The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-09-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., September 15tl

WASHINGTON, D. c., September 18th.
MR.. EDIToR:-A statement was recent
| ly made at the War Department to the
representative of the press to the effect
that the Navy Department desired the
army transports Grant, Hancock, Relief
and Lawton; that the Lawton, having
been purchased from an emergency fund
appropriated by Congress for the use of
either the Navy or the War Departments,
would be turned over, and that Congress
would be asked, practically as matter of
formality, to enact a measure authorizing
the transfer Of the other three vessels. 1t
was given out that the War Department
had no further use for these transports
but that the Secretary of the Navy could
use them as receiving ships, etc, to adj
vantage. On the face of it, there was
nothing surprising in the statement and
several editors, without looking into the
subject, have stated that it was the duty
of Congress to pass the desired bill. A
little investigation, however, would have
revealed in this simple plan an effort to
hide from the public new evidence OF
the fearful extravaganza, to express it
mildly, which characterized the actions of
the War Department in connection with
the purchase of army transports in the
early days Of the Spanish American war.
Investigation reveals the fact that the
War Department purchased the vessels
named at most cxtravagant figures. The
Grant cost the government 100000 the
Relief $3.50, 900, the Hancock 5000, 900 and
the Lawton 100000. After their pur-
chase, an amount closely approximating
81 ,OOO, 900 was expended for fitting them
out as transports. A comparatively short
time ago the War Department advertised
extensively for bids on the no longer
needed transports and finally received
number. 1t was then stated that the bids
were so low that none would be "c,'' pied,
| but their actual amount was withheld on
the ground that to publish it would be to
depreciate the value Of government prop.
erty 1t now transpires that the total
amount offered for the four vessels, which
had cost the government $3,210,000, was
less than 100000. As these figures would
have called attention anew to the extrava-
gauce of the Department officials, it was
determined to suppress the bids and the
Secretary of the Navy was persuaded to
say that he would take the vessels, pro-
vided Congress would authorize the trans
| fer. The incident recalls the case of the
Merrimac, which Admiral Sampson so
accommodatingly sank in the entrance ~
Santiago harbor. The venerable collier
had cost the government $4OO, 900 at the
beginning of the war and was hardly sea
worthy when sunk She was not worth
the cost of the repairs necessary to make
her useful in any capacity and when the
news came that she had been sunk in San
tiago harbor it lifted considerable weight
from the minds of the officials in Wash
ington, who dreaded the publication of
the facts. If Congress complies with the
wishes of Secretary Root it will appropri-
ate the sum of $3,21O,OOO for the purchase
of the transports above named by the
Navy Department from the War Depart
ment and thus the archives of the War
Department will show that the ships were
sold for what they had cost.
Figures don't lle-neither does Carroll
D. Wright" remarked prominent demo-
cratic politician recently, apropos of the
extremely diplomatic report which Col.
Wright made ON the Pennsylvania coal
strike situation. The statement, with all
that it implies, is most expressive of the
popular opinion of Col. Wright among
the members of both parties. Col. Wright
does not misstate facts, but he has con-
venient way of arranging them so that
they are sure, by their juxtaposition, it
may be, to represent the views of what
ever President may he in the White
House. In this connection little item
of ancient history is interesting. Col
Wright, some years age, prepared state
ment of the wages paid to the cotton OPP
eratives in Germany. England and the
United States. The administration was
republican, stood for high protection, etc,
and, of course. the figures showed that
German operatives received the lowest
wages, England next and American oper-
atives the highest. The tables published
gave the wages received per week. All
would have been well but for the fact that
an inquisitive newspaper man persuaded
one of Col. Wright's subordinates to show
him the original statistics from which the
table was compiled and which gave the
amount of work performed per operative
in each country. A simple calculation
made from these statistics showed that
per unit of work performed the American
laborer received the lowest wages Of all
} three, English laborers the highest and
} German laborers came in between. The
; disclosure was unfortunate. A kindly
disposed young man in Col Wright's de,
partment lost his official head and the
rosy deductions made by the Colonel were
lost to the republican editors. Truly, fig
ures do not lie, but liars figure.
The present strngency IN the New
York money market is certain to have its
effect in the increased pressure which
will be brought to bear ON Congress TO