Mr. HENDRICKS. I will speak of that directly. On these 3 vessels that I am speaking of $119,000 was allowed upon each. 1 but seemed to be a lnr e allowance, more than 300,000 dollars upon the 3, upon a contract considerably above a million dollars, the entire cost of the vessels, includiu half a million of extra work which was ordered by the general inspector being above 2 million llars. Now, upon work, the contract price of which is above a million dollars, the board allow above 300,000 dollars for losses sustained by the contractors. upon an examination of the facts we see that la or has gone up nearly 100%. during the time that this work was carried on; some qualities of iron above 100 per%., and much of it approaching 100%; so that when the contract was made, it was made with a view to the then prices, and the Government caused the delay of perhaps a full year by the change in the plan of the work, and during that period it went on advancing from mouth to month until this enormous price had to be aid for labor and material. I do not claim that it cost the contmctors an additional hundred%. for their material and labor, for mac 1of the work, of course, was done and much of the materials were purchased by the contractors before the labor and material s had reached this very high price; but I say that in view of the great increase of prices, this allowance did not seem to me to be extravagant. The board do not seem to have examined these cases as an omnibus bill, but they examined each case, heard the evidence, and decided upon each case. Take the case that has been referred to by the Senfrom NewHampshire; a.party claimed $74,000 upon a.contract of $82,000. The bureau of the t avy Dept in its communication to the ComNavAffrs has referred to that. It has not referred to the award made by the board, but has referred to the claim made by the party. My notion is, that it was not an honest claim; at least, it was not such a claim as ought to have been allowed, and it was not allowed. The board reducedit to $12,000. The Senator thought it was $18,000.