Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-09-14
ARMoR-PLArE FRAUDS.
A Bold Crime Has Been Disclosed by
the Investigation.

A Bold Crime Has Been Disclosed by
the Investigation.
WASHINGTON, August 25.-The special
committee of the House investigating
the charges affecting the reliability OF
material of the new ships furnished by
the Carnegie Company OF Pittsburg laid
their report before the House to-day.
The report shows that the contract with
the company covered period of two
years and three months from Novem-
Der, 1890, to February, 1893. The amount
of armor plate contracted for was 1878
tons, costing $5,461, 92O. In the open
ing of the report Mr.. Cummings, Chair
man of the committee, gives the ten
charges made against the company, and
follows it with the admissions made
under each charge. Mr.. Schwab admits
under the first charge that the plate did
not receive uniform treatment, explain
ing that by saving that uniform results
alone were required. The committee
CONSTITUTES the specifications to mean
uniform quality before treatment, and
practically uniform results will neces-
SdIllN lOtlOM. II ullllOl III iCSull6
were meant, there would have been no
necessity for requirements as to the
process.
The committee finds the charges Of
fraud sustained, scores the company Sc
verely and recommends that fifty-nine
suspected plates in use be tested as the
only method of proving their fitness or
uniitness. 1t finds the government in
c-nnti,,, ,,li,,nnt ht,t ~ oh Of
dishonesty rests upon the inspectors.
The charges against the company were
that the plates and bolts did not receive
the treatment required by the contract;
that false reports were made to the gov
eminent inspectors; that specimens for
testing were retreated before being sub
mitted; that the testing machine was
fraudulently manipulated that substi-
tuition was made in the case of plate
designed for ballistic test, and that the
government stamp was either duplicated
or stolen and used without the knewl-
edge of the government inspectors. The
report states that the number of furnaces
used was inadequate to fulfill the specifi-
cations of the contract in regard to the
amount OF armor- plate turned out. After
the first investigation of the frauds the
number of furnaces was increased from
four to ten. In regard to the jockey
ing OF the test machines twas asserted
that the company made private tests OF
material, and if it was below the stand
ard manipulated the machine at the OIL
cial test so that it would show the re-
qured tensile strength. The charges of
retreating and substituting plates de-
signed for ballistic tests, the committee
is satisfied, are true. The charge of using
duplicate or stolen government stamp
is not sustained.
The report says the government in
spection was negligent and defective,
but this is attributed to the fact that there
were not nearly enough inspectors to do
the work. 1t is asserted that the fraud
has been traced home to the general SUI
perintendent, who is a stakeholder in
the Carnegie Company. or the feature
OF criminality involved Chairman Cum
mings says:
1.-THE frauds which the committee has
found are worthy to be called crimes.
The servants of the Carnegie Company
whether with or without knowledge OF
the company to increase their gain de-
liberately continued for many months to
commit acts whose natural probable
consequences would be a terrific loss of
men in times OF war, and perhaps the
nation. A fine or to make mere money
compensation is an inadequate atone
ment for such wrongs. Your committee
does not consider it within its province
to draft criminal statute, but they do
feel under obligations to call the atten-
ton of the public to the Importance of
protecting the lives of our seamen and
the nation by appropriate legislation de-
nouncing as crimes all such acts as the
frauds practiced upon the government
in connection with armOr-plate and
other material of war and making such
acts punishable in all persons who com
init them or aid in their commission"
In recommending a test of plate the
committee says that, Notwithstanding all
the admissions made by the superintend-
ents employed by the company, they
claim that all plates paid for by the gov
eminent are up to the specifications OF
the contracts. The contract of February
rs, 1898, states the obligation imposed
upon the contractors to satisfy the in
spectors that everything has been in
strict accordance with the terms OF the
contract. 1t has been shown that the
inspectors have been satisfied and the
armor-plates passed by the most notori-
GUS frauds.