National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-17
MIR. wuIrNEY,4 CRUISERS.


Accuracy in His Results.
~ desire two things specially from this
board at the present timc," said Secretary
Whitney to the board on new cruisers
Monday. "Thcrc are certain difficulties
attending the contract system Of doing
public work, everywhere encountered
difficulties which work harsbly upon one
side or the other, unless great care Is cXer-
Ciscd at the outset. II Is difficult 20 make
contract that Is fair both to the con.
tractor and the government. The point to
he reached Is making the specifications and
plans so detailed and definite that the con-
tractor and the government have their
rights specially defined. This is the only
way TO insure close bidding. 4 contractor
ought TO be able to make his contract and
Specifications aud plans and read them as
he would read book, and go to his yard
knowing precisely what he has to do To
comply with his obligation. In this matter
there has always been great complaint
abroad and there is great complaint here,
that the specifications and plans arc left 50
indefinite that the contractors at the mercy
Of the government officials.
"Tho only way to exclude iuvoritism and
to give every advantage to the honest aud
competent bidder Is to define exactly what
has 10 be done. This was the intention Of
the statute under which this work Is pro.
vided for, when IL says that the contract
shall not I've entered into until full and com
pleto detail drawings and specifications
thereof, in all its parts, including the hull,
engines, and boilers shall have been provided
or adopted, &c. This law was disrcgardcd
in contracting FOR the ships now in pro-
cess, but hereafter we will observe It.
81 want this board TO certify to me taftor
consideration Of all the plans that shall be
submitted TO it) that the designs which are
adopted viii surely produce ships having
the requirements aud characteristics that
We have set out to obtain. We have ascer-
tanned what the state of the art is and what
we ought to reach in the production of
these vessels, and those characteristics have
been embodied In the report which has been
heretofore made by this board. They are
very hard requirements for us, IN view of
our little experience IN the production Of
modern ships Of war; and 1t requires patti
ence and labor and great deal of consider
alton from us for each other to secure the
embodiment of those requirements IN de-
tailed plans and specifications.
"The bureaus have been at work faithfully
on the problem, and desire that no steps
shall be taken until We have made certain
that VIC have attained In our designs those
requisites. That is what wish, in the first
place, the board to certify TO me. You will
consider the plans which are in the course
Of preparation by the bureaus and other
plans which have been collected during the
last six months embodying the results of
similar work elsewhere, and recommend to
me completed plans and specifications to be
submitted TO competition.
"ln the next place they must be In such
detail as shall be fair to the government
and fair to the contractor. We have a con-
siderable latitude with regard to the pro-
cuTement Of the plans. We may avail Of
any fundamentally which we may find
necessary to aid us in the procurement of
the best designs and plans wherever we can
find them. Whatever Is best we can spend
money for, and no money can be more
wisely spent than in availing ourselves Of
the very latest information, so as to make
sure of embodying the latest results Of the
labor and investigation Of others in the
plans which We adopt.
"Among other things which will be sub
mitted to you will be the detailed plans and
specifications of the latest work in SINH
lar line done by the firm of Armstrong &
Co. in England. Especially useful to you
for examination and possibly adaptation
will be the plans of a cruiser which has not
yet had her final trip, embodying the latest
work of the Armstrong Company, the ma
chinery having been designed by the firm
of Hawthorne ~ Co., as you know, one of
the largest marine engine builders of Great
Britain. She attained speed Of eighteen
and one-half knots upon her preliminary
trial.
$50, you will observe, there are two sub.
jeCts which you are to cover. First, that
the plans which you recommend to me fol
adoption shall be such that they will work
out, If honestly executed, in the production
of ships having the characterics which, con
sidering the state OF the art, we ought to
attain. This lsa matter which you can, within
reasonable limits, absolutely determine.
"In the second place, you should furnish
rue with these plans and specifications in
n, lntn t,xa 10 -, 10
tract Of sufficient deiniteness us to be fair
both to the contractor and to the govern
ment, upon which close bidding can take
place, and which can be executed with all
solute certainty by an honest bidder. Boil
lie and the government must have absolute
rights as soon as the contract is entered
into, and there must be no loose clauses OIL
opportunities for loose construction offer
ing premiums to favoritism among bidders
have been specially appealed to upon thl:
subject by many persons intending to bid
and | am impressed with its Importance