Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-09-13

Plan to Force Manufacturers to Keep
Prices Down-oovernment as Com
petitor Would Not Produce All OF Its
Own Plate--lnerease In Prices Has
Been Felt.
Washington Seven million dollars
10 provide for government armor
plate plant is asked for in bill intro
ducod 10y Representative Brittem Of u.
linois The bill was introduced coinci
dent with the announcement hy the
navy department that bids for $1,000.
o00 worth Of armor for hattleshp No
- had been rejected hccausc they are
Identical Although Representative
Brittcn is - Republican his bin fol
lows generally thu ideas of Secretary
Daniels. who has reported that a
trust evidently exists III the armor
plate business ard that the govern
ment should have plant Of It's own.
not to make all its urmor. hut 20 pro
vide enough 10 make competition with
the private mil~
In addition. Representative Briiten
is about to take ~ with several sena
tors the advlsabiity Of changing the
Underwood tariff bin SO as 20 admit
armor plate free of duty.
Representative Britieu'S bin provides
for the acquisition Of site. the cree
ton Of suitable buildings and the pro
curing of necessary machinery and
supplies for the establishment and
maintenance Of the plan Active OPP
crationS on the plant are 10 be begun
within six months after the passage Of
the bill
In discussing his bill Representative
Briiten said that he had had in mind
for some months the introducing Of a
plan that would break M II possible
the trust now controlling the armor
plate situation IN this country.
THE opening OF the bids Of the navy
department for S3.0G0eO0 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 correSponded exact
as last year." said Mr. Briitcn. shows
ccncusiycly the collision existing in
the bidding regardless of the fact that
each bidder attests in AN affidavit sub
mtted with his respective bids that
the company Is not engaged in any
such agreement aud proves conclusive
is that competition for this enormous
amount Of government business Is a
farce.
The only way To procure armor
plate nj anything like reasonable
price Is for the government TO enter
into direct competition in its manu-
facturc 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 a sufficient
amount Of this commodity 50 as to
force them into competition and com
pei them to offer Us their armor ut
least nj a fairly reasonable cost.
Investigations recently made IN this
direction have shown that Ia a govern
mcnt plant capable of turning out
10000 tons "a year. which is about half
~ the arinOr needed on a two battle
ship program. the cost Of tho armor
viii not exceed S3li a ton. The differ
cnce between this and the amount bid
last Tuesday. which was exactly the
same per ton as the bids submitted
last year. Si54: on 10000 tons. ut a
saving Of $40 per ton over the price
now paid. the government would save
81 100000 per annum. Deducting the
Interest on the money used in building
the plant, the government will still
save considerably over SlDo,ooo a
year. which amount In n 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 A. a business PROPOSE
iion the plant would net the govern.
mcnt more than Il per cent on the en-
tire Investment after allowing 3 per cent
on the total expenditure cor Sl.2D.Ocm.
"ln 1906 the price of armor plate was
SaiG ton. Ia 1907 the trust jumped Il
to $50 ton. ana last year il was rails
ed To Si5i ton The price goes M
constantly and remains up. and the
evidence Is not lacking that the price
nj the present time is based more upon
what tile companies think they can get
than what il costs
some years ago we were confronted
| with the same problem IN the purchas,
II powder tor the use Of the army and
the navy We built a powder plant
entered into direct competition with
the powder companies AMI today ar,
saving s@6S 80 On each ton 81 powder
I'VE manufacture our own powder II
part. We Manufacture our own guns
and there j. ~ reason IN the world
why We should not manufacture q
part of our own armor plate The cost
~ the plant Is not prohibiiive. and the
cost Of operation will not be severe
obstacle
~ nm convinced that thp govern