The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-03
A GOVERNMENT ARMOR PLANT.

1t is impossible to think OF q govern.
ment shop as up-to-date. The tools and
methods may be OF the best at the mo.
ment of their adoption, but never after
that while they may hold their ground
for generation or two. The vicissitudes
of business which wipe out shops and
work the destruction Of the unfit have
little play upon the government plant.
II up to- -datensss is anywhere imperative,
it must be in an armor-plats plant. This
complete newncss OF equipment may be
essential, not only to profitable produc.
ton, but without 1t the precise material
desired may be impossible to produce.
New processes arise so suddenly, and are
often so revolutionary in their require
ments, that the oonsinual rebuilding of tho
most costly facilities Is the most familiar
thing in the history OF steeIworks man.
agement The other day the Harvey.
izing process was the great prize In de-
fensive construction: today we are told
that it Is superseded by the Krupp pro-
cess. The first cost of IA plant, however
honestly IL may be estimated can Ger
tainly have little TO do with the contip-
ual cost that may be involved I'm its efff-
cient maintenance. In launching out
into field SO uncertain as the manufac-
ture of steel armor plate nothing oan be
anticipated but financial loss, with no ap-
parent advantage.
With fully equipped and up-to-date
plant in actual operation, the cost Of
M m tanonca and uroduction xyould etiIl
be impossible of computation, and would
have tho widest fluctuations, from the
fact that no steady operation OF 1t could
| he calculated upon. The capricious ac-
| tion of Congress would, at each term,
| probably be In some way upsetting the
arrangements of the preceding. Skilled
laborers could not bo gathered and
trained and held efficiently operative.
| A great manufacturing establishment is
as different in its operation as il Is pos
sibe To imagine, from the running of u
simple machine. Some may think that
the simple turning on of supply OF
money will make the thing 20, just as
the turning of a steam valve makes the
engine go The only thing certain when
1 the money Is turneu on Is tnat IL u sure
To run through; whether any results will
bo visible we do not know until later.
About the only certain thing is the IN
certainty of it.
IL may be that private manufacturers
have found profit in the business manu-
featuring armor plate II they did not
make money their business would surely
come to an end. and their ALWAYS up.to-
date equipment would no more De- at the
! command OF the government upon
emergcacy. in buying armor plato the
government has also maintained the most
efficient means Of producing armor plate.
and as completely as IL IL could boast alb ;
soiuts ownership, with the added pre-
sumption Of vastly greater efficiency. As
to the prices paid for trmor plate. IL can
not he lost sight of that the product Il ~
distinctly speciality ~ IL the production
4 OF telescope J. 49,, and calls for vnstiy
| more costly 'uuipment Tho market price
of glas- hRsilittle 10 DO with the cost of
! the finished disk, ana the cost of nails
| and hors,'sh cs has ~ little relation ~
that ~ turrct walls. -American Ma
I chinist