The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-27
We MUST BUY OUR ARMOR.
PLANTS ron sRMoR MAKING ARE
TOO EXPENSIVE.
by James NJ swnns, RecogBixed
the Highest Statistical Authority

y boards o. trade and aul b.tious
crossroads village have been
pouring Into Washington during the last
few months bent upon the capture * The
proposed government arusor plate factory
for the respective LEGALITY each COMMITTEES
repres.Bts- The navy department has
been flooded with offers of free SIses Cor
the arnoF factory. ard each place seek
Ing tie prize has the best natural ad-
vantagsS IL tho c0ungTy-accofGing TO the
numerous claimants. Although the posi-
billty OF the government building plant
10 produce armor plate for the United
States naval vessels is very remote.
less than 2i5 cities. towns aad villages
have set OUT 10 secure IL. and seventy nine
offers OF free sites have already been made
to tbs navy department.
Every state ia the union has from one 20
dozen places scraynbIing for the location
OF the armor plant in their midst" and
the navy department officials are antici-
pating offers next from the kiondike.
where gold can he substituted for nickel
steel plates or from Honolulu, as soon as
Hawaii becomes one OF Us. Many congress
who wish to show they have the ad-
yancemsut OF their district at heart have
pledged support TO the government armor
plant proposition. and in demonstrating
this may. by their votes commit the gov
eminent TO a colossal biundeT, for such
would be the result from the report OF the
navy department ordnance and engineer
ting experts who investigated the subject.
However. should congress ignore the
negative views OF the experts, the depart
ment can select site In any OF the fol-
lowing places offered by committees visit
Ing Washington:
Virginia Richmond. Alexandria. Roam
oke. Basic City. West Point. Petersburg.
Bradford. Norfolk. Portsmouth. Clare
mont. 81. Helena. Craney Island West
yitsinia-siorr!son Island. Western Port,
Charry Run, Piedmont Grub District,
Huntington Mouudsviile: Tennessee-Har-
riman. Knoxville. Chattanooga Bristol,
EHzabethton MosristowB; Alabama-Bir-
mingham. Sheffield. Gadsden Admission.
Fiomaton. Kentucky Mlddeshorough;
Texas-New Birmingham jefferson. Wa
co. GeoTgia-Blyth's Island; New York
Buffalo New York city. New JerSey~New
Orange: Maryland Sparrows Point.
Drum Point. Curtis Bay. Pennsylvania
Johnstown. Williamsport. Carroll Town
ship, Rankin. Scranton. Erie Chester,
Reading Ohio-LoTain. Columbus Fair
port Hafhor Dayton. Youngstown Cieve-
land, H.. Indiana Marion Michigan
City. serson. indianapolis. Illinois
Waukegan. Moline, Chicago. Wisconsin
Appleton. Menasha. kanosha. Superior.
Michigan Marquette. Detroit Bay city.
Saginaw Benton Harbor Minhesota-DG-
luth; Missouri ST. James. washington
Seattle. Tacoma Port Townsend.
Congress will determine in he near flu
t+tf "*tIAttfi VI taSA tho a. Hfbt plant - 10
be built.
Jarnes NJ. swank. who Is recognized the
world over the highest statistical au-
thorfty la matters pertaining TO the iron.
steel and allied industries has just COM
pcied a summary OF American afTnur plate
hiSipry which bears particularly on the
couli leading up 10 the movement foS
Foseg1ment works OF this kind. Mr.
Swasfi saYa II may be taken for granted
that congress viii not order the erection
ana equipment OF factory. as the report
recently submitted 70 congress- by the ma
val armar factory board Is virtually con-
demnst'ou OF the project. The cost Of the
plant. estimated by the board about
siv' 90. has staggered the advocate of
the scheme who believed that it could be
built for 81 500000 The erection of an e.
ficent plant for this work will necesstfate
the building Of war vessels constantly on A
scale requiring an enormous annual appro-
priation In order to keep IL fuliy employed.
otherwise g viii deteriorate and ght losses
will offset any saving the government
might make by the possession II a plant
From MIR Swank'S view ~ The arlnor
plate matter II appears thar very little rea-
son exists for the supposttioa that the gov
eminent could manufacture plates cheap
ar than they cam he obtained from private
contractors Considering that me two
steel factories now with Idle artnor mills
on their hands invested millloas II can't
tai in the business AZ the request az the
government. n Seems a. - a breach az
faith now - attempt 20 force them IN as.-
cept unprontshi prices ov SO without bus
insss entirely
Three battleshlrs Nos. : aat the
Alabama, Illinois and Wisconsin. now
building al Philadelphia. %ewNTrt News
AMI san Francisco will require asmor
plate within q short time Congress is
confronted with the question ~ where the
armor fur those hattieshlps Is 10 bee obtain
81. ina<much as the two steel Ynanufsf-
turing concerns ln fhis country having ,ee
facilities 60 manufacture tt w.u rot ~an-
ply the material at the price limited hv
the act Of Jnly 81 1SsT which provided
that not more ihau sszl ger tou should Pee
paid for the So" tens of plste ueedsd fa-
the new shlps. Should the completion ot
the ships be delayed through the tai.gre
OF congress Ia provide aruoF. aa stuurnse
hil Tor damages viii ~ presented te the
government L is .gupfoba hia shat the ar-
NOR can be obtained from European tuak-
ers al the price Offered
Mr.. Swank. IA reviewing the egnaer pIate
price controversy Asaaeuta from fae t.f.ef
that the arfnur contractors have r-ssae un-
usual profits. an8 shows comet sitei4 hs
sx-See refarN hHfhert s estimate az rhe
cost - u8nufaeturiug. as submitted st tee
last special session ~ congress THAT such
would certainly u,st - the ease 4 tee
msnasacturcrS are compelled t2 sr1 a~rnor
NJ Sta@ per ten. M Hrrisegt estimated
3
e. the Taauf sefurer ou thc ssss.enptiau
that TIE ogtput of the p}snt. wa.ea Pa f-s-
minated as costing s ~ lse. wal.d Pee al
tors y~se. s9wever a. MI Herbert
subsequently sefsortsa. in the ease 90 tso
Caruy<.e Stcei Company. thh plant actual
" cost atssst g. g0 a. exclusive ~ sart
ara the contracts oa rccortf show ths oat-
put 60 have been hardly &'sn tors ger ysa~
Ttas. the isa>liu' e8,faee at ~ per ceut as
slisEsi rs Nj tlsrheFs {n A3s esq frsA SEES.
p'acs2 $50 Ierr tan aa fae cost wafea add
- ~ tha rsat = lsas~ &G3 material
H3eaaft3ug - Ss3E Weai& uake fae tasal
ecst - fna@a. tttartmx Arynor &asf gesr tau
THts wuu'3 leate ea srrlor se+4 III sea- rfr
fN0 a rreat uf s3t per tna. ssnelest9s --
p. trs.s g%~ NesF "a s., csc or = pfr ceat.
en the EaWtai tavesfs3-
Senator Chandler taeaEas Nj 1{er}-esg's
allow 8g>a of ~ ger eerf. fe- trafutruan-a
was tao hheraf ANA esq nsatesf s Yer s4nt
would BE Sgrt- sat Tnss 81. .tt -stare .he
rsa.tlefeoaacr ensses reT tsn ta So gnaslss.
fhe tata3 casa So fsgr tcu - rcnar ur i
Freat - 50 wa.ea pG sa su-0sf cltp4t