Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-17

Washington. January 16.-Secretary
Herbert viii appear before the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs on Satur-
dav in obedience to- the summons Of the
committee to give what information he
may have i'm mis- possession relative 10
the contracts made by The Navy De
partment Tor the use Of Harveyized
steel in armor Tor naval vessels. The
proceedings will be conducted on the
basis Of the Chandler resolution. Inc
principal points upon which the COM
mitree will seek information are the
following:
What reason. IL any, can be discover
Cd why Secretary Tracy provided q
fund OF Two cents per pound Ior arnlof
made under the contract az the Car
negie Steel Company. IN addition 10 the
prices paid for the Grm0r when the
bethlehem Iron Company paid the
ROYALTIES out of the prices received by
them for armOr?
How many requests have been made
bv the Navy Department since March
1881. for the expedit.ng OF patent
cases in the patent office, ana IN what
cases and with what results.
How many contracts have been made
by the Navy Department for the use CT
the Harvey patent?
Does it appear tnat the department.
having requested that ,he Harvey pat
emit ease be made special, took any
stems TO ascertain whether or not the
invention was novel and to oppose It's
issue i'm case 10 could be proved 20 be
uon-patentable9
When did the Department first have
knowledge that Commander Foiger
was 20 be employed by the Harvey
company or to have an interest in the
COMPANY. what contracts had been
made for the Harvey process before he
B ceased to be chief of the bureau OF ord
nance. and how soon after he leIt the
bureau were additional contracts made
with the Harvey company?
To what extent and what cases have
officers Of The navy been interested In
patents which have been passed on or
OF which use has been made by the
Navy Department?
The motive for the investigation Is
furnished I'm q statement which Senator
Chandler has made. calling attention 70
the charges affecting the conduct or
Commander William NJ. FOlge~ in con-
necJion with the Harvey patent while
he was chief of the ordnance bureau
and since he retired from JhSt position.
II is alleged that while holding that
Office ne induced the eXpedlting OF the
ssh ma
the adoption Of the Harvey process III
the manufacture OF armor by reason OF
an understanding that he should De
employed by the Harvey company and
have am interest i'm &. NJ is also set
forth that after the first contract had
been made with the company and after
the second had been arranged for. Com
mander F0lecr resigned his Office and
while continuing TO De an officer in
the navy accepted employment with
/ the Harvey company and went abroad
TO negotiate with foreign governments
! for the use o. the process.
There is also q statement 20 the ef-
feet that after Mr. Harveys first appli-
cation 70 patent his process had been
rejected by the patent Office, he filed q
second application on the 18th of june,
1891. and that the patent was allowed
in the following September. In this
connection it is asserted that Secretary
Tracy wrote to the Secretary Of the
Interior while the second application
was pending. requesting that it be made
sr,ei9l. It is also contended that while
in ether cases contracting companies
have been required 70 pay all royalties
To- pa-entees Of processes necessary 70
he used. The contract with Secretary
Tracy made with the Carnegie Steel
Comvenv set apart q fund Of TWO cents
r~- r-,rf which was 70 De paid by
fhe government in addition to the con-
f-~cr rrfce to contest the legality Of the
ra-ents to- the process Of patenting
r;ckel Steel to- De used i'm the execution
Of these contracts.
Mention is also made Of the fact that
while the prices made by the govern
mont to the Carnegie and Bethlehem
c7mnqnies under the contracts made
DIV Secretaries Whitney and Tracy
amounted 20 from $500 20 $3.50 per ton
for armor. the Bethlehem company has
taken the contract 70 furnish the arm
or 10 the Russian government at $500
per ton.
rr~a