Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-05

WASHINGTON, D. C., April a
Four members of the minority of the
naval affairs committee, Messrs.
Wheeler, of Kentucky; Bixbey, of Vir-
ginia; Kitchen, of North Carolina, and
Vandiver, of Missouri, united in a re-
port opposing certain items of the
naval appropriation bill Their report
dwells especially upon the failure Oh
the majority to make provision for a
future supply Of armor plate at a rea-
sonable cost. The report says the mi
nority agree with the majority as to
the necessity for purchasing 7,400 tons
of armor for the battleships Maine,
Ohio and Missouri, even though at an
exorbitant price, because longer delay
would injure the ships and also sub
ject the government to suits by con-
tractors. The report then criticises
the majority for refusing to attempt
to solve the question of future sup
ply of armor plate, Notwithstanding
vessels already authorized will require
$4,000 tons, adding:
cit seems to be pretty generally I'M
derstood the armor plate factories will
not furnish Krupp armor for less than
$545 per ton, but exactly where this
information comes from we are unable
to state, for there was no testimony
before the committee on the subject,
except from Admiral ONeill, who did
not, as we understand it, speak for the
plate factories. r.
"The sum of $545 per ton for armor
is, in our judgment, beyond question
exorbitant,
If Not Outrageous.
There is not a scintilla of proof from
any factory showing what Krupp ar
NOR costs to manufacture. Harvey
lied armor has been recently Off it is
not now supplied to the government
at $500 per ton, and no man connect
ed with either of the factories in this
country has said to the committee or
any one else, as far as we know, that
Krupp armor cannot be supplied as
cheaply. When the committee was
considering the armor plate question
the two armor plate factories were
notified of the fact and asked if either
cared to be heard on the question. A
reply was had from each of the fac
tories land here we will remark the
replies were singularly similar saying
they had made statement to the last
Congress and stood by that statement,
or words to that effect.
1--WE have been unable to find, after
much investigation, where any one
places the labor cost in ton of armpr
plate about $1S5.50; the decided weight
of evidence puts it at $165, and much
evidence entitled to weight, as low as
$50; the cost Of the steel ingot will
seldom exceed 500, which, together
with the royalty land there is grave
doubt in our minds if any royalty
whatever is paid make up the
Total Cost of Producing
a ton of armor plate. This is, Of
course, from the standpoint of the pur-
chaser, and does not take into con-
sideration the profit of the company
nor interest on the plant for wear and
tear of same. Estimating the labor
at S18550 per ton, would make the net
cost per ton $250.5O, and estimating it
at $165, the most acceptable figure,
would make it $3.50 per ton. Now, VIC
submit, if these figures are in the least
reliable $545 per ton is an exorbitant
price to charge for armor plate. In
other words $315 or even 1926 per ION
profit is excessive.
I'm our judgment the potential rea-
sons in enhancing the price of armor
to the government is the existence of
a trust or agreement between the ar