The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-06
COsr OF ARMoR PLATE,
Estimated 1t sIs1 60 SITS n Ton OF Single
Tsrxed HArvoyfzed Nicke Steel.

Estiuatsd 1T e161 TO SITS n Ton OF Single
Tsrged Harvoyired Nickel Steel.
wnHISoroN. Jan. b.-The Secretary Of the
Nav to-day sent in his report on armor plate to
Congress. Under the act making appropr!a-
tlons for the naval service for the year ending
, June 80, 1897, Congress directed tho Secretary
J to examine into the actual cost OF armor plate
and the price which should DO paid Tor the same.
Tho report Of the Secretary sets forth at great
length the methods and results of his lnvestiga-
ton, which was conducted By himself personally
with Capt. W. 7. Sampson, Chief Of the Bureau
II of0rdnance. and Chief Constructor Philip hich-
\ born, Chief Of the Bureau of Construction and
Repair. - advisers. Immediately after tho
\ passage Of the act the Secretary called on tho
two contracting companies, the Bethlehem
Iron Company Of South Bethlehem. Pa. and
? the Carnegie Steel Company, Limited, of Pitts
b1rgh. Pa, requesting that they aid him..
The two companies declined to give Informal.
ton, upon the ground that II was very unusual
for Congress to inquire into the business OF pri-
vAte corporations. They, however. In October.
made statements as 70 the cost OF their plants,
And furnished suggestions to the Secretary as
70 the methods which should DO adopted by
him In estimating the cost OF armor.
posed Of Lieut,. Karl RoSrer. Kossuth Niles. and
A. Alderman, two OF whom have been In
%spectors OF Armor ~ the Bethlehem Company's
had TO do with the manufacture and use OF steel
in Is different forms for several years and had
ossh on duty In the Bureau Of Ordnance. These
gentlemen made an exhaustive report upon tho
cost OF labor and material entering into tho
cost OF . ton Of armor. Tho result of their cal
tertl In Q ton OF single forged Harveyized
nickel steel armor was Sl67. 80.
L~leut-Comma lander Rodgers. who has been an
Inspector At the Bethlehem iron works. esti:
mated the cost OF labor and material In q ton Of
slngi; forged Harveyized nickel steel armor az
S.ss.'s. The Inspector q Ordnance 81 tho Car
ported that the labor and material In = ton Of
;;i l forged Harvey nickel steel armor was
Ten per cent should be added to each Of these
esumates for loss due to reflections. The Secre-
Sary. In making hi. calculations with these adj
manufacturer and tho Government" he took
we average OF the estimates, which is slsi.3s Cor
sinhEas forged and tlO1.7s for reforsed armor.
report.
While abroad last summer the Secretary
shhiops, and secured two stimates for plants.
ine frenoh estimate was for the erection Of an
SSyym,0f plant at ausrigny. and was made
PURPOSE OF ascertaining the cost to erect
A.. stmSI Plate plant in connection with
p pps S0FEs OF The Government already at that
pSrIIo. ! MS estimate WAS ; 100000 all told.
ihs Secretary estimate. that allowing for
duties, and for higher priced labor in building
SrHor plant M S.,s ,66s on plant a. sasie sn
'eTr h u this country for $l.4o0,o0o.
O, ins English estimate Is made by, = company
sssSI1u 70 furnish the plant. 1t Is Ell IS, 400. This
of n : was referred 10 the Chief Of tho Bureau
the . ol1Ilnsnss to be completed by adding
lion 'SsltnAled cost OF duties, buildings, i~nstallA-
m ~ %s, and other items deemed necessary to
oomne,sM, eqaal the American plants. As thus
e1uaI.o.d Tue estimate for putting up "A plant
SSssAito that Of tins Carnegie company, said to
Si'SeSS S6os s'oOo,O00 could now be erected for
nal, me Secretary says of the Bethlehem Com
he rnst Whatever may have been the cost of
NAV hhmno, plant aud the gun plant, whatever
ture " " oeeh paid for the secrets OF manufac-
tha y, patents, or whatever mRy have been
ols.r nsfrest on working capital, all these and
earnin Sna,Ees have been paid from tho gross
we eompany's Investment In pIant To- maks
bean anu gun steel for the Government have
Tha stunned with 22 per cent. thereon.
connne secretary states in another form the &C.
SGSnuht OF the Bethlehem Company with the
on Srmhment as a prott and loss account based
%pennsylvania, which are rom The compRpy's
ssSSNusnnents from Nov. l, 1850, to Nov. /. 1896,
ciasT,yeeE q sa ALA OF profit, 1850 to 1895 in
SWIMMING the cost Of the Carnegie plant rs
ioIO vu.Voo, and allowing 10 per cent. thereon
cont ps,atsnAnGe, Insurance. &c, and 8 per
i0L" interest on working capital, and allowing
iSSn per cent. dividend on outstanding capital
Of net IN plant applying tho surplus
stsIts for each period Of SiX mouths
t%St,ne ehtinguishment Of cost OF plant, the Sec
have SHOWS that tho Carnegie company will
SSolAr it claims TO have etto"nd.S S'epp
oppsht, ana after the allowance noted
nsnt WI have made a profit on It's in vest
SiiIIEesnlshed by the repayment OF the rooney,
4 no per cent. '
,hsshe Secretary concludes that In view OF all
Of circumstances regarding the uncertainty
iaht.uture contracts 1t would not be ineaui.
pr %e 10 allow the contractors 80 per cent,
tr h. Iron INC cost OF manufacturing armor
5D Volhree ships now under contract. Adding
b. riy.p yer CENT, &c $3.50 per ton OF srmor,
iha,' $40; but the Secretary recommends
IA government, which makes an addition Of
Il ILtr ton IN the price of armor,
ron,pSn.u be better In the future to have the
br%nmaclors furnish this material, which would
som,ss, tIS price up to S305 per ton, and allowing
ges,s 'n,tns Tor keeping nickel on hand. he sug-
~ 'Ha' $500 Der ton would be u fair aud