Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-14
PRICE.
THE SUBJECT OF DEBATE IS
THE SENATE.
AFFECTS IN THE PLATES
-. TtIImnu, and Hale on This
sobjcct--Tciier o" the in"dcau"cy
Of our Navy 4" Gc"er"'--iouse Re-
..sses, Again.

JUNCTION, ID. c.. July i3.-The
ne paid for armor-plate for the
,.v hattlcships now in course OF
'., .,ra,,ion was the theme of extended
~. times lively. debate, in the Senate
late in the day an amendment
3eecicncy appropriation bin was
90 restricting the price Of armor-
e., $50 per ton. or si25 less than the
',nert reported by the committee
-..emsncndcd by the Navy Depart
che minimum rate acceptable 20
..,or contractors.
t,r amendment inserted in the bill
ne secretary OF the Navy to in
.,. as TO the establishment Of a
.,,.rament armor factory, and to re-
e., the next session Of Congress.
-. Che debate Mr.. Hale urged that
,.r,ro 20 equip the battleships with
sand humiliate the United States
.t.. ,r.s OF tho world, and would les
o.r naval power at a time of pos
I'm. for..la complication. After inserting
~. ,rmor amendment. the deficiency APP
.-,,,.,t.or bin, the last Of the great sup
u. measures. was passed.
'...f.-anon OF the bill was resumed
..,iclv after the Senate met. The
.,n az armor-piate for new battle
y,.. considered. The bill provided
+,.rI appropriation of S3,4lO.725 for
.,,- for the three battleships author
-.rir 1896 and limited the cost per ton
e.. afr. Butler. OF North Carolina.
.a.rlI an amendment reducing the total
.et-a0. limiting the cost 10 $500 per
,.- and providing for the establishment
,re Government armor factory. If pri-
,..s concerns do not bid within $500 per
v- Pettlgrew, OF South Dakota. spoke
~ tro evidence taken before the Com
rit,ee ON Naval Affairs as showing con-
..s.,olv. he said. that armor-plate could
b. made for $50 per ton. Notwithstand-
,, mis- the armor factories, being in
eausion. refused TO make armor Tor
t4o and demanded $i25. Instead Of op-
,,..oe the trust. Mr.. Pettlgrew said, the
yvai Committee now proposed to ac-
I.l. 10 its demands. 1t was a pro-
..lure too disgraceful TO be tolerated,
ne Senator asserted.
.fr. Butler spoke in severe criticism
NJ tbe course Of the armor factories. and
y, he disposition in official circles to
yield TO them.
DEFECTIVE ARMOR-PLATE.
The Senator reviewed the investigations
made by Secretary Herbert as to
the cost OF armor-plate. and read from
he report Of the House Committee on
Naval Affairs relative to Irregularities in
the manufacture OF such plate. He said
the report showed that by fraud and
deception armor-plate had been palmed
of ON the government so defective that
IL could be pierced like a pine-board.
The Senator asserted that men had been
shot and put in dungeons for offences
Of far less magnitude.
Mr. Hale questioned these statements,
saving that none Of the defective plates
were al present in actual service on war
ships
Mr.. Tnlman. Of South Carolina, insist
"a that many OF the alleged defective
plates were I'm use. and said their exact
location on various warshlps was speci-
ted in the report of the House Naval
Committee.
When Mr. Butler reiterated his state
unt as TO the extent Of the defective
amor i'm use, Mr.. Hale interrupted with
sweeping denial. He said that such
condition would be appalling. if it
existed I'm reality. but that there was
30 warrant for the assertions made by
the North Carolina Senator. He utter
o. ana absolutely denied that any pro-
portion Of the armor-plate on our war
ships was unservlceable.
Mr. Butler declared that he knew OF
no more dangerous kind Of high treason
than the equipping of war-vessels with
defective plates. One Of those vessels,
the Oregon, with spongy, imperfect,
fraudulent plates. had been ordered to
he Hawaiian Islands at a time when
Japan was threatening 20 take posses
sion Of those islands II would be for
tuuate n the first shot did not hit ono
- those defective plates-if indeed.
there were any good ones on her. If we
were 70 take Hawaii II we are to go
into The land-grabbing business. then,
fd FIR. Butler we must have fleet
os good as or better than that OF any
other country in the world. If we are
launching on that policy OF aggrandze-
ment then we must be able 10 compete
With ENGLAND or any other nation
When Mr. Butler closed. Mr. Chandler
I'eiiously called on Mr.. Tillman TO take
me floor The South Carolina Senator
spondei that unless there was some.
'""s TO heht there was no need Of talk.
CARNEGIE RESOLUTION.
Mr Chandler inquired of Mr. Tillman
Nnat had become Of the House resolution
resulting from the Carnegie investigation
IL had come TO a Democratic Senate and
Ii1 been referred to a Democratic Naval
committee. II asked MIR. Tillman. if he
was a Democrat. what the Democrats
I.l done with this resolution?
Mr. III|u4n rgcr,rpl.I ,b.. l.
DIS course had shown him to be impartial
N pointing out the shortcomings and the
's.ah'y-f that word was allowable-of
.it'' as wei as others. The Naval
'"i-.lte which the New Hampshire
HaloI had referred TO, having ma
.''y OF so-caled Democrats, had simply
Is.'A-noied that resolution. Mr.. TIL
au pointed out alleged irregularities in
crushing armor-plate. and referred TO
' I"ll that Secretary Herbert had i'm
i line on the Carnegie Company.
ME was RENTED by the Pres-
ana was 1t Democratic President
Allen. i'du'ieu MI
Fieaso do not leave out 'so-calIed, in
,ituIns 10 that President answered
- Illman, amid laughter "as IL hurts
FEELINGS to hear him referred TO as a |
',lo.rauc President"
"t went on to say that he never had
psal TO fathom the mystery OF how
by iF si4ent had tried TO override law
uniting the fine. The Senator re- |
r,t 'he evidence on the cost Of |
Sr,.s afmor. and said that unless the |
a. 'uupttd some remedy. such as the |
no" proposed, there would be an |
''o'e and shameless surrenaor - thn
',4or-rate factories ~ '"o
M Bacon. Of Georgia. moved 70 Mace
M, ' al $3.50 per ton. He declared thar
o., es''ihment would have 10 build IFS 1
no., 'o4ndfy' but for the present ne |
lI Il