The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-08-24
TO CHEAT UNCLE SAM
REPORT ON ARMOR PLATES
The Committee 10 Not Sure That
the Company Was Aware OF
the Fraud PrAotlosd. But
Il Looks Very Bad.

WASHINGTON. Aug. 3.-Reprsssntative
Cummings, chairman Of the house conf
mittee on naval Affairs. presented to-day
. preliminary report upon the invsstiga.
tion Of armor plate furnished by the Car.
neRie Steol company. The committee
finds the charges Of fraud sustained,
scores the company severely and recon-
mends that So suspected plates In use be
tested 30 the only method Of proving
their fitness or unfitness. II Ands tho
government inspection was negligent, but
no charge Of dishonesty rests upon the in
spcctors.
The charges against tho company were
that the plates and bolts did not receive
the treatment required by the contract;
that false reports were made 10 the gov.
ernment inspectors; that the specimens
for testing wore retreated before being
submitted; that the testing machine was
fraudulently manipulated; that substk
tuition was made In the case Of the plate
designed for the ballastic test and that
the government stamp was either dupli.
Gated OF stolen and used without the
knowledge Of government inspectors.
The report states that the number Of fur.
nacss used was totally inadequate to full
flll the specifications Of the contract on
the amount Of armor plate turned out.
After the hrst investigation Of tho frauds
tho number Of furnaces vas increased
from four TO 10.
In regard to the 'Ajocksyins" Of test ma
chimes, II 10 asserted that the company
made private tests Of the material. aud u
II vas below tho standard they manipu-
lated the machine ct the oflcial test 90 II
would show tho required textile strength.
Tho charges Of retreatine and substitu.
ting plates designed for ballastie tests tho
committee 10 satisfied arc true. OF the
feature OF criminality involved, Chairman
Cummings says: "The frauds which tho
committee found are worthy to bs called
crimes. The servants Of the Carnegie
company, whether with or without the
knowledge Of tho company, 10 increase
tho gain, deliberately continued foe many
months 10 commit acta whose natural
probable consequences would b . tss.
riilc loss Of men IN times Of war"
In recommending the test OF the plate,
tho committee says notwithstandins all
The admissions made BY the supsrintend.
eats employed by the CarnsRis company
they claim all the plates paid for BY the
government are up to the specifications Of
tho contracts.
The contract Of Feb. q. 1898, states that
the obligation imposed upon contractors
to satisfy tho inspector that everything
had been done In strict accordance with
the terms Of the contract. II has been
conclusively shown that the inspectors
have been satisfied and the srmor plates
passed by the most notorious frauds. Tho
efforts Of the company and ell its super.
intendeuts, Cline, Cory and Schwab,
have been to satisfy our committee that
tho armor 10 up to the requirements Of the
contract. Notwithstanding false reports 10
inspectors, doctorins Of spscimens, plug.
ging Of plates, fraudulent retreating Of
tost plates, and 'jockeying" Of tho testing
machine. The unblushina character OF
the frauds TO which these mon have
been parties and the disrseard Of truth
aud honesty which they have shown
in tsstifyins befors your committee rom
der them unworthy OF crodence and
everything bears against thelr contention.
Il b not to bo supposed such manifold
frauds were continued for 20 long Q time
without an important object to be gained.
As individual plates and groups Of plates
we're passed In many cases by fraud. the
fair conclusion 10 that without frauds they
would not have passed. Two questions
remain, however. First. whether not.
withstaudina the frauds and failure to
attain tho high standard required by tho
contracts, the armor 10 not good steel and
fair armor; second, the extent to which
the government has been damaged by the
frauds and Irregularities practiced upon H..
The terms Of the resolution undor which
your committee 10 acting require them to
ascertain the amount OF damages. II is
impossible for them to do this with their
present powers. The only way to ssccr-
tain the actual strength and condition Of
the armor 10 to subject certain plates OF
groups passed by ballastic tests. Your
committee has no work to do. For tho In.
formation Of the house, in relation to
further continuing this investigation by
making such ballastic tests, your commit.
tee has ascertained tho whereabouts Of 80
| representative plates. alleged to have
been falsely treated. The plates recon.
mended for testing are four on tho Mon.
tsrey. eight on the Monadnock, four on
the New York. four on tho Amphrite,
three on the Terror. three on the Oregon,
three on the Olympia, seven on the In
dinna and four on the Massachusetts,. OI
the four-inch sponsors, thero are
three ON tho New York, two on the
Columbia. three on the Minneapolis. three
on the Olympia. two on the Cincinnati,
and two on the Raleigh. Tho report con
cludes: "The committee can 60 nc
further into this investigation without
knowing the actual ballnstic resistance oi
the groups OF plates passed by the ties, oi
the plates that did not really represcn,
these groups. The committee has ad
mitted this ciarge. II the government /.
precluded from making these tests al
their expense by the settlement made Jan
ls, 1894, they must be made at the expense
Of the government. Believing the test o
these plates should be made, your com
mit,ee have selected the plates which, il
their opinion, ought to be tested. The,
recommend that the money for any such
test DO taken from any moneys heretofor,
appropriated for tho increase Of the nav,
under tho head OF arrnor armament
L
| ions of Vet .rans.
| DAvESroRr. Iowa. Aug. 3.-The na
tional officers elected at the sons o