Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-04-28

n'',uH h7o peen SHOWN against naval
Mr.. Chandler ssld that when the ma
WI committee Yves asked II the naval
officers conversant with affairs AZ the
Carnegie works and the Batbiehero
WORKS, two officers had appeared who
| were supposed TO represent the gov.
ernment But behold. saIa MIR. Chen6.
Ter II turned out that the two oiIiceru
were on the retired list ana were In
the service of the Carnegie works ma
the Bethlehem works ~
ME- Bacon tDem. Ga) said the tvvo
| officers who appeared before the naval
| committee declined to give iirforma
non us to cost Of the armor plate ~ II
would be antagonlatic- - their service
| 70 the Carnegie and Bethlehem works
| re insisted that II was an evil to so
circumstance "a naval officer that hia
services could not be given to The gov
| eminent y sly
Mr. Tlllinnn said II was neither AZ.
cent not In good taste for these nfI
ncers to serve those interested in roh.
DING the government II was now prt,.
posed by the naval bill that All ma
terial used on battleshlps be Of ArnarI.
Gan meke' While In full sympathy With
American interests yet The senator
said he diAd not believe Ia hnyinr this
sentiment used In enrlching a lot Of
miilionaires. The armor manufact,,rer,s
were charging $500 ton for armo.
used by the United States and III tba
sane time furnishing nrmor to Russia
~ am unwilling to see these million
aires grow richer by thrustinr thrir
hands in the pockets OF Uncle sam.
declared Mr.. Tillman.
MT Hale pointed out that the bureau
oincer who took part IN milking con
tracts Tor armor was able to look ahead
70 the time he would be on The retired
iist, and might enter into tho service
OF the contractors.
y answer 70 question. Mr.. Hale
said the experts before the naval cow
mittee had shown that the cost IL
producing armor was $3.50 per ton.
air. German called attention to the
grave suggestions OF irreguiarIty made
some time ago. resulting In an investi
CATION by the naval committee, In re-
gard to the cost OF armor.
Mr. German asked II the committee
had not succeeded in developing any
thing more tan OF minor Importance
as to the retiring officer serving con-
tractors.
Mr. Chandler responded that this was
by no means all that the committee
had examined into. He would saw
however, that no imputation against
any high official Of the government was
ihNuiNtu. lhelt ldu Deen come dlSciOS-
ure as TO the Interest of naval officers
In patents used by the government,
and the propriety OF this interest was
now under consideration. The largest
question to which the committee had
given its attention was the price OF ar
NOR plates.
Mr.. German went on to show in de-
tall the manner In which the armor
contracts had been placed in the United
| States.
Secretary Tracey had sought the
American manufacturers. and had In
duced them TO put in plants capable OF
| turning out armor. and as result
! these works were constructed. As a
| means of entering foreign markets,
armor had been offered to Russia at
less than 1t cost until large foreign
| contracts were secured. 1t gave the
! pre- spect that we would be able to COM
| pete with England In sending steel
| blooms abroad.
| Mr.. Tillman INTERCEPTED the remnrlt
| that when these ramon concerts COM
| planned that they were furnishing ar
| NOR to Russia ut a loss, he did not be-
| lieve them. 1t had been developed in
| the committee investigation that the
original design was to pay sufficient
for arnor TO pay for putting in the
plants. This had been done. and in this
way the government had practically
| established the Bethlehem works. al
| though the contractors owned 1t, and
was entrusted with getting the highest
! prices for armor.
After further debate the bill was laid
| aside. and at y. m. the senate ad.
| journed.