The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-15
Delaying tho Battleships.

The rejection by the Senate of the propo-
sition to allow a maximum of $425 per ton
for the armor Of the battleships Illinois,
Alabama, and Wisconsin. threatens q long
delay In building these vessels.
The price o ( $500 per ton which the Sem
ate has substituted is preposterous, and it
is certain that IL 1t is adhered to, through
the concurrence of the House. the Govern
ment will have to build an m plant Of
its own. Indeed, the Navy Department IL
authorized, by the Senate's vote. to obtain
proposals for establishing such a plant, and
to report thereon at the next session Of Con-
gress. Under that action there would be
a further delay, doubtless Of at least six
months, before beginning to build the plant.
The smallest limit of time estimated for
completing an armor plant Is q year, and
after that would come the time required
for manufacturing the armor. Meanwhile
heavy penalties would be incurred by the
Government for delaying the builders Of the
bulls, who are. under their contracts, to in.
stall the plates.
Assuming that the Navy Department
would at once procure some modification Of
the original contracts, 80 as to lessen the
prospective losses of the builders and the
Governments liability for damages, yet
even with this forewarning and revision,
there would no doubt be large penalties.
The Government would also have to pay
for it's new plant. Although 1t would
save the cost of the ground, and its
own salaried officers could furnish the plan.
ming and the supervision, yet the owest
estimate, we think, Of the cost of such a
plant has been about 81 SOC, 900, and then
comes the expense of maintenance. At
best. with everything working perfectly,
within the limits Of cost hoped for, these
three ships would certainly be delayed for
years beyond the time now stipulated for
their completion.
On the other hand, the price Of $425 q
ton, said to be the lowest which the Bethle-
hen and Carnegie companies will accept, Is
a vast reduction from anything hitherto
paid by US for armor Secretary HERBERT
caused a very elaborate investigation to be
made last year, by experts, Of the cost of
manufacturing armor. and he concluded
that the Government ought to be willing to
pay $400 a ton for 1t. These companies had
built plants costing far more than a new
one would cost the Government. They had
to furnish the ground and the skilled
supervision, and they had to go through
expensive experiments in q then untried
industry. They still live along from ses-
sion to session Of Congress, never knowing
whether their plants are to be open or shut,
in the near future. Indeed, the last ses-
sion ordered no new battleships or vessels
requiring armor. Governments are the only
customers Of the companies in this part of
their business, and while they have done
some creditable work for European navies,
it has been under the hard terms exacted by
higher wages for labor here AND by the
three thousand miles Of ocean freight for
their products. Our own Government must
of necessity be their chief buyer, or tho
armor plants will close.
1t was found that in one item the first
calculation Of Secretary HERBERT was less
favorable to the companies than 1t should
have been; and, in short, on reconsidering
the matter, Secretary LONG has recon-
mended a maximum of $426, which. 1t lie
understood, the two companies will accept.
In the last Congress the House adopted the
$500 limit, which then seemed fair, but
yielded to the Senate's opportunities for
$500, with the result that neither COM
pany made a bid. 1t is therefore sheer folly
to expect the acceptance of $500 now.
We have paid for armor of the sort now
required something like 1878 per ton. A
reduction to $425 would mean a saving of
about 100000 on each ship. or $780,
600 on the three. We may admit that re-
auctions as noteworthy nave been effected
in the cost of hulls and machinery, but it
seems wise to be satisfied with saving
Sl ,ZOO, OOO and not tn launch ont into
Government a~rmor-making with the abso-
Lutte certainty, even should all else go well,
OF long delays ON these needed ships.