Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-27

THE PRICE OF ARMOR PLATE.
.hIe Address OF Hon C. A. Boutelle. in the
National House Of Representatives.

amber of gentlemen in this House to
whom this subject is entirely new, and
!, seems TO me desirable to state how
This situation has come up.
Al the close of the session of Con-
grsss in 1896 provision was inserted in
The naval appropriation bill, as the re-
sut of an investigation that had been
nartially made by the naval committee
Of the Senate, prohibiting the secretary
If the navy from making any more
contracts for the purchase of armor,
and containing the following provision:
And provided further. That the sec
r4tary of the navy is hereby directed to
examine into the actual cost of armor
Mate and the price for the same which
should be equitably paid and shall re-
mort the result of his investigation to
Congress at its next session at a date
not later than January /, 1897: and no
contract for armor plate for the vessels
authorized by this act shall be made
till after such report is made to Con-
gress for its action.
The secretary of the navy, Mr. Her
bert. made that report under date of
y
exhaustive inquiry, not only in this
country, but in Europe, and the result
Of his investigation is found in House
Document No. 15l. second session fifty
fourth Congress. After reviewing the
information he obtained from the ex-
perts of the department and from other
sources. his conclusion may be briefly
summed up in the following words:
Ii is therefore suggested that in
future contracts manufacturers shall
be required to furnish their own nickel.
Adding $50 for this item to 1915. we
have $S95 per ton. and allowing some
thing for keeping nickel on hand, We
have. in round numbers. $400 per ton.
This seems to me a fair and equitable
price TO pay for the armor for the Wis
consin Alabama. and Illinois.
These were the vessels the armOr for
which was at that time under consider
alton In pursuance of that report, the
committee on naval affairs of this
House, of which l at that time was
chairman, after very careful consid
GRAFTON of the whole matter and a real
ization Of all the prejudices and misin-
formation involved in the subject, came
TO the conclusion that we should be
best justified in recommending to this
House legislation on the line of the in
yestigation made by that department
of the government which has been des-
ignated To deal with those subjects. the
navy department. and to ask the House
to concur in legislation based upon the
IaI Inv hf tar
after careful consideration of the views
Of the experts of that department.
Therefore, in the annual appropriation
bill presented last year we inserted a
provision that the total cost of the ar
NOR for those three ships should not
exceed n certain sum which we speci-
fed, so many million dollars. and that
the armor plate should be furnished in
accordance with the specifications and
plans already prepared.
In that provision we did not specifi-
cally state the price. We did not say
$500 or 500 per ton. The estimates of
the department carefully provided for
the size. shape, and weight of every
piece Of almor to go into those ships,
and il was provided that it should be
bought at sum which would be at the
rate of $500 a ton. We did that because.
IN the opinion Of our committee. it was
more desirable that Congress should fix
the amount Of money it was willing to
spend for certain object than it would
De 10 Tx the market price of a commod-
Ivy and the result was that the pro-
VISION passed this House unanimously.
II Went to the Senate where this mat
yer i'ao been discussed and where more
W 'ess warmth had been generated in
,'e course of the investigation and de-
o''e ! ought to say. first, that the
"a'e amended the bill by providing
"isht mat not more than $500 per
~" uid IN any case be paid and pro-
"'pths The secretary Of the navy from
"ahihg any contracts above that price.
ar Kelley. VIII the gentleman per-
init question?
mr. Boutelle. Certainly.
MI helley Was not that amend
a''eH' ei the Senate offered by a gentle
ma" VINO was formerly secretary Of the
navy?
"r. boutelle. | do not desire, Mr..
'peakef and do not think it would be
details.
~, "'' heiley Well, the gentleman has
et'eh me figures given by the secretary
me navy. | simply refer to the
asufes given by gentleman who was
'',heiiy secretary of the navy.
MI h"utelle. But under the tradi-
n'p"s Oh this body it would not be pro-
i"r me to Indicate that by speci-
ss naming gentleman who had
,n'efiy been secretary of the navy.
-, 'i' helley. But you are speaking of
,a secretary of the navy.
W boutelle. The gentleman must
understand the situation 1t may be
perfectly proper to refer to the secre-
a's oi the navy in his official capacity.
~. ',ot TO single out an individual sem
ny name or advert to a former oc-
aeoh OF a senator. But that does
ss' matter. If l were permitted to
.'hoW the gentleman's suggestion in
N na, hne, ] might say my information
eiat the former secretary of the
80 IS now in favor of the proposition
UNITED here by the gentleman from
hsyivania lMr. William A. Stone1,
er the three hundred dollar expert
n' mas been tried and found to be
unsuccessful.
init me- -