The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-07
DISTRIBUTION or GOVERNMENT
SHIP BUILDING.

The effort being made to secure part
OF the ship-bulldng for the new navy TOT
Newport News is one which ought 10
succeed. but. IN the present state OF the
law, we doubt II II will succeed. Inc eN-
isting acts Of Congress re iuire fueh WORK
20 be given 20 the low est bidder. compe'
uton being open TO every person. corpora
ton or partnership In the United states
Unless the Newport News company mas
made a bid. threfore. lower than any OF
the other bids. we fear the work VIII not
be awarded TO Il.
But the principle which animates the act
of Congress IS not the one which shouid
be there. 1t ignores the il st claims Oh
sections. and pays no attention to certain
considerations OF National deferse that
should be attended 10. 1t is possible FOR
us 10 become involved in foreign war
that might make II most desirable Tor US
10 have ship yards at points capable OF
covering our entire sea front, equipped
to repair and construct ships OF war of
the heaviest tonnage. The law providing
for building naval ships Of war should,
therefore. be founded on n principle that
would secure the construction Of part OF
them al one point and part at another.
This will never be done while the con-
tracts are given out TO the lowest bidder
from all the people. since one bidder can,
and, as a matter OF fact, does secure the
pick OF all.
The Atlantic coast should be put into
two divisions, the Potomac river being the
line between them, and the Pacific coast
should constitute a third division. and
naval work should be allotted ratabiy to
these three divisions. In this way we
would be certain Of n naval constructing
station at more than one point on the At
lantic coast and at one point on the Pa
cihc coast and we should thus be pre-
pared. without extra expense, for any
probable emergency Of foreign war.
II IL should be argued that there is but
one ship-yard each in the South Atlantic
and the Pacific division capable Of con-
structing heavy vessels of war, and that
the Government would. under such law,
be victimized by them. the obvious an
swer Is that any possible danger OF this
sort can be provided for by giving the
Government the right to reject any bid
and. If these shfp-yards attempt the CHS
cling process. the Government could let
the contract out TO the lowest bidder from
the whole country or build the ship in it's
own yards.
We have said that principle Of Justice
is involved in this proposition and We
mean by IT to say that the South and the
Pacific States have right to demand that
some of the money that is spent In con
and where it will be effective for their de-
fense, and we say further that there is
no element of protective Legislation in
volyed IN this proposition. Protective
legislation Is an Arrangement by which
the powers of government are put in force
to prevent free competition, that certain
persons may receive advantages at the
expense Of others. It is a perversion of
the powers of government, which should
aim at securing perfect equality to all,
into channel that favors some at the
expense Of others.
But there is no element OF this idea in
the suggestion we make. The money that
is spent on the navy is raised by what
IS supposed to be equal taxation iron ALL
Thus raised it is the Governments duty
TO spend It in way that will be for the
greatest advantage to all. If it could be
shown that the interests of all require
1t all to be spent at Cramps ship-yard in
Philadelphia, then all OF 1t should be spent
there. But this cannot be shown. On tho
contrary, it is evident that the highest
interests Of all demand that there should
be ship-yards at other points on the At
lantic coast. The highest interests of all
demand, therefore. that part Of the public
money shall be spent elsewhere. This
being So the South may very justly
claim that as she contributes a very
laAge part Of the fund, and public inter
ests demand a naval station on her coasts
then proportionate part Of what is spent
shall be spent with her, and the Pacific
coast may justly make the same claim.