The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-11-18
not been paid for armor and struc,ur-

not been paid for armor and struc,ur-
al steel.
Big Amounts Saved.
The Secretary has shown that the
haS been paying exhor-
hitant prices. On armor plate alone
he secured reductions amounting To
sll1.S74. Forcing competitive bids,
.s378.261 was saved on structural steel,
$4,000 on medium steel plates. So
on angle-iron and 100000 on
the castings for the big turbines
total of $502,26 reduction on steel.
which with the addition of armor
plate. makes a saving OF $614,lSo on
this one battleship. While h Secre-
tary did not consider that the prices
finally accepted were anywhere near
as low as they ought to have been.
he felt impelled to accept them to
prevent serious delay in construction
Of No. SO.
Il am Of course. pleased at the
saving on battleship No. 80 SAID
Secretary Daniels at h ime tho
final bids were accepted. "but l con-
slider the fight has only just begun.
This reduction is the mere prelimf-
nary skirmish, as it is my
eventually to secure armor for the
United States Navy at somewhere
tnear the actual cost of manufacture"
Herbert Favored Government Plant.
Gen. Hilary A. Herbert, who was
| Secretary of the Navy under Presi-
lent Cleveland's last administration,
is reported as strongly favoring the
building Of a government factory. Be
fore entering the cabinet General
Herbert was chairman OF the naval
affairs committee of the House. While
he was in the office he made a trip
to Europe, studying the naval estab-
lishments Of other nations. Few
Americans are familiar with naval
problems, and his Endorsement of the
Daniels plan will tell with Congress-
While the present plans go only as
far as armor plate, Secretary Daniels
points out that with it's own steel
plant the government could also make
it's gun-forgings with a saving al
most as important to the army as the
navy.
Would Enlarge Powder Factory.
It is understood that the Secretary
will also, in his report, ask for an
appropriation to enlarge the powder
factory at Indian Head, Nd, SO that
all the powder the navy requires can
be made there. The naval factory is
now making smokeless powder for
43 cents, when it a to pay the Du
Pont combination SO cents a pound.
win the enlargement OF the pres
ent plants and the building Of the
armor-plate factory, h government
would be in a much more independ-
ent position. I could make all its
guns. If necessary, in the gun factory
at the Washington Navy Yard; all
the torpedoes, for which high prices
are O paid, car be turned out at
Newport, R.. T., and all the powder
required can be manufactured at In
dian Head. Nd. The saving on all
these things would run into the mill
lions.
Mind Open on Armor Plant Site.
AS to the site for the armOr-plate
factory Secretary Daniels has an open
mind. He is not committed to any
city, but will hold the question of To-
lcatiOn in allegiance until Congress has
passed the bill and made the prelimi-
nary appropriation and a naval COM
mission has examined the various
sites proposed. Baltimore can start
on an eve basis with the other as
pirants. and it's numerous advantages
: ought to tell with the Secretary and
8 the nava commission when they come
, to choose the location.
: Representative Ware, of Pennsyl-
7 vania, today troduce a resolution
: for a commission to consider the es-
, Enlistment Of a government armOr-
plate factory at or ear Philadelphia
Other cities are also already in the
field. 1t is up to Baltimore to get
busy and present it's claims.