hadn't really been critical of it. Mr. FULTON. If you build a house, you very frequently hire an architect largely for the purpose of seeing to it that the contractor does his job. Isn't that true? Major HOFTO. That is right. Mr. FULTON. In private housing? Major HOFTO. Yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. Wouldn't it also be true in the case of the Government that if you are going to have work done, it would be well to have an independent check-up on it, too? Major Horro. It is well. However, if there are two different sections of the company, I believe that there is a distinction there. Mr. FULTON. Yes; the distinction between the right hand and the left hand. Major HOFTO. That is right. Mr. FULTON. In any event, you wrote them on the 14th of August, calling attention to the fact that on the 30th of July you had asked for an answer to a previous memorandum. Does that mean that they had been disregarding your request for an explanation? Major HOFTO. Well, I don't know. Mr. FULTON. Now with respect to those platforms, does this mean that the platforms were out of alinement? Major HorTo. Yes. Mr. FULTON. In some cases 4 or 5 inches higher or lower than they should be? Major Horto. I would say around that figure. Mr. FULTON. In order to understand the importance of that, would you explain what is being loaded. Major HOFTO. Well, ammunition. Mr. FULTON. TNT or high-powered ammunition? Major HOFTO. I don't know whether that is what it will be. Mr. FULTON. But it is Government ammunition for military purposes? Major HOFTO. That is right. Mr. FULTON. And it is being loaded onto a platform from a boxcar or a freight car? Major HOFTO. From a boxcar. Mr. FULTON. It would be rather important not to have it, as it is being wheeled off the boxcar, dropped 4 or 5 inches with an impact on cement, would it not? Major HOFTO. I would say it would. Mr. FULTON. It might cause loss of life? Major HOFTO. Yes. Mr. FULTON. And it was for that reason that you regarded it as important that there be a proper alinement? Major Horro. I regarded that there should be. Mr. FULTON. In addition, you say that— Since the joint inspection of area M last week, it has been reported to this office that curtain walls on igloos have been omitted. This condition is apparently in violation of the plans and specifications under which the igloos were constructed inasmuch as the plans call for curtain walls to retain the earth full under the floating flat floors. Was that another safety measure to be put in there to take care of conditions that existed in handling high explosives? Major Horto. No, sir. Mr. FULTON. What was it put in for? Major HOFTO. To provide substantial fill under the concrete floor. Mr. FULTON. So that the floor wouldn't sag and break? Major Horto. So it wouldn't settle. Mr. FULTON. And those were specifications that the Ferguson Co., as architect-engineer, had written into the specifications? Major Horto. Yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. But which they, as contractor, had failed to comply with? Major Horro. No. They had made a study of that particular one, as they explained to me, but it had never been referred to the constructing quartermaster. Mr. FULTON. You mean they determined to omit? Major HOFTO. Yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. And you concluded that the omisison was proper? Major HOFTO. I concluded that it was all right; yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. Then you say— An inspection of area P discloses the fact that where floors for igloos are poured on fills, the fill has not been compacted properly or for some other reason settlement of floors in many igloos is beginning to appear. Major HOFTO. I wouldn't say many. I hope you interpret this letter as one of my "skins" to the contractor. Mr. FULTON. In other words, you said things in there that were not correct? Major HOFTO. No. Mr. FULTON. When you said that floors of concrete that had been put in within only the last few months were already settling down, did you mean that? Major Horto. There was small settling along the edges or cracks in the corners. Mr. FULTON. If you were building a house and you found that happening to your basement, you would be concerned about it, wouldn't you, and you were concerned here. Did you regard that as proper construction? Major Horro. Well, I wrote in my letter about it. Mr. FULTON. And the only thing necessary to correct it was to see to it that they used a tamp a little bit before they poured the concrete on the fill, wasn't it? Major HorTo. Yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. Rather a simple, elementary thing known to almost every common workman, and it had been neglected in this instance. Major HOFTO. Well, no. I don't think it was neglected. They might not have tamped it as much as they should have. Mr. FULTON. Then, going into two other igloos, 80 and 81, both were found to be in an extremely unsatisfactory condition. This fact was pointed out at the time. Igloo P-80 had a hole in the front wall, approximately 2 feet by 4 feet, which had been patched about 11⁄2 hours prior to the above-described inspection. The undersigned discovered the hole, which had been partially filled with concrete, and by the time the second inspection was made, workmen had already filled in the remaining holes with cold-patch material, apparently with the purpose of keeping these conditions from the view of superiors. In other words, you make the charge there that they were trying to deceive or that someone was trying to deceive by attempting to patch up work which wouldn't pass inspection. Major HOFTO. I am positive it wasn't the contractors, though. Major Horro. It was some foremen on the job. Mr. FULTON. That the contractor had hired? Major HOFTO. Yes, sir. Mr. FULTON. By "positive it wasn't the contractor," you mean Mr. Ferguson didn't go out and do the patching. Major HOFTO. That is right. Mr. FULTON (continuing): The forms used in the construction of these igloos were not only inadequate as to strength, because the igloos in question were badly out of line |