New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-17
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
GOVERNMENT ARMoR PLATE WORKS.
REASONS WHY PUBLIC OWNERSHIP WOULD
BE UNSATISFACTORY.
Il. rsltnr q g Trlhune.

70 the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir. The contest IN Congress over the Naval APP
.---atson BILL which prolonged the session be-
s +ba time when both houses hoped to adjourn
- ba remembered as one OF the most vigorously
s,,,..,+ measures ever acted upon. The bill
a-r hack 70 the conference committees four times
1-- seemed to be the vital obstacle TO earlier
-sar1ent was the clause authorizing the Secre-
- - ne Navy &c purchase the arrnor plate req
SO Tor the battleships Maine Ohio and Mis-
so,-t row Il process OF construction. For each Of
,hese vessels IS tons OF armor are needed Their
COMPLETION has been seriously delayed because OF
the policy OF the Democrats 70 oppose every propo-
eition except one-the building OF a Government
---,o- factory which involves other questions be-
sides that a providing patronage
The Senate yielded TO the House on Wednesday
and modified the arnor plate clause, which
+,,-fzas ne Secretary OF the Navy TO purchase
s---o- AT prices IN his judgment reasonable and
eor,-able but n case he is unable TO make con-
tracts under the conditions specified he is author
Ted and directed 70 purchase land and erect an
a-7- factory thereon, S4oo00o0 being appropriated
therefor
A Government arnor factory is not g scheme
~ Congress. by any means. The subject has been
I'D before. and p most thorough inquiry has been
made and reported thereon. The advocates OF Gov
srr-rsnt arncr works have largely based the claim
that such an enterprise could be successfully op-
GRATED and cheaper aruor obtained on the fact
-f-t -he Government produces heavy ordnance at
The Washington Navy Yard and WatervIet Ar
scraL But all the guns produced from these works
have been made from fOrgings supplied by private
companies whose work on them embraces all the
rne,al-Irgicsl features Of the process OF manu-
racti-rtng beginning with the raw materials and
WAC supply them TO the Government rough
chined and fully treated. after which they are
simply mGchined 70 finish dimensions, etc, Every
naval Power OF Europe has, at different periods
since the laying down Of armor clad ship.
rernplated government works. only TO find that
armOr could not be manufactured successfully in
thar way. that the cost Of successful production
would far exceed the price at which It could be
mission Of Great Britain some zine ago determined
L--- sf - -e go 80, NE ~
rhau so 10000 upon government plant at kolpno.
5ut i is 70 be maintained regardless OF cost be-
as q home resource Il is invaluable A large per
to meet the hallstc standard. but the Government
has since adopted the most advanced arTlor process
OF the tine ana IS rennodel-ins the holplno plant
81 q cost o. many millions.
An stcl similar 20 ne pTovlsion moor porateo N
the Naval Appropriation bill by the Senate and
agreed 10 BY the House on Thursday was adopted
POINTED ard il devoted four months TO a thorough
inquiry, and fled its report on December !, 1897.
Si4l9l2 20 establish an efficient plant, capable OF
producing sufficient 2rmor for two battIeships
year. This estimate, however, embraced only the
a-DOr plant and steel furnaces. and omitted many
essentials necessary TO form an Independent plant.
The Board also was OF the opinion that Govern
ment araor factory would be a failure econo1li-
ca--y because It's product would probably be Tar
more expensive than similar product purchased
from private manufacturers The chief OF the Bu-
-ea q Ordnance IN his report for 1887. expressed
the opinion that Government made arTnor would be
more expensive than that OF private works and
that Government plant would lie idle a large part
OF the time and thus suffer deterioration and that
the expense and difficulty OF operating Il when
needed would more than offset any advantage
gained ~ such ownership. Il was also maintained
that 4 the Government should establish aTmOr
factory Il would have TO buy the ingots from pr-
firms. that the employees Of these firms would
not smell out the bad ingocs in such a case but
would subject them 70 some perfunctory test and
ship them the arY-Or factory. Then, too 6. Gov
eminent plant would need 10 hire high priced men
who experts in the manufacture Of
plate and their salaries must range between 81 eco
and $1,000 year. There are several officers OF the
Navy WHO arn0r experts but they would
pervise the work only, and would require civilian
experts 70 assist. II. Z. R
New-Tork June Il 1900