The Somerset reporter., 1889-09-26

The Bangor Wing and Courier of Sat
urday last had a lengthy and able editorial
in which the difference between the way
Secretary Of the Navy, Tracy, and Cleye-
lands Secretary, Whitney, used the naval
contractors of former administrations Is
ample quotations from different records
and dispatches. These quotations show
conclusively that Secretary Whitney used
every power given him by virtue of his
high office to dscredt the work of John
Roach and the Republican admins trations
ordering trial after trial Of the Dolphin,
organized special board of naval officers
for the express purposes of having the
boat reported 'structurally weak,
virtually ordering this board to so report
her, which they did apparently with
reluctance. The Wing further states:
ION the basis of that report Secretary
Whitney applied to the Attorney General
to determine whether the vessel could be
rejected and the contract repudiated and
he replied by the opinion that the vessel
no valid contract and therefore that the
$4,000, 600 already paid Mr., Roach and ex-
pended upon the four ships, had been
without warrant of law and could be
recovered and the ships be held for the
money. This amazing proclamation that
the Government would seek to recover
two millions of dollars from a ship build
ing firm while repudiating its contracts,
had the inevitable effect of forcing Roach
Son into assignment and closing the
yards at Morgan Iron Works and Chester,
whereby 81 1879 workmen, whose weekly
payroll was over S2i 900, were thrown
out of employment"
Mr.. Roach did his work faithfully on
his contracts that were far below all 9TH
er bids, and without bonus of any kind
In the case of the Yorktown 1t has been
stated in Congress and never denied that
when the plans of her engines were first
submitted to and rejected by former
board they were marked to develop
$500 horse power; that when the adyer-
tsements called for proposals for $500
horsepower the same plans were offered
with the figures changed from $500 to
3, 800, and that after the bid was made to
produce that power, Secretary Whitney
reduced the requirement In the contract
from $500 to 3 1000 horse power, and pro-
yided for 500 bonus for every horse
power developed above the 5000.
The Baltimore, which has just had her
sea trial, was built upon designs pur.
chased In England by Secretary Whitney
from Sir William Armstrong, Mitchell &
Co. The specification of the plans as
purchased called for 1880 horsepower
But after the bids were made the horse
power requirement was reduced from TO-
100 to 5000 horsepower, and the con-
ttract provided 500 premium for every
horsepower above the contract require
ment. 1t Is now reported that the ship
has made maximum speed of over 20
knots and that over 10000 horsepower
was developed, which would give the
contractors more than 800, 900 bonus for
producing less power than the original
English plans were calculated to furnish
or than was required by the Department
when 1t advertised for bids.
Instead of initiating Mr.. Whtney's ex-
ample, the Republican Secretary gener-
ousy hastens to telegraph his congratu-
lations to his Democratic predecessor up
on the satisfactory achievements of his
English designed ship, and the whole
Democratic party Immediately arises and
announces It's willingness to accept hon.
age for 1.-THE restoration of the American
Navy"
The contrast Of the treatment of the
two contractors and the two sets OF ships
Is typical of the contrast between the
two parties.