The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-07-26

views with reference to matters with which
this committee has to deal are given COZ
siderable weight, as is apparent from the
following lengthy interview between him
and tue Times special correspondent at
Washington, also published in the Times:
MIR. Thomas was member of the naval
committee last winter. He WAS asked il he
thought the fact of John Roachs getting
the contract for the four new vessels was to
be regretted, and no replied very earnestly
IN the negative, He had a high opinion Of
hoachs capacity as builder of ships and
engines The Puritan, he said, with the
armor and armament designed for her,
would be the most formidable vessel of her
class atoat, aud he regarded her in her
present condition as an ample vindication
OF the workmanship OF Mr.. Roachs yard.
THE fact that the new vessels are to be
built OF steel instead of iron is due to Mr.
lhomas more than to any other one mem.
oerot the committee, and therefore he takes
especial satisfaction in the fact that the con.
tracts Tor steel ships have been let at such
reasonable figures, Roach and several
other ship builders told the committee that
steel could be made as cheaply AZ iron, and
the bidding in this case has justified that
testimony Mr, Thomas recalled the tact
that the initiative of the steel cruiser nova.
nent was due the naval advisory board
winch preceded the present, That one was
presided over by the last Admiral John
Rodgers. That board made careful eat.
mates OF the cost of the proposed vessels.
The present board laughed at those esh.
mates as absurdly low, aud revised them
upward Literally. Now the contracts have
been let at substantially the figures estl.
mated by the Rodgers board. Mr.. Thomas
says that there was steel ring organized
with view to forcing up the price of the
material to be used 10 the new ships. but
John Roach broke up the ring. Roach
bought i've thousand tons Of steel littls
while before the letting Of the contracts at
cents pound, the price at which he said
last winter steel could be procured The
other bidders had no, provided themselves
with steel, aud based their bids on steel AT
from Ga to 8 cents. Mr. Thomas was not
aware that the advisory board had modified
their steel tests, and was disposed some.
what to regret it, believing that it was
wholly unnecessary to yield ia this way to
the demands OF the steel men, but he was
satisfied, nevertheless, that the tests were
severe enough to secure the use of only ex.
celleut material. The pride OF Mr.. Thorn.
40 Is an Illinois man is much tickled at the
naming OF the largest Of the four ships af-
ter the metropolis Of his state and of the
northwest which he holds 10 be the finest
city in the United States, aud therefore in
the world. lie goes to New York on pri-
vate business tonight"
The public generally will probably not
agree with Mr.. Thomas, in the opinion that
the fact that Jno. Roach secured the con-
tract for building the new vessels is not to
be regretted. Ia view of the bold, gigantic
frauds perpetra,ed upon the government in
similar matter by the Roach Robson
syndicate, there is ample reason to regret
that the same syndicate has the government
again by the throat. But probably Mir.
Thomas takes philosophical view Of this
matter and the people may as well, for pres
ent at least, follow his good example.