Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-17
Secretary Tracy Explains why They we,
SO Awarded-InteryieW with Scott

Secretary Tracy Explains why They were
SO Awarded-Interview with Scott.
WASHINGTON, June l6th.-Secretary Tracy late
this afternoon decided to settle the contest over
tue contract for the big armored S,l0O-ton
Philadelphia, at their bid of g. 985 600, on their
own plans. The Secretary bases his action on
two grounds: First he believed that it would
be bad policy to allow the contracts for both of
these cruisers 10 go to the Pacific coast and
thus allow the works of the Cramps to die out
and, secondly, he decides that the Union Iron
Works at San Francisco should not be over
crowded, as he wished them to build some of
the new battle ships tina. wi l be authorized by
this Congress.
An investigation of Cramps plans for this
cruiser developed that it was substantially the
same as the department plans except as TO
boiler space and more room for coal; that it
would have four engine rooms and longitud-
1nal bulkheadS. The Secretary consulted with
Chief of Construction Wilson and Chief En-.
gineer Melville, and decided to accept Cramps
bid as noted above.
The contract for the 5500-ton cruiser was
awarded to the Union Iron Works on their bid
OF u, 600 on the departmental plans.
INTERVIEW WITH IRVING NJ SCOTT.
California Associated Press Agent called
upon Irving NJ. Scott tonight and obtained
most interesting story about how the Examiner
tried TO pose as great champion of the labor.
ing men in general and of the san Francisco
1ronmolders in particular.
On Saturday the Examiners Washington CORE
sspondent received telegram from William K.
Hearst OF San Francisco, instructing hun to go
with Senator Hearst to see the Secretary Tracy
and ask him to withhold the award of the con-
tract for the cruisers to the Union Iron Works
which would furnish basis for forcing COM
promise between the San Francisco iron man
ufacturers and the iron molders, as the strike at
San Francisco was paralyZipg business on the
Pac1hc coast and was disastrous TO the working
men.
Now" said Mr.. Scott "the Examiners great
scheme was to create the impression that the
Navy Department would not award the contract
to San Francisco on account ofthe iron molders'
strike. The Examiner correspondent then tele-
graphed to his paper that Tracy had said that
the strike at San Francisco would seriously in
terfere with the awarding OF the contract to the
Union Iron Works.
.'The Examiner wanted to pose as a great
arbitrator between the employers and striking
men and blew its bassoon as the champion of
labor. Now happen to know that the strike
at San Francisco i'll no way enters into the mat
ter at the Navy Department, for Secretary
Tracy himself told me that it cut no figure in
the matter Tracy sent the following telegram
to the Risdon Iron Works
1.-The Examiner was misinformed I regret
the strike, but my action will not be influenced
by it.
"The way happened to get word of the En-
dminer's scheme was this: was going into the
Navy Department building, and met Congress
man Cluule coming out. and the latter said to
me: i told Tracy that the San Francisco strike
ought not to interfere with the awarding of the
contract to you This created a suspicion in
my mind, and following the matter ur. got
onto the Erdminers little scheme, in which it
contract Secretary Tracy received the follow
ing telegram from San Francisco:
The Morning Examiner announces that you
decline awarding the contract to the Union
Iron Works for the cruisers, although they are
the lowest bidders, unless they compromise the
present molders' strike, because you fear they
cannot get the machinery castings out in time,
but we. the undersigned. being all the leading
founders of the State Of California; declare tn at
we are not affected by any strike, and that our
shops are at the disposal of the Union Iron
works, and will be at all times, and we state
that the Union Iron Works viii not be delayed
for want Of any castings needed for the cruisers
should the contract be awarded to them, not
Withstanding the present or any possible future
strike, and we take pleasure in guaranteeing
this to YOU
Signed by the Risdon Iron Works, Industrial
Iron Works, Joshua Hendy Machine Company
Pacific Iron Works, National Iron Works
Steiger Kerr, Byron jackson Company, Mi
ners Foundry, Fuller Foundry, Mccormick
Bros.
Mr.. Scott said: sit is the duty of the business
men of the entire Pacific coast to see that no
body OF men destroy the industries built up
with so much labor and under such adverse
circumstances, men who deny the right of
others to earn an honest days wages, who deny
the apprentice boys right to learn trade, and
who make men surrender their individual free
dom and limit the amount of work they shall
do and fix the minimum wages they shall re-
eeive, all of which violates the Constitution of
the United States.
THE San Francisco molders have maintained
the most brutal and tyrannical Union in the
country. These men have never provided any
facilities to improve their individual, moral or
mental condition by the establishment of hall
or other institution to improve their craft, but
have maintained an ironcad organization in
which every member surrenders his liberty.
other and more humane associations have pro-
vided for and received as high wages without
the extreme measures which the San
molders take, and who work in harmony with
their employers and their own best interests"
The Examiner telegraphed its correspondent
tonight to ask Scott il he would be willing for
six men oD each side, with Archbishop Riordan
as an umpire, to act as board TO arbi-
trate the differences between the employers
and the iroD-moders and Scott told the Exam
swer:
apply to the Executive Committee of the
Engineers ana Iron n-molders' Association"