The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-24
THE MEASURE WAS PASSED
Maximum Price to be Paid Tor Armof
Plate Reduced.
DEBATE LONG AND WARM
Provision Added Precluding this Gov
ernment Paying More for Armor than
is Now Being Paid by Any
Foreign Nation.

Washington, February 23.-The naval APP
preparation bill finally passed the house
this afternoon, after four days of acrimon-
ious debate. More or less time was spent
upon the question of rehabiltating the
naval academy at Annapolis with the
scheme inaugurated by the appropriation
of $500,000 in the last naval bill, and the
proposition to increase the maximum price
to be paid for armor plate to $545 per ton,
the existing law limiting 1t to s4OO. Upon
both propositions the naval committee suf-
fered signal defeats. The amendment to
build great armor plant was ruled out
upon point of order but after rancorous
debate in which the price to be paid for
armor plato was cut down from s545, the
price which the committee insisted was
being paid for the new Krupp armor to
$445 and a provision was also added pre-
cluding the government from paying more
than was paid by any other foreign gov
ernment for similar armor
AT las p. m. the house went into COM
mittee of the whole and resumed the con-
sideration of the naval appropriation bill,
the pending question being the point of or
der raised against the amendment offered
by Mr.. Underwood (dem., of Ala) to appro-
pirate $400000O for the construction of an
armor plate plant at such place as a
board of naval officers might select.
Mr.. Boutelle continued his defense of the
recommendation of the committee to in
crease the maximum price of armor to S545.
The chair sustained the point of order
against the Underwood amendment.
Mr.. BouteiIe's Amendment
The question then required on Mr.. Bou-
telle's amendment fixing the price of armor
at $545 per ton. Mr.. Boutelle contended
that the cost of Krupp armor would be
slightly less than that of Harveyized armor.
at $4OO per ton.
Mr.. Hopkins (rep., of Ill.) moved to amend
the Boutelle amendment SO as to fix the
price of armor plate at $445 per ton. The
royalty on Krupp armor, he said. was $45
per ton and he had searched in vain for evil
dence to show that the manufacture Of
Krupp armor was more expensive than
Harvey armor There had been no inde-
pendent investigation. There was no rec
ommendation save from a subordinate Of
fetal of the navy department..
"That is not true" Interrupted Mr.. Bou-
telle, flourishing aloft a handful of docu-
ments. "I have here the evidence which
the house refuses to hear"
Mr. Hopkins declared that he had been in
formed upon reputable authority that the
proposition in the bill was an attempt 10
"bunco" the government. This statement
aroused the indignation of Mr.. Boutelle and
sharp colloquy between the two occurred.
Mr. Rxey (dem., OF Va.). a member of the
naval committee, opposed the commuters
proposition, which, he said, would increase
the cost of armor for single ship $449. 600.
Mr. Burke Oem.) of Texas, said it was
humliating to hear a member of the
naval committee admit that the govern
ment was absolutely at the mercy of the
armor plate manufacturers.
Mr.. Hepburn (Rep) of Iowa, made
violent assault upon the committees recon-
mendation to increase the cost OF armor,
but Mr. Boutelle defended it.
Mr. Walker (Rep) of Massachusetts,, Of
fered an amendment to Mr.. Hopkins
amendment providing that the government
should not pay more for armor plate than
any foreign government paid.
The Krupp Armor Superior
Mr.. Dalzell in defense of the committee
proposition declared that abuse was no
gument. These armor plate plants were
| the grandest examples of American enter
prise He recalled the day when this gov
ernment was compelled to pay $3.50 per ton
for ordinary iron-steel sheathed plate.
| Haryeyized armor could be obtained at
$4O0. But the new armor, the Krupp, had
been found to be greatly superior to the
Harvey armor. If we wanted this super
| Tor armor, we must pay the increased
| cost.
| Mr. Williams Dem) of Mississippi in
sisted that all the evidence before the
house showed the difference in the amount
| of the royalties paid.
The Walker amendment was carried 112
| to 48.
| The Hopkins amendment to the amend
ment was carried 102 to rs, and as amended
| fixing the price of armor at $d45, the
amendment was adopted without division.
Mr.. Moody (rep., Mass.) then created a
| furor by offering at the end of the bill a
copy of the senate bill to create the rank
of admiral of the navy. Uproarous ap-
plause greeted the reading of the amend
ment, its purpose being to allow Dewey to
be appointed admiral.
The question on the amendment was put
and 1t was carried with rousing cheer.
| The bill was then reported to the house.
Separate votes were demanded by Mr..
Boutele upon the naval academy and ar
| NOR plate amendments, both of which
| were carried.
| Mr.. Boutelle then moved to recommit the
| bill, with instructions to restore the price
of armor plate to s545 per ton. as original
| ly recommended by the committee.
The motion was voted down 70 to 1856.
| The bill was then passed.
| The senate amendments to the military
academy bill were adopted and the house
| adjourned.
THE SENATE
Washington, February 23.-During the en-
| tire session today the senate had under