The evening times., 1899-03-11
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Concerning ArmOr PInte.-"There is
something very mysterious in this armor
plate controversy said prominent mem
Der of the House today. 1T is claimed that
the work on our new battleships must stop
because Congress limited the price to be
paid for armor plate to $500 a ton. I3ou
telle and Hale and others wanted to fix the
price at $500 ton, asserting that the ar
NOR plate desired could not be manufac-
tured at profit for any less. Now, during
one of the sessions of the House Naval AT
fairs Committee. it was brought out that
the Bethlehem Steel Company had taken
an order from the Russian government Tor
5000 tons of armog plate OF the first quality
at rate of $40 a ton. Some MEMBER OF
the committee had curiosity enough to ask
for an explanation of this order. He want
ed to know why the Bethlehem concern
could make armor plate for Russia at S24o
and could not turn il out for Uncle sam
for less than $3.50 ton.
THE explanation offered was that the
Russian order was taken with a view OF
introducing American 'armor plate ABROAD
and looking to future business. The COM
pany it was stated would lose $4,000 on
filling the armor plate order of the Car.
Assuming this statement to be correct does
1t account for the remarkable difference
between $240 ton and $3.50? l think not.
| am not much OF mathematician, but 1t
! seems to me that if the Bethlehem com
pany only lost $4,000 on 1900 tons OF ar
NOR plate at $240 ton that 1t certainly
could not lose anything by making armor
plate for the United States, for 5000 a ton.
According to their own admission the
Bethlehem people only lost a trifle over
$13 a ton cn their contract with the Rus
sian government, which would make the
| net cost of the manufacture of armor plate
| about S253 ton. Congress has fixed the
| price to be paid at $500 ton, which leaves
a margin of profit of about SAT ton. Great
| Scott, isn't that large enough? Why did
BoutelIe, Hale and other eminent gentle
men insist upon fixing the price at $3.50 n
| ton? l should like to have someone an
swer that question"
! Speni>ership Gossip.-Reports have
been lndustriously circulated for the past
week that an organized effort Will be made
to prevent the reelection of Thomas B..
| Reed as Speaker. Several names have been
mentioned. The freshest one upon the
tongues of the gossps is that OF Represen-
| tative Sherman of New York. That gem
tleman, be it remembered, was recently
| appointed by the President a gems "a. ap-
| praiser of merchandise, but there has been
! some question as to his acceptance Of
| the position, on the ground that the Ad-
| mnistration people would like for him o
| make the race against Mr. Reed. So far
| as can be learned, feelers have been
thrown out. The opponents OF Mr.. Rsed
do not appear TO be making much head
| way. The chances are that Mr. Sherman
| will take the position given him by the
| President and quit the halls OF legislation.
! Mr.. Payne of New York, who. by virtue OF
his position as Chairman OF the Ways and
Means Committee. is the floor leader,
! would not support the claims Of his col
league He is a thick -and-thin friend oil
the man from Maine, and owes his posi-
ton to Mr.. Reed. So are Mr.. Cannon, Mr..
Burton, Mr.. Henderson. Mr.. Dalzell, Mr.
Steele and other leading members who
hold the important positions.
! Concerning minority matters the latest
! rumor is that Mr.. Sulzer will be probably
trotted out for leader by the New York
Democrats. Not much, If any, stock is taken
in this report. Representative Jefferson
NJ. Levy will make a vigorous kick against
any arrangement OF this kind, as he has
| decided, it is understood. 10 take the lead
ership of the minority of the next House
himself
Mormon Roberts Case.-The Clerk OF
the House of Representatives continues tc
receive protests against the seating OF Rep
resentative Roberts of Utah as a member
of the Fifty sixth Congress. Mr. Roberts
has three wives and this is regarded as
sufficient reason, by a good many people
why he should not be permitted to retair
his membership in the House. The Clerl
has already a very formidable pile OF peti.
tions against Mr.. Roberts. The petitions
as fast as they come TO hand are duly
placed on file but it is not believed tha
they will prevent Mr.. Roberts from TAX.
ing his seat when the House conyenes. \:
his certificate of election is said 10 be il
regular form it is claimed that the CIerl
OF the House will have no option but Il
place Mr.. Roberts name upon the roll
After that Mr.. Roberts will be on ar
equality with every other member OF III,
new House, He Will be entitled TO hole
his seat unless formally expelled and it re-
quires two-thirds vote to put a member
out of the House. The friends of Mr.
Roberts do not believe that it will be pos
sible to induce two-thirds of the House tc
vote TO eXpel him, and hence they thinl
that he is certain to retain his place not