Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-09-18

sentative Of the press. TO the effect
that the Navy Department desired
the army transports, Grant, Han
cock. Relief and Iawton; 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 Con
gress would be asked, practically
as q matter Of formality, 10 enact a
measure authorizing the transfer Of
the other three vessels. II wasgiv-
en- out that the War Department
had no further use for these ships,
etc. 70 advantage. On the face Of 1t,
there was nothing surprising 10 the
statement and several editors, with
out looking into the subject, have
stated that IL was the duty Of Con-
gress 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 exprss IL mildly, which charac-
terized the actions Of the War De-
partment in connection Nth the pur-
chase Of army transports in the ear
ly days of the Spanish American
War. Investigation reveals the fact
that the War Department purchased
the vessels named at most extrava-
giant figures. The Grant cost the
government $3.50, 600, the Relief $3.50,
900, the Hancock $500, 900 and the
LAwton $500, 900. After their pur-
chase. an amount closely approxima-
ting u, 000, 900, was expended for
lifting them out rs transports. A
comparatively short time ago. the
War Department advertised exten-
sively for bids on the no longer need
ed transports and finally received a
number. Ii was then stated that
the bids were so low that none would
be accepted but their actual amount
was withheld on the ground that to
publish il would be to derreciate
the value OF government property.
It now transpires that the total
amount offered for the four big YES
sells, which had cost the government
$3.50, 900 was less than 500, 900.
AS these figures would have called
attention anew to the extravaganza
OF the Department officials, 1t was
determined TO suppress the bids and
the Secretary Of the Navy was per-
suaded to say that he would take the
vessels, provided that Congress
would authorize the transfer. The
incident recalls the case Of the Mer-
rimac, which Admiral Sampson so
accommOdatingly sank in the en-
trance TO Santiago harbor. The
venerable collier had cost the gov
eminent 5000 at the beginning
ofthe war and was hardly sea- worthy
when sunk. She was not worth the
cost of the repairs necessary tomake
her useful in any capacity and when
the news came that she had been
sunk in Santiago harbor it lifted a
considerable weight from the minds
Of the officials in Washington, who
dreaded the publication of the facts.
II Congress complies with the wishes
OF Secretary Root It will appro-
pirate the sum of 50, ZIG, 600 for the
purchase OF the transports named,
by the Navy Department, from the
War Department. ana thus the ar
chives Of the War Department will
show shat the ships were sold for
what they had cost
-.
Figures don't lie neither does
Carroll d. Wright, remarked a
prominent democratic politician re-
Gently, 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.
Colonel Wright does not misstate
facts, but he has a convenient way
OF arranging them so that they are
sure, By their juxtaposition. il may
be to represent the views of what
ever President may be in the White
House. In this connection q little
item Of ancient history is interest
ing. Col. Wright. some years ago,
prepared statement of the wages
paid TO the cotton operatives in Ger.
many, 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 the
American operatives the highest.
The tables published gave the wages
received per week. All would have
been well but for the fact that an in
quisitive newspaper man persuaded
one Of Col. Wright's sub-ordinates
% show him the original statistics