Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-29
Mr.. Britten's Bill in House Calls
for Expenditure of
100000.
PLAN TO FORCE "TRUST"
TO KEEP PRICES DOWN
Government, as Competitor, Would
Not Manufacture All Its
Own Plate.

government armor plate plant Is asked
for in bill introduced today by Repre-
sentative Britten of Illinois. The bill
was introduced coincident with the an
nouncement by the Navy Department
that bids for 100000 worth of armor
for battleship No. 80 had been rejected
because they are identical. Although
Representative Britten is a republican,
his bin follows generally the ideas of
Secretary Daniels, who has reported that
trust evidently exists in the armor-
plate business and that the government
should have a plant Of it's own. not to
make all its armor, but to provide enough
to make competition with the private
mills.
In addition Representative Britten is
about to take up with Senator Sherman
the advisability of changing the Under
wood tarin bill SO as to admit armor
plate free of duty.
Provisions Of the Bill.
Representative Britten's bill provides
for the acquisition of a site the erection
of suitable buildings and the procuring OF
necessary machinery and supplies for the
establishment and maintenance of the
plant. Active operations on the plant are
to be begun within six months after the
passage Of the BILL
The bill provides for the appointment
by the Secretary Of the Navy OF a board
consisting of three officers of the navy
TWO members OF the committee on naval
affairs of the Senate and two members
OF the committee on naval affairs of the
House, to select a suitable site for the
erection OF the plant. No money ia to
be expended until the site selected shall
oe approved by the Secretary of the
Navy.
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 at the NAVY
Department Tuesday for s. 100000 worth
OF arnor for battleship No, 80. appro-
priated for last year, In which the bids
OF the three armor-producing companies
IN the United States corresponded exact
~, ana 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 submitted
with his respective bids that the company
Is not engaged In. any such agreement.
and proves conclusively that competition
TOR this enormous amount Of government
business IL q farce.
No q. s. Monopoly.
The only way to procure armor plate
at anything like reasonable price is
for the government to enter into direct
competition In its manufacture 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 armor-producing companies out
OF business but to manufacture a suffi-
to force them into competition, and COM
pei them to offer us their armor at least
at q fairly reasonable cost.
investigations recently made in this
direction have shown that in a govern
ment plant capable of turning out 10000
tons year, which is about half of the
armor needed on a two-battleship pro-
gram, the cost of the armor will not ex-
ceed $3l4 ton. The difference 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 saving of $40 per ton
over the price now paid. the government
would save 81, 100000 per annum Deduct
ing the interest on the money used in
building the plant, the government will
still save considerably over a million
dollars year, which amount in a very
short time will completely cover the cost
will be Independent Of this branch of
the steel trust. AS q business proposi-
ton the plant would net the government
more than IL per cent on the entire in
vestnent, after allowing per cent on
the total expenditure (or $1,2OO,OOO).
Increase in the Price.
I'm 1908 the price of armor plate was
&348 ton, in 1907 the trust jumped it
to $40 a ton, and last year it was raised
to $4H ton. The price goes up con-
stantly and remains up, and the evidence
is not lacking that the price at the pres
ent time is based more upon what the
companies think they can get than what
1t costs.
Some years ago we were confronted
with the same problem In the purchase of
navy. We built powder plant entered
into direct competition with the powder
and today are saving $28S 50
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 opera
ton will not be a severe obstacle.
IT am convinced that the government
should erect plant large enough to
a goodly portion of the
armor plate required. and give the rest
of the work to such firms as are willing
to bring their prices down to what will
be shown by the government plant to be
a reasonable figure This Is the intent
of my bill. and to this end propose to
use my best efforts"
ASKS COSTS Of ARMOR|