The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-07-14
|ERATE ON ARMOR PLATE.
| .,.u Price to Be Paid For 1t
Materially Reduced
barn on GOVERNMENT POINTED OUT
,.ted to the Rescue Of the
rru.t and Talked OF s"'''""
Honor.

.,ed 10 the Rescue Of the
.,d talked of National
Honor.
.,,,,on. July 13.-The price to be
"a ,or armor plate for the three new
n,,.h,ps now in course OF construction
,,eme OF extended and at times
~ ,o,.,e In the senate today. Late IN
m amendment TO the deficiency
bnropriation bill was agreed 10 tes.r'''-
~. ,r,ce of armor plate to SSoo per
,i9s less than the amendment otfer-
ID -. ,hs committee and recommended by
navy department as the minimum fa''
ceptable to the armor contractors
no,hsr amendment inserted in the bill
.oo,, the secretary OF the navy to in
s,,ea,e as to the establishment OF gov
lament armor factory and TO report to
roxt session OF congress.
nnr,ng the debate Mr.. Hale urged that
"a failure to equip the battleships with
mor would humillate the United States In
e ewes of the world and would lessen our
y,l mower at time of possible foreign
duplication
Auer inserting the armor amendments,
a deficiency appropriation bill the last
the supply measures, was passed
~ Consideration OF the deficiency appro-
4 |riation bill was resumed i'll the senate
\ bday. The question OF armor plate for new
a,tleshps led to considerable discussion.
he bill provided total appropriation of
il0.795 for armor for the three battle
blps authorized In 1896, and limited the
bst per ton 10 s425. Mr.. Butler of North
arolina offered an amendment reducing
be total to S2,4Oi500. limiting the cost
} $3.50 per ton. and prov.llng for the es-
Adjustment of a government armor fac
pry II private concerns DO not bid within
BIO per ton.
l. Mr.. Pettigrew OF South Dakota said to
ield to the demands OF the armor plate
rust was a procedure too disgraceful TO
9 tolerated.
N Mr.. Butler spoke along the same line
<3nd asserted that defective armor plate
N ad been palmed off on the government
ind wes now in use on our war vessels.
81 This last statement, lie said, Was sup
oried by MIR. Tillman
M When MIR. Butler reiterated the state
: bent as TO the extent of the defective
X lrmor in use Mr.. Hale interposed with a
weeping denial. He said that such a con-
: iuOn would be appalling if IL existed in
ea!ity, but there was no warrant for the
ssertion by the North Carolina senator.
2 Pc utterly and absolutely denied that any
= roportion Of the nrmor plate on our war
hips was unserviceable
Mr. Butler declared that he knew no
bore dangerous kind of high treason than
be equipping Of war vessels with defec
= we plates. One of those vessels the
s Pregon, with spongy, imperfect, fraudulent
Hates, 1t was said. had been order-d to
ne Hawaiian islands at time when Japan
as threatening TO take possession Of
: hose Islands. Ii would be fortunate ii the
fst hostile shot fired at her did not hit
ne OF these defective plntes-!f indeed
here were any good ones in her.
II we are TO take lIawaii-if we are to
. into the land-grabbng business-th then ="
aid MI. Butler. I'VE must have fleet
good and better than any other coun-
N the world. II We are launching on
- polcy OF asgrandizement then we must
able to compete with England or any
4 )iher nation"
M Tillman pointed out alleged irregu-
n hfl'les In furnishing armor plate and re-
43efred to the fact that Secretary Herbert
40 Imposed fine on the Carnegie COM
my which fine was romitted by tho
PRESIDENT
and was 1t not democratic president
no RENTED this fine?" queried Mr. Al
flease don't leave out so-called.' in
s,errihg 10 that president" answered Mr..
il,nah' amid laughter las 1t hurts my
eeNhes TO hear him referred to as a
eniocratic president"
he went on TO say he had never sought
,a,hom the mystery Of how the presi-
w Hau .rled to override law and decency
.sm'tung the fine. Tho senator review
N. ."s s'Iaence on the cost of making ar
sonie remedy such as the one proposed
mere would be absolute and shameless
alfehder OF public Interest to the armor
pate factories
-, ar. hale opposed the Butler amendment
~ ~ r 'hsred TO the building up Of the navy
hi. t'e incidental development In the
no sra avalts OF plants capable OF produc-
shs,'s'hing needed for equiping the fin
aso stps aiioat This was of vast advan-
rs 10 me government in its naval prog
loyr ana II mad at the same time given en-
a,ura, 10 many workmen. 1t was but
MI, IN me development of so great an
md ba h; mat some evils should creep Ia
wis. ''N'pd'ny or defense for such
ari vine senator senator discussed the cost of armor
81 e .nat the $500 rate established. by rho
hal t ,Sa 1,s was due to an expectation
h,n,S.t Liinois Steel company st.od ready
I'd ratss arInor for much less than Inc
kallzs,iss, out there has beer no practical
stahl 1.cn Of this expectation. AS 10 tba
lr. Hale ss 81 government armor plant
syy 'i bas SAID The building Of the American
lol IN na NJ, proceeded too far toward comple-
/ tbis I, VAR starting government niant
|ael comng on the offer of the Illinois
Ontract " nny to furnish armor under a
bid s spch covering twenty years Mr. Hal
Practicable P prtSpcsition was totally i'm
haracser ma Who knew anything about the
hips twen,v NV armor requirements of war
In oloy,nty years hence? w - wal
ency. "W,a Nm In case Of an ,"e o,,, Mr
hin, w nave three iroo, - nv,