The San Francisco call., 1896-04-28

right; but the point is that these officers
had no right to be In any employment
where they could stand before commit
tee OF Congress and refuse to answer q
question"
Gray replied to the statements of sena.
tors Chandler, Hale and Bacon, and made
an argument in favor of the right of re-
tlred naval officers to seek and accept en-
ployment for the maintenance of their
1amllles-and to seek it where their expe-
rlence and education would make their
services valuable.
Bacon asserted that the contractors for
armor for battle-ships were making a most
enormous profit.
"lf they are." Gray replied, "they are
not doing so by reason of their employ
ment OF these retired naval officers. An
army pensioner might as we'll be prohib-
tteu from working in one of these COM
panles as retired army officer from
taking employment with them"
Illlman CD of South Carolina, men,
Der Of the Naval Affairs Committee, advo-
Gated the amendment, which was offered,
he said, for the purpose of stopping a
scandal. The committee, in examining the
1~OSsNoA~
come to the conclusion that the interests
OF the Government and of the manufac-
turers were opposed to each other. The
Government wanted to get armor of the
best quality at as low price as possible,
while the manufacturers wanted to get the
last dollar possible. These two companies
have formed trust and propose to rob
the Government, because there is a law
requiring American armor to be used on
these ships. Therefore they are in posi-
ton to charge the United States 5000 ton
for the same armor that they supply to
Russia at $500 ton.
Hale (R.) of Maine, a member of the
Committee on Naval Affairs, advocated
the amendment. He would lave the pro-
hibltlon made so that bureau officer who
took part In making such contracts would
not fall into the temptation of looking
forward to the time when he would be on
the retired list and might enter into the
service of the contractors.
In answer to question by Lodge, Hale
said the two inspecting officers of the Gov
ernment at the Carnegie and Bethlehem
works informed the committee that the
cost of the armor to the contractors was
dptuI PZIO d lOll.
German reviewed the history of the con-
tract with the Carnegies and said that it
was made on the Goth of November 1890,
by the secretary of the Navy (Tracy) on
precisely the same terms as the prior con-
tract had been made by Whitney with
the Bethlehem Company. The terms of
these contracts, he said, had been consid-
cred as low and reasonable and as much
to the interest of the Government as any
contracts ever made, and Congress justi-
fed them.
AS to the statement that armor was fur
nished to Russia at $500 a ton, he stated
that the Bethlehem Company, finding it
had not work enough to keep all it's ma
chinery in operation, had made contract
with Russia at loss, and that the armor
supplied to Russia had proved to be so
superior that a further supply had been
ordered at prices about the same as the
United States was paying. BY that one
single act, Mr.. German added, the United
States had been able to ship large ouanti-
ties of such armor and other products of
American furnaces abroad, until now it
looked, and fer the first time in the history
of the country, as though the United
States would compete with England by
sending steel to London and Liverpool.
After further discussion and without
action on the pending amendment. the
Senate at $40 P. NJ. adjourned until to-
morrow.