The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-04-06
Mliih they Recognize the Neces-
silly for AInaor at Almost
Any Price
For Present Needs, They Believe
Exii0rbifani Rates Should
Not Continue.
Only sure Way TO Prevent Is
for Government to Build
u Plant.

RFf %@Rtt ~ so btRbfs-
beers Of the minority Ut the naval affairs
committee, Messrs. Wheeler Of Ken
lucky, Rixey of Virginia. Kitchen u
North Carolina and yandiyer Vt Mis-.
souri,. united in a report opposing Ger,
fain items of the naval appropriation
bill Their report dwells especially
ppon this failure Of the majority 10
make provisions for . future supply III
arJlOr plate at a reasonable cost, The
report says the minority agree with this
majority as TO the necessity for pur-
chasing !, 400 tons of arinor for the bat
tleships Maine, Ohio and Missouri, even
though a. an exorbitant price, because
Longer delay would injnre the ships and
also subject the government ~ suits by
contractors. The report then crltieises
the majority for refusing 10 attempt 30
solve the question VI u future supply NJ
armor plate, Notwithstanding vessels
already authorized will require $1,000
tons, adding;
~ seems % be pretty generally M,
derStood the armor plate factories wiz
not furnish krppp arDlor for less tbap
SD4b per ton, bur exactly where this IN
formation eonpes from, we are unable 10
stale for theirs was no testimony before
the committee on the subject except
from Admiral O'Aeili, who did nof, NJ
we understand II, speak for tbs plate
factories,
Price p~pdepbfedly ~Erovbstapt
1.-THE sum Of Sb4b per ton TOR arm0F
", IN our judgment, beyopd question
exorbiiapt, II not Outrageous, There ~
not u sciptilla Of proof from any faes
tory showing what Krnpp arpm costs
~ manufacture, Harveyized armor has
been recently Nf n N not now supplied
M the government nj 300 per ton, and
~ man connected with either ~ tho
factories IN this country has said W tho
sommlttee ~ any one else, ~ far ~ we
know, thai krppp afRor eanRot bp spp'
piled nv cheaply,
1--WE haye been nAable NJ find, after
mach Investigation, where any ono
places the labor COST In n ton of Mm0r
plate above $lsh, boi The decided weight
Of evidence puts " NJ 500 and mpch
evidence entitled ~ weight, ~ low ~
tlbBI the cost of the steel ingot will
seldom exceed S20, which, together
With the royalty iand there Nv grave
dopbt IN opF minds II cry royalty Whit
eyer ~ psid) make np the tpfal cost pf
producing y ION ~ aTmor plate THIS
", " course, from the standpoint NJ tho
purchaser and does NOT take into con
federation the profit ~ the eompany nor
interest on thp planh nor wear and Eenf
of SANS, EsimatlHE the labor M
slsb, DO psf ton, would make the net
0osf per ton $500, 20, and estimating " N
tl9b, the most acceptable agpre, would
" fsaQ per ton Now We sHhml
" these figures are w the lepsF reliable,
per Ton " an ~esorbltAnt price ~
for pFlAW Plate, IN other words
|alp pr even WIN peF fan PFaaf " W.
Bessl ge,
my n Wepla sars Nllllapr
I'VE helleYe II the secretary N thH
aaRy WAS directed N hny allnpr fpF not
'xaeeding 400 peF ton, and n DO ponld
lpt get " NJ that price, m hnlld \ fap'
'oryi the Two nnHppNles Won|a rpdAeq
'hp price NJ y reasonable SUN pr BON
'Rthar thRn IN allow the government N
become their competitor, One thinH II
'eFtaini Vnless We hnild orr own plAnl,
fnlW plNtp, Will never, ehpAPen Vhp
jTeatnst psfimatp fnf lhp pnAl NJ CON
lgppiing an nrlnnr plato faptnry com
IN every dpfpil N filnnn,llM W.
'pllele The government San snHn nnAnHN
N Mmap plptn now nodded ~ lhAt VIII
~ nnadpdl fnr ships AnfhnHFnd ~ ennf
Itrgpei ,lFs fapfaTy pnA hAYe some Fal0Np'
IN lpft oyer
statement N fnnslfHplnr inNlpv
Iha following slnlemanl M Con
lr 4, Nqwlpe n FAp New faFA yNFA
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