New-York tribune., 1906-07-14
AWARD DIVIDED
Nsd0ate Company VIII Get One
HcEf, Others One-Quarter Each.

Washington, July 13.-Secretary Bonaparte an
nonnced to-day that the Carnegie and Bethlehem
steel companies will receive the contract for the
arnor for one Of the new 16090-ton battleships
at the price named by the Niidvale steel Com
pany in its bid. The contract for the armor
for the other battleship viii go to the Nlidvale
company. The Carnegie and Bethlehem COM
paries are to share equally in the contract given
TO them Secretary Bonaparte made a statement
concerning the award which was in part as
follows:
Company, the Bethlehem Steel Company and the
STTnor neeSe5 q, 1b 3 M oiqs Tor TN, tne
The bid OF the Carnegie company amounted in the
6y g 8es and that Of the Se aidTaIe eomp9ny
TO @So5.4Io The aggregate quantity Of arrnor to
classes Tie Bid Of the MdSale Company is the the
o % mo ho eo,r 0ny IN the agssgab5e' % 6It foT eaen
are lower tnan any price heretofore paid by the
as the department is informed. than is paid by any
The department is advised that both the Carnegie
ana the Bethlehem companies will be completely
within a short time unless they obtain some por-
tion or this contract and that the plants IN ques-
therein employed discharged and scattered in the
contingency mentioned This statement seems to
tn The Secretary Of the Navy is convinced that the
most expeditious delivery Of the II 'T aTmor IN 9 Ges e
ton would be secured IL the contract were divided
It would be against public policy and the best inter
ests of the naval service, and, especially,
would seriously affect the assurance of good
suits and expeditions delivery OF materials under
find itself Obliged to trust TO a single armor plant
20 supply its needs. all American competitors hav
ing retired, at least temporarily from the busi-
ness and the purchase Of armOr abroad its
manufacture by the government itself being a
present forbidden by law.
The Carnegie and Bethlehem companies will
ing and have offered reduce their bids that of
the MdVale company and to take at the prices there
tract which may be assigned 10 them. and Il seems
clear TO the Secretary of the Navy that in the
ercise of the discretion reposed in him by the act
u VIII be advisable TO divide the said contract,
its prices. and one-fourth thereof. at the
prices. TO each of the two other companies, il be-
ing his Judgment and belief that TO attain with
certainty the best results and most expeditions de-
livery the Midvale company should be properly
assigned one-half OF the contract but more and.
II practicable at the same prices, the other half
should be assigned to its two competitors
The department has felt in this very serious
concern by reason of the language of the provision
requiring all contracts to be awarded Ito the lowest
responsible bidder If these words stood alone the
department would hesitate to take action which
might be construed as amounting TO finding
It's part that the Mdvale company is not a RE
sponSlbIe bidder: but it thinks the qualification
as TO responsibility must be read in connection
with the further language of the proViso having
N view the best results and most expeditions de-
livery. II holds the Midvale company to be the
lowest responsible bidder having in view the above
mentioned ends prescribed by Congress- to the ex-
tent OF one-half of the present contract. and it
awards one-fourth thereof TO each of two COM
peung companies. their bids having been reduced
TO the figures of the MidVae COMPANY as newt on
titled and equally entitled relatively to each other
under the terms OF the law. with view TO the best
results ana the most expeditions delivery