The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-24
Plain Language in Chairman oum-
minss's Report
THE SEIHDLES WERE HIGH CRIMES
And thorO should DO a statute to Ado
quately Punish SO GravO An oHsnsc'
The Rc.tes. of FIfty.nIne Specified
Plates Eccommonded-Talk in tho
House OF Minority Report

Tc5outhtlNb Allus J' NuuhaHEst
man Of tho house committee on naval
Affairs, presented 20 the house to-day
the preliminary report upon tho investi-
CATION Of tho armor plato and btllots
furnished 10 the government BY the
Carnegie steel company. Tho inVoeti'
CATION has been In progress for Weoks'
and during It's course testimony has
been givon by the principal officials OF
the Carnegie company, by woFkmen
and by government officials. Tho re-
port is remarkably complete and
minute revicw OF tho case. Tho COM
mittee finds that charges OF fraud have
been sustained, scores tho company 80
yeroly and recommends, as has been
stated In those dispatches, that fifty
nine suspected plates in use should be
tested rs the only method oil proving
their fitness or unftness. II also finds
that tho government inspection was
negligent, but no charge ot dishonesty
rests upon tho inspectors. Much oi the
testimony given Ia reviewed. in the re-
port. Itis said the first charge Is ad-
mittcd BY Superintendent Schwab.
Tho investigation shows that there
were only two furnaces for the trogt-
msnt Of plates and bolts at tho works
up to September l, 1892. Alter THIS o
third furnace was completed and use1.
These three furnaces did all the work
up to August !, 1903, when fourth
was added. Aitor information OF tho
frauds practiccd in tho works was gtvon
10 tho navy department and q penalty
exac,ed by the decision Of the President,
other furnaces Woro added, until to-day
ten arc in use
at ia clearly evident to tho committee
that thcrc werc not enough furnaces to
turn out the work required, II tho plates
were treated according to tho specihcA'
tions Of the contract and in accordance
with tho directions Of tho government
inspectors"
Regarding tho government inspection,
the report says: The evidence ais'
closes tho fact that the government In
spection was negligent and defective.
None OF the inspectors was, however,
charged with dishonesty, nor 10 thoro
any evidence tonding to show that any
Of them werc corrupt. Mr.. Frick, chair
man OF the board Of managers, in his
testimony said that ho always relied on
tho fact that the government had in
spectors thero. Tho inspectors were
thus relying upon the company and tho
chairman Of tho company upon the In
spectors. Ncithcr party, however,, had
onv RIGHT TO roly in tho smallest dcgroe
upon the other.
The company cannot shelter them
selves behind the government inspec.
tors.
Moreover tho fraud has beon traced
homo to their general superintendent
himself, stockholder in the company.
Commodore Sampson, in his testimony,
alleges that II tho ordnance bureau had
sent officers to the works to act as spies
upon the company they would have
pono with very different instructions.
Thev did not 60 there expecting to be
deceived, and he thought it no excuse
at all for tho company to say that they
wore negligent in their duties. Certain
1t is, that tho inspectors were thore TO
know OF their own knowledge that
the specifications Of the contract
we're being faithfully carried out 1t
was their solo duty to protect tho gov
ernment. 1t is in evidence that while
tho manufacture OF armor was going on
day and night, including sundays, tho
inspectors were on duty on eight bours
each day, excepting Sundays. when
they were not there at all. Allowing
tho eight hours to havc been spent In
the works. they were thore only
two.sevonths Of the time. Their
inspection covered only forty-oight
hours OF tho los hourH Of work
each week. Much OF tho eight
hours Of inspection was devoted TO office
work. At times only one inspector was
on duty and most OF the timU but two.
While tho committee believe that the
day inspection ia thorough, 1t Is Of the
opinion, in view OF what has happened,
that the force OF inspectors should be
increased"
OF tho feature Of criminality involved,
Mr.. Cummings says: III tho crlmi-
nality of n wrongful act ia to be mems
ured by tho deliberatiou with which 1t
is committed, tho magnitude OF the
OWLS likoly to result from its porpetra-
tion and tho want Of provocation With
which Il is done, tho frauds which your
committee have found are worthy to be
called crimes. The servants OF tho Gar.
nogie Steel Company (whother with or
without tho knowledge Of tho company
10 Increase their gains deliberately con-
tinued for many months to commit acts
whose natural probable consequence
would be terrific loss Of mon In times
OF war, and perhaps the dearest intor'
ost OF tho nation. Tho company was
hired TO make tho best possible armor
plates and paid an enormous price for
40 doing. Ihoy wcrO hired TO mako an
armor that would stand tho shots OF an
onOmy and upon which tho nation
might roly In timo Of need. Thoy were
paid between $500 and 500 ton and
thousands Of dollars per plate. Resting
undcr these obligations, the company
or its acrYants havc pcrpetrGtcd mani,
fold frauds, tho natural tendency OF
which waa 10 palm OF upon tho govern.
ment ap inferior arrnor, whose IN
feriority might perchauco, appear only
In tho shock OF battle and iucalCulabl0
damage to tho country.
mo iino or moro compensation iS m
adequate atonemont' for such wrongs.
Tho commission OF such frauds is
moral crimO OF tho RravOat character.
Your committcn do not consider Il rs
Within thoir province 10 draft crimi'
nal statute; but thOy do fecl undcr
Obligation 10 call tho attention Of tho
house to tho importance OF protecting
the lives Of our soamon and tho safety
OF tho nation BY appropriate legislation,
dunouncing rs crimes all such Srts rs
tI,n frnnhs md lncnniinn nractiCnd OIL