The San Francisco call., 1898-03-15
Charges War Departmen ent Officials With Dis
 elimination.
Pacific Coast Factories Iqnoped in the Letting of
 Contracts.
Could Supply War Munitions for Less Than the Government
 Now Pays.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,


 Washington, March 14.
 Senator Perkins was at the War De- partment yesterday, and saw General Miles and General Flagler in an at tempt to get the department to award to Pacific Coast manufacturers some of the contracts for gun carriages, fixed ammunition and smokeless powder. Senator Perkins told these officials that there were a number of California firms that could rapidly turn out the Croz1er-Buffington ordnance carriage as cheaply as they could be manufactured in any part of the United States. He tried to convince them that there was no use in paying a cent or a cent and a half a pound for tine transportation of these carriages to the Pacific Coast from the East. He requested that in the future, when letters were sent to the various manufacturers inviting bids for this work, the Pacific Coast found- ries be given an equal chance to com pete for the contracts. Senator Perkins says there seems to be no reason for the high prices charged for these gun carriages.
 You can buy a class Baldwin locomotive for $12000," said he to The Call correspondent tonight; yet these Eastern manufacturers charge the Gov ernment S2S,000 for CroZier- Burlington carriages for 12-inch guns, about $17 ,000 for the carriages for the 10-inch guns and 5000 for the S-inch guns. These charges are extortionate, and did not hesitate to say so to the War Depart ment officials. There is no reason in the world why the carriages should not be built as we'll and more cheaply by our Pacific Coast manufacturers, and ] propose to keep hammering at the de- partment until our coast people are given the same opportunity to bid for these contracts that Eastern firms have.
 And there is the question of powder, too. There is more than one factory in California that can manufacture smokeless powder according to the Government formula. l am aware that it is the general understanding that only one firm in this country has as yet succeeded in turning out an article equal to the Russian powder, and that the Duponts have failed, but this Is a mistake. It is no great trick to manu- facture smokeless powder according to this formula, and we have at least four firms in California that can do it.
 Formerly the United States has paid one dollar a pound ffor this powder ana it now proposes to pay eighty-five cents when the same powder is manufactured in European countries for forty-f1ve cents. And then, too, 1 told the War Department officials to-day that our Pacific Coast manufacturers should be given a chance to compete for the contracts for furnishing the Govern ment with fixed ammunition. I think that our coast firms would at least be able to turn out all of the shells and projectiles for use on our coast"
 Senator Perkins is evidently of the opinion that there is some favoritism shown to Eastern firms by the Ord nance Department, and unless the Cal ifornia and Pacific Coast factories are hereafter allowed to compete, he pro- poses to stir the matter up in the Sen ate Although the Senator did not say so, he is evidently of the opinion that something is rotten in the admins tration of our Ordnance Department.
 This is significant, too. from the fact that The Call correspondents interview with the Senator occurred immediate Iy after he had had a long talk with General Miles.
 It may be said that the general com manding the army has long been of the opinion that a reform is needed in the administration of the two ord nance bureaus. It is believed that Senator Perkins will bring the matter to the attention of the Senate immedi-