West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-01
THE ARMOR PLATE MATTER.

mean newspaper, published tn
following as news item
"The adjustment of the con
troversy between the Navy Depart
ment and the armor plate companie
will probably go over until after tn,
election. Secretary Long, VIII,
has been overwhelmed with business
since his return from West Virginia
leaves for the West tomorrow ane
there is no prospect of his bein,
able to dispose of the matter befor,
his departure. AS his western trir
will probably consume two day.
and upon his return he will 20 &c
Massachusetts to vote, there is nc
likelihood of any action in the
matter until he returns to the De.
partment after the election"
Secretary of the Navy Long ha.
just returned West Virginia and will
not let the contract for the thirty.
six thousand tons Of armor plate
which he is authorized to fix the
price and contract for, till after
the election.
During the recent session of Con
gress, an effort was made TO main
tain the then existing limit of $500
ton, and the records of that BODY
bear out the statement that had il
not been for the untiring opposition
OF Congressman A. G. Dayton, OF
the Second West Virginia District,
in the House and Of Senators Elkins
and Hanna in the Senate, this
would have succeeded but by a
concerted action of these gentlemen.
in behalf of the armor plate trust
the fixing the price and the whole
question of purchasing armor plate
was placed in the hands of Secre.
tary Long, who has just returned
from West Virginia and will not let
the contract till after the election.
AS evidence of the stand taken
by Mr.. Elkins on this proposition
these utterances are found in his
speech of May II, 1900, Congress
sional Record page s4I6.
"The English Government en-.
trusts all expenditures for its NAVY
to the head of the Naval Depart
ment. 1t leaves all details as to
price and everything else to that
Department.
"That is the way the English
Parliament legislates but it is pro-
posed to say to the Secretary of the
Navy you shall pay so much a ton
for steel That would handicap
him. Are we not willing to trust
him and his trusted officers, and
advisers, those who have made a
lifelong study of all such questions ?"
"That is the way the English
Parliment legislates" says Mr.. Ell
kins. at is English, you know"
Mr.. Dayton, not to be outdone
by Mr.. Elkins in his devotion to
the interests Of the armor plate
trusts, on May 80, Congressional
Record page 6a3o, has this to say :
at seems to me there ought to
be no question about allowing the
Secretary of the Navy the discretion
to fix this price. Let it be ascer-
tanned and fixed, and take this
question of the armor plate out of
the hands of Congress. Put it in
the hands of a responsible party.
he CAN MANAGE THE QUESTION. F"
"Put it in the hands of a respon-
sible party. He can manage the
question" says Mr.. Dayton.
Yes, Mr.. Dayton, Mr.. Long has
been in West Virginia and He can
manage the question and is so
managing it that the contract will
not be let till after the election,
and no doubt he will so manage it
that the price of armor plate will be
fixed at just what the armor plate
trust will agree upon, which price
will, no doubt, be commensurate
with the contribution made by this
trust in attempting to have their
devoted friends Elkins and DAYTON