Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-08-24
WORSE THAN THEFT
The ArmOr Plate lnvestiga-
ton Shows Up Fraud.
MANY SHIPS IN DANGER
And Lives of Seamen Put in
Jeopardy
BY THESE WEAK PLATES.
8 man Cummings Make. a
= N pg Report OF the Trauds and
q e ends u Law to Protect the
enment in Such cases-,ro les,
the Selected Plates.
3Y THESE WEAK PLATES.

Washington. Aug. 90. Representative
Amos ] Cummings, chairman OF the
house committee on naval affairs. pre-
scented to the house today the prellm-
mary report upon the Investigation OF
the armor plate and billets furnished
to the government by the Carnegie
Steel company. The Investigation has
been in progress for weeks. and during
is course the testimony has been given
by the principal officials of the Carne-
gle company, by workmen ana by gov
eminent officials. The report is u re-
markably complete and minute review
OF the case.
The committee finds that the charges
of fraud have been substantiated scores
the company severely, and recon-
mends. as has been stated in these dis
patches that dfty-nine suspected plates
in use should be tested as the only
method OF proving their fitness or un-
fitness.
1t also finds that the government in
spection was nesligeut but no charge
Of dishonesty rests upon the inspectors.
The charges against the company were
that the plates and bolts did not re-
oeive the treatment required ny the
contract, that false reports were made
to the government inspectors: that
specimens for testing were retreated
before being submitted; that the test
ing machine was frandulently manipu-
lated that a substitution was made in
the case of a plate designed for a ball
lastlc test, and that the government
stamp was either duplicated or stolen
ana used without the knowledge Of
the government inspectors
The report states that the number
of furnaces used was totally Inadequate
to fulnn the Specifications OF the CON
tract on the amount Of armer plate
turned out. After the first inyestig0-
ton of the alleged frauds the number
OF furnaces was Increased from four
10 ten. In regard to 'jockeying" Of
the testing machines, IL Is asserted that
the company mnde private tests Of ma
terlal and Il II was below the stand
ard, manipulated the machine nj oiii-
cial test SO that it would show the re-
quired tensile strength. The charges OF
re-treating and substituting plates de-
signed for ballastic tests, the commit
tee is satisfied are true. The charge
OF using a duplicated or stolen govern
ment stamp "a not sustained. Tho re-
port says the government inspection
was negligent Rnd defectlye, but this
IS attributed to the fact that there
were not nearly enough inspectors to
do the work.
II is asserted that the fraud has been
traced home TO the general superintene-
emit who is stakeholder in the Car
negie company.
OF the feature Of orininaiity involved
Chairman Cummings says: 'rhe frauds
which your committee have found are
worthy TO be called crimes. The SER
wants OF the Carnegie company
whether with or without the lSnowl-
edge of the company, to increase their
gains, deliberately continued for many
months to commit acts whose natural
probable consequences would be ter
rihc loss Of men in times of war and per-
hops the dearest interest OF the nation.
No fine or mere money compensation
IS an adequate atonement for such
wrOngs Your committee does not con-
slider it within its province 60 draft
a criminal statute, but u does feel
under obligation TO call the attention
Of the house 10 the Importance OF pro-
tenting the lives Of our seanln and
Tie safeiy OF the nation by appropriate
Iegisiation, denouncing AZ crimes AL
such acts as the frauds and decep-
tons praoiiced upon the government IN
connection with arnor plate ana other
materials OF war, ana making such
severely punishable in ~ persons VINO
permit them or aid and abet their COM
mission"
In recommending a test Of plates the
commission says; Notwithstanding
All Inc admissions made ~ the sup
erintendents employed by the Carnegie
company, they claim that all the plates
psid for by the. goYernment are up /
10 the specifications of the conuacis /
n,he contract Of February IS, 1888
statas mat the obligation is iIaposed /
mon the contractors to satisfy the M
sneet6f that everything has been done (
d, strict accordance with the terms I
~ me contract II has been cons (
oius,yplv shown that the Inspectors I
haye been satisfied and the armor (
niatas passed BY the most notorious
fraiids. The efforts OF the company 1
and an It's suparintendents, cllne ana /
S,nrev and sohWab. have been TO sat
49,. ,,a,,r commission that the armor 1
q M 10 Tie requirements Of the cons
t,act notwithstanding false reports to I
tnsnectors. doctering % specimens !
r,i,iysinr Of plates. fraudulent retreat 4
k, ~ fest plates and rjockeYing OF I
+hs ,aetinf. tnachines The unDiushing (
character Of the FRAUDS 70 Nhlcn ,hess
,nan have been paruea ana the eitis
- sor the truth and honestly With
s'iith thev have shown IN testifyinE /
$500 ,yoilr commission, render Hem
49, ,,,.,,,,rttv Of oredence and everything /
49, ngainst their contention
os g., - ro, to be supnpsed that such
,nan,goid frauds were coptlnnrr 1or 50
Ioag 4 tma without an tmp9lia,s't ,' %,
Jsei ~ rranps on plates pasaed
piessa 4, ~. Uses IS fraud the fair con- (
% ll,.s xxx, 4 that without DE frauds they I
Srn t,,a not have passed. Two questions /