The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-14
THE ARM0R PLATE
A Fruitful Source of JObbery
for Years Past.
GOVERNMENT is ROBBED
SENATOR'S DISCUSS THE QUES-
TION OF SECURING A SUPPLY.
THREE MINUTE SESSION OF THE HOUSE
The ''Sockess Jerry" Simpson Found Out that
for Once the House Was Doing Business,
Which is Contrary to Gar
Reeds Custom.

| WHICH Is NoIludiy " SLd
Reeds Custom.
Washington, d. c., July 13.-The price
to be paid for armor plate for the three
| new battleships now in course Of con-
structon was the theme of extended, and
at times, lively debate in the Senate
to-day. Late in the day an amendment
| to the Deficiency appropriation bill was
agreed to, restricting the price Of armor
plate to $500 per ton, or $125 less than
the amendment reported by the commit
tee and recommended by the Navy De-
partment as the minimum rate acceptible
to the armor contractors.
| Another amendment inserted in the
bill directs the Secretary of the Navy to
| investigate as to the establishment of
government armor factory, and to re-
port to the next session of Congress.
| During the debate Mr.. Hale urged
that the failure to equip the battleships
with armor would humiliate the United
States in the eyes Of the world, and
would lessen our naval power at time
of possible foreign complication. After
inserting the armor amendments, the De-
| ficiency appropriation bill, the last of the
great supply measures, was passed.
| OOnSlOeTdtlOu Ol the Dill WIS IcSuIhcu
Immediately after the Senate met. The
question OF armor plate for new battle
ships was considered. The bill provided
total appropriation of $3,41O,52o for
armor for the three battleships authoriz-
ed in 1896, and limited the cost per ton
to S425. Mr. Butler, of North Carolina,
offered an amendment reducing the total
to 50, DAT 800, limiting the cost to $500
per ton, and providing for the establish
ment of a government armor factory if
private concerns do not bid within $500
| per ton.
Mr.. Pettigrew, of South Dakota, spoke
| of the evidence taken before the commit
tee on Naval Affairs, showing conclu-
sively, he said, that armor plate could
| be made for $3.50 per ton. Notwithstande
| ing this, the armor factories being in
collusion refused to make armor for
$500 and demanded $425. Instead of OPP
posing the trust, Mr.. Pettigrew said, the
| Naval committee now proposed to accede
to it's demands. 1t was a procedure too
disgraceful TO be tolerated, the Senator
asserted.
Mr.. Butler spoke in severe criticism
of the course of the armor factories and
of the disposition in official circles to
yield to them.
The Senator reviewed the investiga-
tions made by Secretary Herbert as to
the cost of armor plate, and read from
the 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
off on the government so defective that
it could be pierced like n pine board.
The Senator asserted that men had been
shot and put in dungeons for offenses of
far less magnitude.
Mr.. Hale questioned these statements,
saying tf at none of the defective plates
were at present in actual service on
war ships
Mr.. Tillman, of South Carolina, insist
ed that many of the alleged defective
plates were in use, and said their exact
location ON various warships was speci-
fed in the report of the House Naval
committee.
When Mr.. Butler reiterated the state
ment as to the extent of the defective
armOr in use, Mr.. Hale interrupted with
a sweeping denial. He said that such a
condition would be appalling if it existed
in reality, but there was no warrant for
the assertions by the North Carolina Sen
ator. He utterly and absolutely denied
that any proportion of the armOr plate
on our war ships was unserviceable.
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
the Hawaiian islands at n time when
Japan was threatening to take posses
sion Of those islands. 1t would be fort
innate il the first hostile shot fired at
her did not hit one of those defective
plates-if indeed there were any good
ones on her. If we are to take Hawaii,
IL we are to go into the land-grabbing
business, then said Mr.. Butler, we must
have feet as good and better than any
other country in the world. If we are
launching on that policy of aggrandize-
ment, then We must be able to compete
with England or any other nation.
When Mr.. Butler closed Mr. Chandler
facetiously called ON Mr.. Tillman to
take the floor. The South Carolina Sena--
tor responded that unless there was
something to fight, there was no need of
talk.
| Mr.. Chandler inquired of Mr.. Tillman
what had become Of the House resolu-
ton adopted as a result of the Carnegie
investigation. 1t had come to a Demo
cratic Senate, had been referred to a
Democratic Naval committee. He asked
Mr.. Tillman if he was a Democrat,
what the Democrats had done with this
resolution.
Mr.. Tillman responded that he thought
his course had shown him to be impartial