‘Mr. Richard M. Page 7 May 4, 1973 Nixon contractor had been selected less than one week before the visit, and had not yet started work on the project. Nevertheless, the Trust Territory did nothing about their request. The contractor was apparently selected for political reasons. The Trust Territory has persisted in doing nothing, and the contractor has done the sort of job that the Bikinians were afraid he would do. The work is sloppy, subject to rapid deterioration, and above all, characterized by continuous unexplained delays. It is almost three years since the contractor was engaged, but the houses are still not ready for the Bikini people. The people have continued to complain about the buildings, but nothing has been done to correct the problems. In addition to problems with the contractor, the rehabilita- tion project has been mismanaged from the beginning. The most notable characteristic of the program has been its constant , series of delays, most of which are apparently the result of incompetence in the various offices in Saipan. From the beginning there have been delays in material; lack of qualified supervisors, poor relations between the Trust Territory supervisor and the contractor, and continuous breakdowns in communication. The whole project is typified by the series of events following the May, 1972 inspection visit to Bikini. The Bikinians had various com- plaints to make about the housing. Through their OEO attorney, they requested changes be made, in a letter sent to the Director of Public Works in Saipan. Several months later the letter was answered and the changes were by and large agreed to. However, in a November visit, the Bikinians discovered that none of the changes had been made, and that the exchange of letters had been wholly irrelevant to what the contractor was doing. The inspection trip was pointless, except that it proved that things had changed only for the worse, and that earlier mistakes complained of had occurred over and over again. Stant The funding for the rehabilitation of Bikini has been a con- source of irritation, puzzlement, and confusion for the Bikini people. No one has seen fit to provide them with statements that detail the source or expenditure of funds apparently appro- priated for their benefit. The fact that the Bikini people have not been informed about the fiscal aspects of the rehabilitation is a major error. Jt should be corrected at once. Experience has shown the Bikinians that trustees who are allegedly acting for their benefit cannot always be trusted, and it is of vital importance that full disclosure be made to the Bikini people of all monies appropriated, tion project. allocated, or spent on the Bikini rehabilita- Several funding problems stand out among the overall confusion. First, it is assumed that money for the Bikini rehabilitation pro- ject was separately appropriated, or at least taken from military or AEC - but not Trust Territory - sources. The total funding for