The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-09-15
WANTS U.S.PLANT
FOR ARM0R PLATE
House Bill Calls For Expendt-
turs Of 100000.
AIMED At ALLEGED TRUST.

Been Felt.
Washington.-Seven million dollars
to provide for q government armor
plate plant Is asked for In a bill intro
duced by Representative Britten of IL
linois. The bill was introduced coinci-
dent with the announcement by the
navy department that bids for $780,
900 worth Of for battleship No.
80 had been rejected because they are
identical. Although Representative
Britten is a Republican, his bill fol
lows generally the ideas Of Secretary
Daniels. who has reported that a
trust evidently exists In the armor
plate business and that the govern
ment should have a plant Of Its own,
not to make all its armor. but to pro-
vide enough to make competition with
the private mills.
In addition. Representative Britten
is about to take up with several sena-
tors the advisa bility Of changing the
Underwood tariff bill so as to admit
armor plate free OF duty.
Representative Britten's bill provides
for the acquisition of a site, the erec-
ton OF suitable buildings and the pro-
curing Of necessary machinery and
supplies for the establishment and
maintenance of the plan. Active op-
erations on the plant are to be begun
within six months after the passage of
the bill.
In discussing his bill Representative
Britten said that he had had In mind
for some months the introducing of a
plan that would break up II possible
the trust now controlling the armor
plate situation In this country.
The opening Of the bids Of the navy
department for 100000 worth Of ar
NOR for battleship No. 80, appropriated
for last year. In which the bids Of the
three armor producing companies In
the United States correspondent exact
ly and giving the same amount per ton
as last year." said Mr.. Britten. shows
~conclusively the collusion existing in
the bidding regardless of the fact that
each bidder attests In an affidavit sub
mitted with his respective bids that
the company Is not engaged In any
such agreement and proves conclusive
ly that competition for this enormous
amount of government business Is a
farce.
The only way to procure armor
plate at anything like a reasonable
price Is for the government to enter
into direct competition in Its a
facture with the companies already
engaged in this work. I am not In
favor Of entering into the field to
such IN extent as to put the other ar
NOR producing companies out OF bust
ness, but to manufacture a sufficient
amount Of this commodity 30 as to
force them into competition and COM
pei them to offer us their m at
least at a fairly reasonable cost.
investigations recently made In this
direction have shown that In a govern
ment plant capable Of turning out
10000 tons a year, which IL about half
Of the armor needed On a two battle
ship program. the cost Of the armor
will not exceed $314 a ton. The differ
ence between this and the amount bid
last Tuesday, which was exactly the
same per ton as the bids submitted
last year. $454; on 10000 tons. at a
saving Of $40 per ton over the price
now paid. the government would save
$1,4O0,OOO per annum. Deducttng the
interest on the money used In building
the plant, the government will still
save considerably over 100000 a
year, which amount In a very short
time will completely cover the cost Of
the plant, and at the same time we
viii be independent of this branch Of
the steel trust. As q business PROPOSE
ton the plant would net the govern
ment more than II per cent OF the en-
tire investment after allowing 3 per cent
on the total expenditure Tor $1,200.00O.
I'm 1905 the price Of armor plate was
$346 a ton, In 1907 the trust jumped 1t
to $40 a ton, and last year It was rails
ed to $454 a ton. The price goes up
constantly and remains up. and the
evidence IL not lacking that the price
at the present time ia based more upon
III the companies think they al get
than what 1t costs.
Some years g we were confronted
with the same problem In the purchase
Of powder for the use Of the army and
the navy. We built a powder plant,
entered into direct competition with
the powder companies and today r
saving $26S.80 On each ton Of powder.
I'VE manufacture our own powder In
part. We manufacture our own guns,
and there Is no reason In the world
why we should not manufacture q
part Of our own armor plate. The cost
OF the plant Is not prohibitive, and the
cost Of operation will not be a severe
obstacle.
II am convinced that the govern
ment should erect a plant large enough
to manufacture q goodly portion Of the
armor plate required and give the rest
of the work to such firms A. are will
ing to bring their prices down to what
will be shown hy the nlnnt