Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17
SPIRITED HOUSE DEBATE
Many Lively Passages Occurred Between tn
Members.
Agreement With the Senate Amend
ment on the Price of ArmOr Plate
Was the Outcome.

| 1t was like old times in the House yes
| terday. The debate on the deficiency bill
| conference report was very spirited and
| many lively passages occurred between
| the members. The talk was mainly upon
| the proposition of the Senate to limit the
price to be paid for armor plate to 500 a
| ton. The outcome of the discussion was
| agreement with the Senate amendment.
| In the outset Mr.. Cannon called forth a
burst of applause from the opposition by
| saying that he hoped the time would soon
come when the committees of the House
would exercise their functions
"Oh, i mean what 1 say" remarked Mr.
Cannon.
Have you voted that way?" inquired MIR.
| Gaines of Tennessee
Il mean in the broad sense" retorted
Mr. Cannon, mot in the narrow view of
the demagoSuery which has strutted and
fretted it's brief hour across the stage Of
this House" Republican applause)
When the armor plate amendment was
reached Mr.. Cannon moved that the House
insist ON its disagreement and Mr.. W. A
Stone OF Pennsylvania moved to concur
with an amendment in the nature of a sub
stitute proposition by the terms of which
the cost of the armor plate for the three
battle ships was increased from s.. 407, 800 to
$',2lo00O, and the limit Of cost of the armor
Mr.. Boutelle of Maine, the chairman of
the committee on naval affairs of the last
House, took the floor in support of Mr.
stones motion. He explained at length the
of armor plate.
He pointed out the refusal Of the armor
plate companies to bid under the pro-
VISION ,, OF the last naval appropriation bill.
limiting the cost to $500 per ton, the propo-
sltion Of the Illinois Steel Company to fur
nlsh all the armor for twenty years at S24O
per ton and the recommendation of the
Secretary of the Navy for an AUTHORIZE
ton for new bids with a limit of cost of
$500 per ton.
Didn't ore of these companies furnish
the Russian government with armor at
$40 per ton?" asked Mr.. Barlow of Califor-
MIA.
That is chestnut" replied Mr. Bou-
telie. But I'll roast it again fer the gen.
tleman's benefit"
well, the people would like to have IT
roasted remarked Mr.. Barlow.
Mr.. Boutelle denounced the proposition
TO nave the government enter upon the
account and expressed the opinion that to
manufacture armCr plate would cost the
governmt mt from 80 per cent to 10 per
cent more than private corporations.
MI. Boutelle argued that the prices paid
by foreign governments for armor fur
nished conclusive evidence that it could not
be manufactured for $500
Mr.. King Utah). in opposing Mr.. Stones
motion, declared that 1t would be dis
grace for the government to deal longer
with the Carnegie company, which investi-
cation proved has foisted upon the gov
eminent fraudulent and Improper work
'Rascals" and "scoundrels' were the
terms he used in characterizing this com
pany.
Mr.. Underwood (Ala.) read from the re-
ports of the government experts detailed
to investigate the cost of armor plate
showing that the highest figures made the
cost Of material and labor in ton of ar
NOR $500.
Mr.. Dalzell Pa.) supported the amend
ment The question at the base of this
discussion, he commended, was whether or
not Congress desired to authorize the COM
pletion of the three battle ships now on the
stocks. II it did, the Secretary of the
Navy must be empowered to pay enough
to secure armor. 1t had been demonstrated
that no bids could be obtained at the price
authorized by the Senate amendment.
rs not the late Secretary of the Navy
(HerberD now the private attorney of the
Carnegie Steel Company" asked Mr.. King.
Il do not know" replied Mr.. Dalzell,
but should hesitate to entertain such
suggestion about one who is not here to
speak for himself"
Mr.. w. A. Stone Pa) defended the Car
negie company.
Mr.. Simpson (Kan.) insisted that there
was pool of all the armor plate manufac-
turing companies of the world, and charged
that conspiracy was in progress to coerce
Congress into surrendering to organized
greed, as represented by these companies.
The two war scares now running in the
newspapers, he said, made up part of this
conspiracy.
Messrs. Sayres Tex.). Gaines Tenn.) and
Wheeleg (Ala) also opposed the Stone
proposition.
The debate was concluded by Mr.. Can
non, who expressed the opinion that the
Senate would never agree to any PROPOSE
ton fixing the limit Of cost at more than
$500. He did not indorse a portion of the
Senate amendment, and II Mr.. Stones mo-
ton was voted down he said the House
conferees would consider themselves in
structed not to agree to any increase of
the limit Of cost to more than $500.
Mr.. Stone attempted at this point to Sc
cure adjournment and thus delay action,
but his motion was voted down. Mr..
Sayres then moved concurrence in the SEN
ate amendment On a rising vote there
plainly a large majority for the mo-
ton, and Mr.. Boutelle demanded the ayes
and noes.
THE record may be valuable when the
next Cuban resolution is brought in," he
cried. Again Mr.. Stone moved to adjourn.
Mr.. Bailey Tex) made the point that the
motion was dilatory, and was sustained by
the Speaker.
Mr.. Sayers' motion to concur was carried
-142 to A. The bill was sent to further
conference. The House then, at 6:35, ad-
journed until Monday.