Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-08

to company that had yet to demon
strate the fact that it could manu-
facture first class modern armor plate
at any price. AS Secretary Long re-
ported. the navy department had no
authority to close with this remarkable
proposition-neither had Congress ever
perfected plans looking for so con-
tinuous an enlargement of the navy.
The Illinois Steel Company was there
fore given the official ha, ha, and the
question of what terms could be made
with the Bethlehem and Carnegie Com
panies for the first class armor which
they had shown themselves able to
supply. was again considered. Secre-
tary Long earnestly recommended that
authority be given the department to
contract for armor plate at price not
exceeding $500 per ton. This recon-
mendation was accepted by the Senate
naval committee of the fifty-flfth Con-
gress and a provision was inserted in
the general deficiency bill, as reported
to that body, granting the authority
asked. But inland craftsmanship
promptly rose to the emergency, AMI
an amendment was passed, re-estab-
l:shing the $500 limit. 1t was the mo-
ton to non-concur in this Senate
amendment that occasioned the House
debate above referred to. In this de-
bate the further facts were brought out
that the Carnegie and Bethlehem Com
panies' plants each represented an in
vested capital of from 100000 to
Sc 600, 900; that they had made contracts
abroad for $3.50 per ton; that the pre-
yailing price for armor plate in Europe
was $500 per ton; that. with the ex-
ception OF one small invoice, furnished
the Russian government for sample
purposes by the Bethlehem Iron Com
pany, $500 per ton was lower price
than armor plate had ever been fur
nished any government in the world;
that our own government had, even as
late as 1896 paid an average of s5s212
per ton for it's armor plate. and that
$500 per ton was not only material re-
duction in price. but the lowest price,
at which responsible firms could rea
sonably be expected to furnish it.
Let it be distinctly remembered in
considering this question, that it was
not on their own account that the
Carnegie and Bethlehem Companies
took up the work of making armor
| plates. They did it at the urgent re-
quest of the United States government,
which was then buying its armor plate
abroad and paying practically $641 per
ton for it. The government has nee
When it's wants were supplied their ex-
pensive plants-which are useless for
any other purpose-have lain idle.
Under such circumstances it would GER
tainly seem incumbent upon the gov
| eminent to deal fairly with these con-
Germs. With plants having of neces-
| sity, capacity for producing about
| 10000 tons of armor plate per year
tine orders of the government have
averaged annually about 1000 tons.
In spite of all these facts the House
voted-a few Republicans joining with
the Democrats-tO concur in the Sem
/ ate amendment, and the maximum
price that the navy department could
pay for armor plate, was fixed at $780,
| AS a result no bids for armor plate
were made, and the war ships under
process Of construction are hung up"
| to await developments.
Both the Carnegie and Bethlehem
Companies have expressed willing
ness to sell their armor plate plants to
the government for less money than it
| could erect new one. But the gov
eminent should neither buy nor build a
plant. If experience has taught us
| anything 1t is that the products Of
large manufacturing plants when
operated by governments are generally
more expensive, and of inferior quality,
than when made in competition by
private concerns, under strict rules of
ipspocfiop