The Princeton union., 1900-04-05
While They Recognize the Neces-
sity for Armor at Almost
s Any Price
For Present Needs, They Believe
Exh0rbitant Rates Should
Not Continue. &.&G- e.E..1
Only Sure Way to Prevent Is
for Government to Build
a Plant.

"SAS ~
committee, Messrs. Wheeler of Ken
tucky Rixey of Virginia, Kitchen of
North Carolina and Vandiver, of Mis-
souri,, united in report opposing GER
tain items of the naval appropriation
bill. Their report dwells especially
upon the failure of the majority to
make provisions for a future supply Of
armor plate at reasonable cost. The
report says the minority agree with the
majority as to the necessity for pur-
chasing 7,400 tons Of armor for the bat.
tleships Maine, Ohio and Missouri, even
though at an exorbitant price, because
longer delay would injure the ships and
also subject the government to suits by
contractors. The report then criticises
the majority for refusing to attempt to
solve the question of future supply of
armor plate, Notwithstanding vessels
already authorized will require $1,000
tons, adding:
lit seems to be pretty generally un-
derstood the armor plate factories will
not furnish Krupp armor for less than
s545 per ton, but exactly where this in
formation comes from, we are unable to
state for there was no testimony before
the committee on the subject except
from Admiral O'Neill, who did not, as
we understand it, speak for the plate
factories.
Price Undoubtedly Exorbitant.
The sum Of $545 per ton for armor
is, i'll our judgment, beyond question
exorbitant, if not outrageous. There is
not a scintilla of proof from any fac.
tory showing what Krupp armor costs
to manufacture. Harveyized armor has
been recently (if it is not now supplied
to the government at $4OO per ton, and
no man connected with either Of the
factories i'll this country has said to the
s&.nmittee or any one else, as far as we
Hnow, that Krupp armor cannot be sup
piled as cheaply
''Wc have been unable to find, after
much investigation, where any one
places the labor cost in ton of armor
plate above S1S5.50; the decided weight
Of evidence puts it at $165 and much
evidence entitled to weight, as low as
1856; the cost of the steel ingot will
seldom exceed $40, which, together
with the royalty (and there is grave
doubt i'll our minds if any royalty what
ever is paid) make up the total cost of
producing ton of armor plate. This
is, Of course, from the standpoint of the
purchaser and does not take into con-
sideration the profit Of the company nor
interest Oh the plant, nor wear and tear
of same. Estimating the labor at
S1S3.1o per ton, would make the net
cost per tom $3.50. so, and estimating it at
$165 the most acceptable figure, would
make it $3.50 per ton. Now, we submit
if these figures are in the least reliable,
$545 per ton is an exorbitant price to
charge for armor plate. In other words
S3l3 OF even S2o5 per ton profit is ex-
cessive.
Say 1t Would Save Millions.
1--WE believe if the secretary of the
navy was directed to buy armor for not
exceeding $40O per ton, and if he could
not get it at that price, to build a fac
tory, the two companies would reduce
the price to a reasonable sum per ton,
rather than to allow the government to
become their competitor. One thing is
certain: Unless we build our own plant,
armor plate will never cheaper. The
greatest estimate for the cost of con-
structing an armor plate factory COM
plete n every detail is $4OOO,OOO. We
believe the government can save enough
on ar1nor plate now needed or that will
be needed, for ships authorized to con-
struct its factory and have some $2,O00,-
900 left over.
Statement of Constructor BowIes.
The following statement of Con-
structor .Bowlcs of the New York yard
is quoted:
II recommend the building Of some
vessels i'll the present navy yards Of the
United States, because I believe it to be
good business, and if I owned those
yards and kept them for the purposes
they are now kept for, should say that
it would be a sensible thing to do to
build one ship in each Of the important
yards all the time, simply to keep them
III order and maintain a sufficient force
ready for all emergencies
The minority then say that while in
the report they will not specify the
items Of extravaganza in the bill, they
call attention to "the fact that this bill
is $13, 100000 in excess Of any bill here
tofore reported, and $26,O00,OOO in ex-
cess, Or practically double that of any
bill ever reported in time Of peace, indi-
cate growing disposition toforget how
money is collected from the people, and
a tendency Of the American congress to
extravaganza.
DISAPPEARED ON PAY DAY.