Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-04-06
MINORITY VIEWS
While They Recognize the Neces-
sity for Armor at, Almost
Any Price
For Present Needs, They Believe
Exhorbitant Rates Should
Not Continue.
Only Sure Way to Prevent Is
tor Government to Build
Plant.

q Plant.
WASHINGTON, April 5.-Four mem.
bers of the minority of the naval affairs
committee, Messrs. Wheeler of Ken
tuclky, 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
nrmor plate at a 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 a future supply of
arnor plate, Notwithstanding vessels
already authorized will require $1,000
tons, adding:
sit seems to be pretty generally un-
derstood the armor plate factories will
not furnish Krupp armor for less than
$545 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, in 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 $400 per ton, and
no man connected 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 sup.
E1ied as cheaply.
''We have been unable to find, after
much investigation, where any one
places the labor cost in ton Of armor
plate above $1S5.5O; the decided weight
Of evidence puts it at $165 and much
evidence entitled to weight, as low as
$156; the cost Of the steel ingot will
seldom exceed $50, which, together
with the royalty (and there is grave
doubt in 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 on the plant, nor wear and tear
Of same. Estimating the labor at
$1s55O per ton, would make the net
cost per ton $s50.50, 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
1915 or even 1896 per ton profit is ex-
oessive.
Say It Would Save Millions.
''We believe if the secretary of the
navy was directed to buy armor for not
exceeding $400 per ton, and if he could
not get it at that price, to build fac
tory, the two companies would reduce
the price to 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 in every detail is $4,000,0O0. We
believe the government can save enough
on armor plate now needed or that will
be needed, for ships authorized to con.
struct it's factory and have some s2,000,-
600 left over.
Statement of Constructor Bowles.
The following statement Of Con-
struotor Bowles of the New York yard
Is quoted:
~ recommend the building of some
vessels in the present navy yards of the
United States, because I believe it to be
good business, and if owned those
yards and kept them for the purposes
they are now kept for, should say that
it would be q sensible thing to do to
build one ship in each Of the important
yards all the time, simply to keep them
in order and maintain q 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 $1s, ,00O, 900 in excess of any bill here.
tofore reported, and $26, 100000 in ex-
cess, or practically double that Of any
bill ever reported in time Of peace, indi-
cate q growing dispoatiop toforget how