The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-06-23

port OF the c0ntereeS on the naval apprO-
priation bill. which stated that they were
unable to agree upon a senate amendment
which had been further amended in the
house. The senate amendment provided
that unless the secretary of the navy could
purchase armor plate for S443 per ton, he
should proceed to build and equip an armor
plate mandatory to be owned and oper-
ated by the government. The house ell
minated the mandatory phase of the
amendment by seeking to authorize the
secretary of the navy to procure armor at
a price reasonable, in his Judgment, and,
should he fail, he could, in his decretion,
construct an armor plate plant, to be oper-
ated by the government
The following is an extract from the
debate upon the conference report Con
gressional Record, June |, 1900, pages
1886 and 6SS7):
Mr.. Pettigrew-Mr President, do
not know that | particularly care to dis
cuss this question at this time; but it seems
to me entirely appropriate, under the CIR
cumstances that We should rehearse that
which has been often stated-the admitted
facts in this connection. In the first place,
it has been admitted time and again that
the two existing armor- plate factories IN
this country were built out of the profits
of armor plate which they furnished the
United States; it has been admitted that
these two factories are in COLLISION; that
there is no competition between them, but
that they divide the quantity of armor
plate furnished; that they divide the prof
its, agreeing in advance upon the prices
they will charge the government. 1t has
been admitted that these armor-plate fac
tories sold armor plate in Europe for $3.50
a ton in 1895.
Now, these are the admitted facts In
the face Of these facts
Mr.. Hanna should like to ask the
senator question for information. Does
he know how much the Russian govern
ment is paying the United States manutae-
turers for Krupp armor?
Mr.. Pettigrew do aot know. Neither
do / care what they are paying They
paid in 1895 $3.50 ton.
Mr.. Hanna will tell the senator that
they are paying $500 ton.
INTERNATIONAL COMBINATION.
Mr.. Within week it has
been stated upon this floor and admitted
that every armor plate factory in the world
is in a combination to rob the governments
to which they furnish plate. So the Rus
sian government, according TO the state
ment of the senator from Ohio, Is today
paving S545 a ton, that being the inter
national price, or $500 ton more than
the price at which our manufactures far
nished it TO them before the combination
was made.
In the face of these facts how can we
refuse to build an armor plate factory
What argument can be presented Who
disputes the fact? No one We are told
about the difficulty of getting experts Ii
we build an armor plate factory there will
be no other customer but the government,
and We viii have command, at reasonable
wages, at our own price Of every armor
plate expert in the United States. Ii We
build plant and make our owB armor,
the factories having no other customer,
will have no use for the armor plate ex-
perts, and We can employ them Why l.
it that we are now asked TO recede Why
is it we are asked TO adopt the house
amendment? Is it because we believe If
we leave il to the secretary Of the navy We
viii ret armor plate for less than Sii5
ton?
Mr.. Hale-The senator understands
that the committee does not ask the senate
to recede. but asks it to insist and not to
agree.
Mr.. Pettigrew-l understand; but what
called forth the speeches from the senator
from Ohio aud the senator from West
Virginia except 10 make preparation
for the senate 10 reeede Do you
think those gentlemen advocated it be
cause they thought the secretary Of the
navy would get a less price than s4i5
ton? No They certainly advocated il
because they believed they would get
higher price.
Mr.. Hanua- How does the senator
know
CRAMPS 500, 600 CONTRIBUTION
Mr.. Pe.tigrew know because learn
something from observation and experience.
| know because in 1892 the Republican
party collected from the Cramp company
and from Cramp $500, 600 in cash to make
their campaign, on the promise that he
should recoup the money out of the ships
he was to build OF course if the secre-
tary Of the navy lets the contract and we
pay s545 instead Of S445 ton on 50,
900 tons the difference is three millions
and a half, aud the contributions, instead
of being $500, 900, can run into the mil
lion.
No wonder, then, that the man who
collected the funds for the campaign Of
1896 stand upon this floor and champions
this, because it win be easier to secure the
contributions; this Is the source.
Yet we are charged with delaying the
construction Of the navy. Have we not
advocated those of US who objected to
this combination price, TO this hold-up Of
the government of the United States
from the beginning of this controversy the
construction of an armor plate factory
Is not that proof conclusive that we are
not trying to prevent the building of a
navy, and rather that we We're trying to
prevent combination from plundering the
treasury? Suppose we had begun the
construction of the plant four years ago,
when this controversy first commenced ?
1t would have been completed long ago,
and the armor plate controversy would
have been eliminated from our politics.
But it was not the purpose Of those who
could gain contributions from this combi'
nation to have the controversy eliminated
So long as they can continue this policy
just so long can they gain the funds-just
so long can they secure the contributions
GREAT STEAL INDUSTRY.
| think the conferences ought to be in
structed by the body to agree to nothing
but the immediate construction of an ar
NOR plate plant Let us pay what we have
to pay for the plates we must get before
we construct a plant, and let us make the
appropriation necessary to construct and
make it at once There ought to be no
compromise upon any other foundation.
tt - ..,rt 49,, within ona war yUa will