Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-23

= no doubt In the minds Of the committee
that the secret retreatment was given to
Increase the ballistic resistance Of the
plates with the express purpose Of passing
inferior groups and Of securing premiums
thereon. as the groups had been nominated
i2I premiums; Inc eom nm ute wou,n naraiy
rsd at over $4,000. IN making experiments
Unless they were positive 1t was safe to do
The ninth charge Is said to be admitted.
while the tenth. ana eleventh are not con-
sidered sustained.
Al to Government Inspectfon.
Regarding the government inspection, the
report says: The evidence discloses the
tact that the government inspection WAS
negligent and defective. None Of the in
sDectors was. however. charged with dis
honesty. nor b there any evidence tend
ing to show that any Of them were cor
rupt. Mr.. Frick, chairman of the board
Of managers, In his testimony, said that
hs always relied on the fact that the gov
eminent had inspectors there. The in
spectors were thus relying upon the CO m
pay and the chairman Of the company
upon the inspectors. Neither party, how
ever. had any right to rely In this matter
UPON the other.
The company cannot shelter themselves
behind the government inspectors. More
over. the fraud has been traced nome to
their general superintendent, himself
stockholder in the company. Commodore
sampson IN his testimony alleges that IL
the ordnance bureau had sent officers to
the works to act as spies upon the company
they would have gone with very different
Instructions.
They did not go there expecting to be de-
Sefved. and he thought IL no excuse at all
tor the company to say that they were
Negligent In their duties. Certain 1t Is that
the inspectors were there to know of their
own knowledge that the specifications of
the contract were berg faithfully carried
t1<ir cQlo hnfu In fha
government 1t IL in evidence that while
the manufacture Of the armOr was going
on day and night. including Sundays. the
inspectors were on duty only eight hours
each day. excepting Sundays. when they
were not there at all. Allowing the eight
hours to have been spent In the works.
they were there only two-sevenths of the
ttme Their inspection covered only forty
eight hours Of the one hundred and sixty
eight hours Of work each week. Much of
the eight hours of inspection was devoted
to office work. At times only one inspector
was on duty. and most OF the time but two.
While the committee believe that today the
Inspection Is thorough. II is Of the opinion.
N view of what has happened. that the
fierce Of inspectors should be increased
The CrIminality Involved.
OF the feature of criminality involved Mr.
Cummings says: IF the crirninality of a
wrongful act Is to be measured by the de-
liberation with which 1t Is committed the
n magnitude Of the evils likely to result from
Its preparation. and the want of proy6ca-
ton with which it is done. the frauds which
your committee have found are worthy to
be called crimes. The servants of the Car
nesie Steel Company whether with or with
out the knowledge of the company to in
crease their gains deliberately continued
Tor many months to commit acts whose
the sacrifice of the lives of our seamen in
time Of war. and with them perhaps the
dearest interests of the nation.
The company was hired to make the
best possible armor plate, and paid an
enormous price for 50 doing. They were
hired TO make an armor. that would stand
the SHOTS OF an enemy, and upon which
the nation might rely in time of need They
were paid between 500 and 500 a ton, and
tnousards of dollars a plate. Resting under
these obligations the company or its serv-
ants have perpetrated manifold frauds the
natural tendency of which was to palm off
ppon the government an inferior arnor,
whose inferforfty might perchance appear
only In the shock of battle and with in
ealcuiable damage to the country.
NO fne or mere money compensation Is
Al adequate atonement for such WRONGS
Inc commission Of such frauds Is q moral
6ime or the gravest character. Your COM
mittee do not consider 1t as within their
province to draft criminal statute but
tasy do feel under obligation to call he at
fention of the House to the importance of
protecting In the future the interests of the
treasury. the lives of our seamen and the
effety OF the nation by appropriate legisla-
ton. denounctng as crimes ali such acts of
fraud and deception practiced upon the
government in connection VITA armor plate
10 SnG otnsr materials OF war. and making
such acts severely punishable in Ill persons
Cho commit them or aid and abet their
Commission"
A Pest Of Plates.
In Recommending test of plates the
Committee says:
notwithstanding all the admissions
pade by the superintendent employed by
the Carnegie Company, they claim that all
Us plates paid for by the government are
up to the specifications Of the contracts
The contract of February - 1888 states
that the obligation Is imposed Upon the con-
Tractor to satisfy the inspector that every
tnlng has been done In strict accordance
With the terms OF the contract. 1t has
Peen conciusively shown that the inspec-
tors have been satisfied and the armor
plates passed by the most notorious frauds.
The efforts Of the company and of its
superintendents. Cline. Corey and schwab.
have been to satisfy your committee that
the armor Is up to the requirements Of the
4qntract notwithstanding the false re-
Horts to inspectors. doctoring Of specimens
plugging Of plates, fraudulent retrea ting of
test plates and "jockeying'' Of the testing
fhachine. The unblushing character of the
frauds to which these men have been par
ties. and the disregard of truth and hon.
before your committee, render them un-
worthy Of credence.
"And everything bears against their con-
toDtion- 1t is not to be supposed that such
&anifold frauds were continued for so long
time without an important object to be
6ained- As the individual plates and the
groups of plates passed In many cases by
fraud, the fair conclusion is that without
the frauds they would not have passed.
1.-TWO questions remain, however. First,
whether, Notwithstanding the frauds, and
the failure to attain the high standard re-
Quired by the contracts, the armor Is not
5tni good steel and fair armor; and. second.
the extent to which the government has
been damaged by the frauds and irregulari-
ties practiced upon II.
The Amount of Damages.
The terms Of the resolution under which
your committee is acting require them to
ascertain the amount OF damages. 1t is
impossible, however. for them to do this
with their present powers. The only way
to determine the actual condition and
strength Of the armor Is by subjecting GER
tain plates Of the groups passed by fraud
to ballistic tests. This your committee has
no power to do. For the Information of the
House, in relation to the question OF fur
ther continuing this investigation by max
ing such ballistic tests, your COMMITTEES
have ascertained the whereabouts of fifty
n.ne representative plates, alleged to have
kaar1 faIS rro.a ted