The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-05-01
ANDY 'SLABOR OF LOVE.
Patriotism, Not Profit, Why
Carnegie Makes Armor.
BLAINE AND OTHERS URGED HIM.
The Steel King Think-.If He Had Done as
Much For Foreign Nation lie Would
Sow Ee rcer-The Investigation of
the Senate Committee.

WASHINGTON, April 29-The senate
committee ON naval affairs has made
public the testimony taken III the aTmor
plate investigation. This investigation
was directed largely at Commander
Folger, who had accepted Il position
with the Harvey company after mis- re-
tircment from the office of chief of the
bureau OF ordnance of the navy depart
ment. I'm his testimony MIR. Folgcr
said that he had felt deep interest III
Mr.. Harvey discovery from the begin
ming. but that he did not agree with
the Harvey company to eutcr ITS en-
plOy until after he had resigned as chief
OF ordinances. He says that he did not
go TO Europe to arrange contracts with
foreign governments. as stated III the
senate resolution, but To settle 4 con-
trOvCrsy with the foreign agent OF the
company.
MIR. Folger admitted asking that Har-
Vev'S application for patent be expo
dItcd, but SAID this was done because of
the novelty and importance to the de-
partmCut OF MS invention He said that
while with the department he was not
Influenced in his dealings with the Har-
vcy company by the possibility that he
might enter the employment of the
company
In reply TO a question as To the cost
OF manufacturing armor plate and the
price paid 10y the government. he said
ne believed the cost 10 be from $50 to
500 tor, while the price paid Is $3.50
Il thInE.' ho continued, that the cost
should be taken alone as 4 measure of
the price that we should pay. There *
= certain risk that manufacturers may
have armnr plate thrown back upon
their hands, through failure to pass
contract tests. and that enhances the
price somewhat.
Secretary Herbert explained in his
testimony many points under investiga-
ton among others the reason why Sec
retIry Trace provided fund of , cents
per pound OH dTmor made 10y the Car
ncCIc company III addition TO the price
paid. saying 1t was to indemnify the
company against a claim of the
Schneider company of CrcuSat. France,
for Infringement of patent He said
the money thus provided had never
been paid and that the payment had
been resisted. He said it had been de-
sirablc. at the time the contract was
made, to have competition in the CON
struCtiOn of armOr plate. the Bethlehem
company was the only Institution Capa-
blc of manufacturing 1t at that time.
and he Thought this consideration wOuld
have been sufficient To Justify the offer
Ol the : cents dUGltlODal II COlnpetltlOn
could not otherwise be secured.
Mr.. Herbert said that up to date S5,-
522, 264 had been paid to the Bethlehem
company ana 1861 .33l to Carnegie for
armOr plate. Existing contracts call for
SNO0,OOO more. He said the manufact-
urcrs had agreed to reduce the price on
future contracts to $3.50 per ton. but the
plate ut that price was not to be harvey
lied.
Tho cocr,t,r1- ,r,,-o +bo ,,,;,,;-, -
Senator Chandler has given. that the
Harvey patent was invalid, and would
so be decided. He had therefore de-
clded not TO pay on that account
EX-Sccrctary Tracey, in teStifying
said that the Harvey process had been
called to his attention 10y Commander
FolgCr in 1890 and he CTraccy) had con-
clUded that if this process Could be ap-
plcd to nickel steel we should have an
ideal armor, and after it had been
demonstrated that this could be done
the system was adopted. Referring to
the contracts with the Bethlehem and
Carnegie works be said it was not true
as senators seemed TO suppose, that he
had taken any of the contracts awarded
to Bethlehem and given them to Car
nc%Ic. He had taken one contract for
deck armOr from the Bethlehem COM
Pany and given IL to the Linden COM
pany. saving the government about
100000. In his efforts to induce Car
negle 70 found an armOr plant he had
tried to induce him to make a lower
price than that charged at Bethlehem.
but had failed. For the same reason he
allowed the cents pound additional
t" indemnify the firm in the contest
over the pat ent.
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie, in giving his
statement, said that ex-S Secretary Tracey
and President Harrison bad been re
sponsiblc for forcing him into the max
ing OF arInor- If il had not been for
telegram received when l was abroad,
stating that Secretary Tracey had re-
qucStcd Us TO dO so, as our duty TO helm
The United States government out of its
'tlihculty when its ships were standing
IN the stocks and II could not get amor
you would never have found the Car
ncelc company engaged in the manu-
faCtUre of amor The Bethlehem COM
pIHy was too sanguine. They did not
know "a much about aTmOr- making as /
think / did. l bad often visited the
European works. and nothing would
have induced me to 90 into the manu-
1dCtuTC oi aTmOr plate as money-mak-
ing business If we had put the money
we have in thC armor plant today and
time and skill INTO our regular business
we could have made much more money
than we have made. and we would have
Mr.. Blaine had also urged bim, saw
ing IT was feared that not a ship would
be finished III President HarrisOn's ad-
mlniStTatIOn. He saId he had entered
upon the work rs Il matter of Datrl-
otISm. Had We" he Sald, ..dOne what
we did for any European government.
pceragc, or the legion of honor would
have been offered us"
Mr. Carnegie said there was 3. 600
600 invested III his arlnor plant, and the
reason the business did not pay was be-
cause there were contracts of only about
5000 tons year. The plant often stops
Tor SIX mon -hs, but interest and ex-
penSes go on. He said the price re-
ceived was exactly the English price.
and he had been amazed that the Beth
lehem company had agreed 10 accept
such price because of the difference IN
the cost of labor
Chief Constructor Hichborn of the
navy gave the opinion in his statement
that an armor plant could be cstab-
hshed for s. 600 900 and that il would
be advisable TO build one.
The Rioters Indicted.
PHILADELPHIA, April 29-The six men
accused of riot and ,lf aSSaultiuu NON