The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-23
ARMoR PLATE AWARD.

AhMOS y WfAAO.
Secretary Daniels Of the Navy De-
partment appears to be obsessed with
the idea that the government should
build an armor plate factory. When
he called for bids for armor plate
early last summer, the different com
panies, the Bethlehem. the Midvale. and
the Carnegie. submitted identical bids.
These bids were about rs heretofore,
little over $500 a ton Not long ago
we printed table from the u. S. Navy
Year Book. which showed that for
Krupp armor and for armor of the
same grade, the United States pays
less per ton than does Japan, Austria,
Italy, Germany, England, or Russia.
The United States has been paying
$4l3 per ton, while Russia pays 500
per ton for the same quality of armor.
The other nations pay along between
these figures, Great Britain paying
$445; Germany, $500; Japan, $500;
France, $44S.
II appears that Secretary Daniels OBJ
jected to the bids submitted on two
grounds; first, that the Identical fig
ures indicated a combine against the
government; second, that they were
government to put in an armor plate
plant rather than accept the bids. The
Secretary, however, determined TO give
the companies another chance 10 bid
before he proceeded to plead with Con-
gress to put in government plant
The lowest Of the new bids shows re-
duction Of $14 ton below the figures
of last summer, as given above. This
bid was by the Midvale company, and
is estimated TO save the government
on the contracts awarded, that is, the
cost Of armor plate for Battleship
No 80" total Of $1ll,S75.
II is clear case, however, that the
government would lose money in case
it put up a plant Of its own, for the
investment would be very great, prob
and equip a plant capable of doing SUI
perior work. When we remember that
all public work done in the name Of
the government is immensely more
costly than that done at private con
tract the case is undoubted that the
government could not depend upon its
own plant to keep prices down, even
to where the supposed combine fixed
them before. The only protection for
the government would be to mako for
itself in part, and give out contracts
In part, precisely as it now does in the
matter Of the purchase of guns and am.
munition. For only thus could the
government be sure that it was not
paying excess prices for everything
which it made.
Secretary Daniels expresses himself
as immensely pleased with the saving
indicated, but he states that "the
fight has only just begun; and this re-
duction is mere preliminary sllirmish,
as it is my intention to eventually Sc
cure armor for the United States Navy
at the cost of manufacture. - lie be
heves that this can be achieved
through the erection Of a government
armor plant, and he announces that he
will lose no opportunity to urge upon
Congress tho necessity of its construc-
tion. The government is able, of
course, to put up an armor plate plant,
and 1T is quite possible that Secretary
Daniels is correct In his opinion, at
least in part. The government, how
ever, would not he able to make armor
plate at as low rate and of as good
quality as private plant could do.
But such a plant could at least afford
a gauge Of cost, which might be worth
the price of it TO the government, Still,
it is likely that Congress would 90
slow IN this matter, since it would take
an immense amount of armor plate ia
equal in cost the difference which the
government might pay for tho erection
of plant of its own, compared with
the possible saving it could make; and
in the long run it is extremely doubtful
whether the construction of such a
plant would be an economic ADVANTAGE
In the meantime, however, the Sec.
retary has made substantial saving
on this particular bid, and is entitled
to credit accordingly