Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1913-09-20
WANTSU. S.PLANT
FOR ARM0R PLATE
House Bill Calls For ExpendI-
ture Of $7,OOO,OOO.
AIMED At ALLEGED TRUST.

Plan to Force Manuf acturers to Keep
Prices Down-Govcrnment aa a Com
petitor Would Not Produce All Of Its
Own Platc-ircreaoc In Prices Has
Been Eclt.
WnShington.-Scven million dollars
to provide for Il government arlnor
plate plant IS asked for in Il bill intro
uuccd by representative l.rittcn Of H.
lInoiS. The bill was introduced conci-
!lent with the announcement by the
navy department that bids for 81, ,OOO,-
600 worth OF @rMOr for hattlrShp No.
- had been rejected because they are
Identical. Although Representative
Brittcn IS Il Republican, his bill fol-
lows generally the ideas Of Secretary
Daniels. who has reported that Il
trust evidently exists in the armOr
plate business and that the govern
ncnt Should have n plant Of It's own,
not to make all It's armor, but TO pro-
vide enough TO make competition with
the private nilS.
In addition, Representative Brittcn
Is about to take UP with several ecna-
tors the advisability Of changing the
Underwood tariff bill SO rs to admit
armor plate free Of duty.
Representative Eritten's bill provides
for the acquisition OF Il site, the cree
ton Of suitable buildings and the PRO
curing OF necessary machinery and
supplies for The establishment ans.
maintenance Of the plan. Active op-
crntions on the plant are to be begun
within six months after the passage OF
the bill.
in discussing his bill Representative
Brittcn said that he had hod in mind
for some months the Introducing of, n
'pian TINT would break up n possible
the trust now controlling the nrmor
plato situation In this country
"Thc opening Of the bids Of the navy
department for $4,000, 900 worth OF ar
nor for battleshlp No. 80, appropriated
for last year, in which the bids Of the
three nrnOr producing companies IN
the United States corrcSpOndcd exact
ly and giving the same amount per ton
rs last year. said Mr.. Erittcn, Shows
I III
the bidding regardless Of the fact that
each bidder attesis in an affidavit sub
1nitteG with his respective bids that
the company is not engaged in any
such agreement and proves cOnclusivc-
ly that competition for this enormous
amount of government business IS q
farce
"Thc only way to procure arInor
plate ut anything like reasonable
price Is for the government to enter
into direct competition in its manu-
fncture with the companies already
engaged IN this work. / am not in
favor Of entering into the field to
such an extent as to put the other ar
NOR producing companies out OF bust
ness, but to manufacture sufficient
amount Of this commodity so as to
force them Into competition and com
pei them to offer us their arnor at
least ut q fairly reasonable cost
investigations recently made in this
direction have shown that in Il govern
ment plant capable Of turning out
10000 tons q year, winch is about balf
Of the armor needed on n two battle
ship program, the cost Of the arlnOr
VIII not exceed S314 Il ton. The differ
ence between this md the amount bid
same per ton as the bids submitted
last year, S45t: on 1OGGO tons, at q
saving Of $40 per ton over the price
now paid, the government would save
S1,4O0,O0O per annum. Dcducting the