New-York tribune., 1913-07-30
He Adopts New Scheme of Bids
Against Urgent Protests Of
Expert Advisers.
PRICE PER TON INCREASED
Secretary Fails to Realize Tha,
Only Certain Grades of Fuel
Are Productive of
High Efficiency.
from The Tribune Bureau1

Washington, July 29.-The Secretary a,
the Navy. by rejecting the advice OF er.
perienced naval engineers and !nslstins
upon n scheme of his own for obtainins
coal for naval vessels. has cost the navy
a considerable sum Of money BY adont.
ing against the urgent protests Of his ex.
pert advisers a scheme which had the an.
pearance of broadening the competition
for navy fuel Mr.. Daniels actually has
narrowed the competition, some OF tha
producers Of the required type OF coal
having refused TO submit new bids and
to enter into the general competition de-
mahded by the Secretary.
The contracts for the years supply Of
coal have just been placed. They nvolve
the purchase of 10000 tons, at a cost Of
approximately 81, $4,000. How mucn money
would have been saved had the Secretary
been content TO accept the bids originally
submitted is not disclosed, although II is
known that 1t would have been consider
allie.
Tt has long been the unanimous opinion
OF naval experts that the efficiency OF the
fleet would be impaired seriously and un-
warrantably were any other than hat
coal which will produce the best results
purchased fer rsval vessels. Because
only the coal from certain known mines
attained TO that high standard. reached
after the most careful research and eT-
pcrimentatio which has long been de-
manded. il has been the custom 10 place
the contract only with such firms as were
known TO be I'm position to furnish coal
Of the required standard.
When Secretary Daniels learned that
some five or six firms controlling certain
mines I'm West Virginia Virginia, Mary
land and Pennsylvania we're invited 70
bid for the navy contracts he expressed
great surprise and Immediately ordered
that the bids already secured be rejected
and that the paymaster general prepare
specifications and advertise for bids IN a
manner designed to produce general COM
petition.
In vain II was pointed out to Mr.. Dan
lels that this general competition would
avail nothing. as most OF the bids would
come from firms handling coal which does
not come up 70 the naval specifications
and that fuel is an important factor in
feet efficiency.
When the bids were opened It was found
that the bidding was still confined TO the
preferred class Of dealers, but that not al!
of them had entered the competition. They
had already been asked 20 submit bids on
which these contracts were 70 be based
and they did not relish the idea Of having
their original lids rejected and new lot
Of bids invited.
on the reopenins Of the bids. with the
opportunities for increased competition
II vas found that the coal TO be delivered
nj New York was at price considerably
greater than that hitherto prevailing. Ihe
nr,ce for coal delivered at Norfolk vas
the same.
The opinion is gaining ground rapla!
among those members OF Congress VINO
have the best interests Of the navy al
heart that the administration Of Secretary
Daniels is going to be most costly one
and this is the more to be deplored because
:, is feared that when 1t comes TO making
appropriations the Democratic Congress
canno- be induced TO look at anything oNt
the total cost OF the navy. so tnat Ihe ~
creased cost due 10 errors OF admlhIsIfa-
,iop will be deducted from such sums as
otherwise might be allotted for Increased
constr 4ctiCn.