The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-02
THE NAVAL BILL PASSED
Only Five Hours Consumed in
Debate.
PRICE Of ARM0R PLATE
Reduced From $445 to $500 Per Ton.
If Manufacturers Refuse to Accept
This Price the Government
Will Build a Plant.

rapidly clearing its decks for final ad-
justment. The naval appropriation bill,
whioh ordinarily consumes the Time of
the senate for several days was passed
this afternoon after less than five hours
of debate. In that time, however, it
was amended radically fn one respect.
The price to be paid by the govern
ment for armor plate was fixed in the
bill at $500 ton, reduction of the
amount fixed by the house of Sl45 ton.
In addition. the secretary of the navy
was authorized, in the event of the re-
fusal of the armor plate companies to
supply armor at $500 ton. to proceed
to the construction of an armor factory
to cost 81, 800 900 and placing in the sec
retary's control $2,000,000 with which to
operate the government plant. The fight
for these amendments was made by
Mr.. Tillman of South Carolina who
made characteristically sensational
speech in support of the propositions.
The senate passed resolutions of re-
gret at the death of Lord HersCllell, and
concluded the days session by pro-
nouncing eulogies upon the late Repre-
sentative Dingley.
Mr.. Cullom. member of the Ha-
waiian committee, addressed the senate
briefly upon the bill creating a form of
government for the territory of Hawaii.
Mr. Perkins inquired Of Mr.. Cullom
whether any provision existed regard
ing the alien contract laws applicable
to :ne states and territories of the
United States.
ha
Unless we take action before the
close of the present session." suggested
Mr. Perkins, "as many contract labor
ers as desired may be imported into
Hawaii"
Doubtless that is true" replied Mr..
Culom.
MIR. Cullom discussed at length the
acquisition of territhTy at various times.
In this connection he referred to Mr..
Hoar as a gentle echo of the anti-im-
perialists of former days
Mr.. Allen of Nebraska called up the
resolution of Mr.. Vest, in relation to
acquisition of foreign territory by the
United States, and delivered upon it
his valedictory. Six years ago. he said,
he had entered the senate chamber as
the single member in this body of a new
political party.
ITO be pioneer of political party"
task But he would retire from the
senate with the consciousness of hay
ing done his duty as best he could
The following measures We're passed:
Joint resolution, constituting the act ap-
proved June 27, 1890, entitled 'an act
granting pensions to soldiers and sail
ors who are incapacitated for the pur-
pose of manual labor and providing for
pensions of widows. minor children and
1pnpnlent pa thp ol1Dwa nrn
of certain claims reported by the ac-
counting officers of the treasury depart
ment. their claims being known as the
Fourth of July claims.
Consideration Of the naval appropra-
tion bill was then begun. the amend
ments of the committee being acted up
on as the measure was read. The read
ing of the bill was concluded at 1:50
p. M, all the committee amendments
having been agreed to in the course of
the reading. After some formal amend
ments were made by the committee and
agreed ito, Mr.. Gray of Delaware called
attention to provision of the bill APP
propriating 81 900 for the purchase
and manufacture of smokeless powder.
He deemed it a policy of our people
not ito bring the government into COM
petition with private industry. He
therefore offered an amendment provid-
ing that not more than Sl5O,000 of the
sum should be expended in manufact-
ure. Mr.. Hale accepted the amendment
and it was agreed to.
Senator Frye, Senator Elkins and
Senator White were appointed as con-
ferees on the river and harbor bill. An
amendment was agreed to authorizing
the secretary of the navy to contract
for two submarine boats of the Hol-
land type at a cost not to exceed $135.-
900 each. Mr. Hanna offered an amend
ment authorizing the secretary of the
navy in his discretion to purchase from
the Cathman Torpedo Gun company of
Chicago the gun equipment for one or
more harbor defense monitors, subject
to the usual inspection of the bureau
of navigation, at a cost not to exceed
$3.50, ,000 The amendment was agreed
to. The secretary of the navy was au-
thorized to appoint commission to
report on a location for coaling sta
ton on the Pacific coast south of San
Francisco; to appoint board to con-
slider the construction of dry dock
in the Columbia river and to appoint
similar board to consider the desir-
ability of constructing dry dock at
Key West or in nearby waters.
The controversy over the price of
armor plate was then precipitated by
Mr.. Tillman, who offered an amendment
reducing the price fixed by the bill from
s445 per ton to $500 Mr.. Tillman de-
clared that millions of dollars We're
being squandered by the government
in feathering the nests of the armor
trust, and he felt that the senate and
country ought to know what kind Of
a steal was going on" He said it was
perfectly evident that the two Penn
sylvania armor plants had pull in
the other house of congress and were
able to keep up the price Of armor,
Mr.. Tillman favored the doing of the
work by the government even at an
increased price. for then labor and not
capital would receive the benefits.
Mr.. Chandler. in support of the
amendment, said the Carnegie and
Bethlehem factories We're in c0mbina-
tion and together were in a combination
with European manufacturers, They
were making a desperate effort to hold
up the price of armor and the device
had been resOrted to of bringing for
ward a new armor, which they main
tanned could not be manufactured for
| less than $40 d ton. He did not pro-
pose, he said, to be led away from his