Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-27

toM SIMPLY stating the facts The
senate amended the House bin by pro-
Niaing specifically that not more than
saVo should be paid for this material
The conference report came no in III
mouse. and on the discussion of that
amendment representations were made
mere by gentlemen, members of tba
House. that an important manufactur-
ing establishment in the State of Ili-
nols was ready and willing to furnish
material for about $40 per ton.
we had an animated discussion. and
| as am bound to believe, as the result
| or positive statements made by thosa
| gentlemen. which l am also bound m
believe We're made in good faith. al
though ! expressed absolute distrust of
either the purpose or ability of any
such establishment to fulfill that
| promise, as result of that statement
the House, perhaps naturally. declined
| 10 follow my suggestion, or the sugges-
tion, CT the then secretary of the navy
TO provide that this armor might cost
as high as $500. and adopted the Senate
amendment; and the bill was passed
went to the President and became law
With the provision that the cost of this
armor should not exceed $500 per ton
Secretary Herbert Immediately adver-
tised Tor proposals.
The responses to that advertisement
came in after the present administra-
ton acceded to power and on the 9th
OF April last past | attempted to pre-
sent to this House communication
from the present secretary of the navy
Hon. John D. Long, in which he stated
= hot 1 4
the department and that they contained
no bids. Some communications had
been received, and as to their character
he made this statement:
Navy Department, Washington. April 8
1897
Sir: | have the honor to transmit
herewith copies of communications re-
ceived on the Sth instant from the Ill-
nois Steel Company, the Bethlehem
Iron Company. and the Carnegie Steel
Company, in answer to the depart
ment's advertisement of March TO- 1897,
inviting proposals for furnishing the
armor required for battle ships Nos Z.
s. and 8, the Illinois. the Alabama. and
the Wisconsin. which advertisement
was issued under authority of the naval
appropriation act approved March 3,
1897. wherein it is provided
THAT the total cost of the armor.
according to the plans and specfica-
tons already prepared for the three
battle ships authorized by the act of
June TO- 1896, shall not exceed $2407, 500
exclusive of the cost of transportation,
ballistic test plates. and tests, and no
contract for armor plate shall be made
at an average rate to exceed 5000 per
ton of 2.240 pounds"
The communication of the Illinois
Steel Company contains a bid in the
form of two general propositions.
neither of which the department feels
that it has any authority to consider
with a view to acceptance or rejection,
while the other two communications
received are not bids but are state
ents of reasons why bids are not sub
mitted.
The work of construction of said bat
tie ships is now in progress under con
tracts made in September, 1896, and as
it will be only few months before the
contractors win require the armor in
order to carry on their work properly,
delay in furnishing the armor may sub
ject the government to heavy expense
slrahles sEor every reason that these
ksshipssshould be completed as soon as
Possible it is deemed of great impor-
lance that steps should be taken inn
mediately for procuring the armor
| therefore recommend that authority
be given the department to advertise
! again for proposals and to make con-
tracts for armor at a price not exceed
ing s400 a ton, the rate recommended by
my predecessor in his report to Con-
gress, dated December 81. 1886, on the
subject of the cost of armor.
| Inclosed also is a copy of a report
dated the 18th instant, of the chief of the
bureau of ordnance, relative TO the ca
| pacity of the present works of the
| Illinois Steel Company. and the cree
! ton by that company of its proposed
armor manufacturing plant.
| ] direct this letter to you. as | ana
! informed that no committee on naval
! affairs on the part of the House Of
| Representatives exists.
Very respectfully.
JOHN d. LONG, Secretary.
| The speaker of the House of Repre-
| sentatives.
That was presented to the House. or
! | attempted to present it, on the 9Th of
| April, 1897, but objection was made by
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hop
kins) to It's Consideration or to the
| printing of it in the Record. 1t was
printed an as executive document, ana
the matter has never since come before
| the House; but now indirectly, as the
| result of an amendment of the Senate
to the deficiency bill, it comes up for
consideration.
| In regular sequence. / should state
| ;hat in the other body, as the Record
| shows, the committee to whom the sub
| jcct was referred recommended when
| this deficiency bill was reported, in ac-
cordance with the revised action of the
| Senate committee on naval affairs, Il
| provision that the armor might be pur-
| chased at a price not exceeding $500
per ton.
| That proposition was discussed in the
| Senate q short time ago and was
| amended by a return to the price of
| $500 per ton, the figure under which
| advertisements for proposals have been
| made, and under which no proposals
were received for the furnishing of this