Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-02
ARM0R PLATE PLANT
1T WILL COST THE GOVERNMENT
$3,75O,OOO TO BUILD ONE.
BOARD OF INQUIRY REPORTS.
COST PER TON WILL NOT COME
WITHIN THE PRESENT LIMIT.
Vast Amount of Information to He
Laid Before COnEreSs-Bids fer
the Construction of n Plant
Are to he Adver-
tiSed For.

Washington, Dec. 1.-The national board
appointed by authority of congress TO as
certain the cost of an armor plant made
its report to Secretary Long to-day. The
report makes a voluminous document,
treating every detail of the process of
armor making essential to a correct ap-
prehension of the cost of the plant and OF
the product. 1t is accompanied by elabor-
ate plans for the plant, which have been
verified by Expert Fritz.
The cost OF plant suitable for the max
ing OF naval armor at the rate of about
500 tons per annum. which is fully equal
TO the capacity of both of the existing
private plants. is set down as about s., .5o.-
Veb. No recommendation is made as to the
location OF the plant but the board has
accumulated much information as to the
merits OF various eligible locations which
may be had by congress If called for by Il.
Secretary Long will proceed Immediately
to take the next step necessary to carry
out the wish of congress. namely, invite
proposals by advertisement for, building;
such plant as that designed for the use
Of the government. 1t was at first the in
tention OF the secretary to withhold the
report from congress until he should be
able to include this information in it, but
he has now determined to send in the re-
port as soon as congress assemblies and
meanwhile put out the advertisements and
notify congress of the results later.
1t is expected that congress will be adj
vised also of the offers made by both the
existing armormaking concerns to sell out
to the government. and also Of other large
interests to turn over plants which. while
not at all like the specifications of the
board will permit Of alteration into effective
plants.
All of this data, 1t is expected, will be very
valuable to congress in treating the whole
armor question, but the report of the
board, which may be strengthened by an
Endorsement from Secretary Long. will
make it quite evident that the government
cannot undertake to make its own armor
at the cost named as the limit of price TO
be paid to private firms in the last naval
appropriation bill.
The armor factory board consists of
Civil Engineer Endicott. Chief Engineer
Perry and Lieutenant Fletcher. Summing
up the necessities, and disadvantages OF
the proposed factory, 1t says:
'First-An armor factory comprises es-
sentially collection of special furnaces.
heavy machine tools and appliances that
are not needed in any other class of work.
and class Of labor specially skilled in the
business.
'Second-A government armor factory
not connected with an establishment en-
gagged In other branches of the steel indus
try would depend for its success and eco
nomic administration upon a constant de-
mand for an output nearly approaching its
full capacity.
"Third-If the government should estab-
lish an armor factory, the efficiency and
factory would necessarily depend upon a
constant yearly appropriation for ships to
be provided with armor. because the armor
produced at any time must be specially de-
signed for and fitted to those ships. Any
failure to appropriate for those ships in
any one year would require the cessation
of and Nyfvpr 1fY fndn f1vito toIv
the skilled experts and laborers that had
been trained to this industry. A resump-
tion of work at a later period would re-
quire the training, at a considerable ex-
pense, of q new set Of men,"