The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-02-25
URGE GOVERNMENT
OWNED FACTORY
Only One Less Battleship Would Build
Armour Manufacturing Establish
ment-Pay For Itself
SAVE. 100000 EACH YEAR
Record Shows Three Companies
Il. Charge United States Much Too
High Prices and Agitate War

From Congressman C. H. Tavenner
Washington, Feb. 25-One less
battleship and a government armor
plate factory i'm its stead!
Not a few members of Congress
are thinking of the above as a wise
solution of the naval program for
this year. The idea will be
thrashed out in the halls of Congress
within few days now.
:: 'Battleships nowadays cost $14,-
100000. An armor plate factory
that would save the government $4,-
100000 annually would cost about
100000 or $s,000,000: It. would
pay for itself in two years, in three
years at the outside.
A government armor platefactory
would also serve another. purpose. 1t
would likely have a tendency to dim
Irish the systematic agitation car
ried on in this country for an ever
and ever increased amount or ar
rlament, which agitation is especial
ly systematic about the time the
army and navy bills are before Con-
gress each year.
For years the government has
been at the tender mercies of the ar
NOR ring, composed of the Beth
leham Steel Company, the Midvale
Steel company and the Carnegie Steel
company. This ring of manufacture
ers has outrageously overcharged the
government for armor.
:. For years the armor ring has do
minated the Navy department like
the ammunition ring dominated the
War department. The armor ring
is not dominating the present Sec
rotary Of the Navy, Mr.. Daniels,
however. Secretary Daniels is
making public the manner in which
the ring has been overcharging the
government, and is enthusiastically
advocating a government artnor fac
tory.
Without an armor plant of it's
own" says Secretary Daniels, "the
government in time of war or i'm
pending war would be entirely at
the mercy of these three manufacture
ers and obliged to pay practically
whatever price they asked. His
tory does not warrant an assumption
that the patriotism of these COM
pantes would prove superior to their
desire for profits, inasmuch as dur
ing the time that war with Spain
was imminent, these companies re-
fused to accept the price fixed by
Congress after investigation as a just
rate and declined to manufacture
any armor until they get their own
price of 500 a ton more.
"The love of country possessed by
these companies did not prevent
them from furnishing armor to Rus
sic, as reported to Congress, in 1894
at $249 a ton, while they were
charging the United States $616 a
ton. Even at the present day, &C
cording to information that seems
reliable, they are furnishing the ar.
NOR for the Haruna, now being built
by the Kawasaki Co. at Kobe for ia.
pan, at $406 a ton as against the
price, ranging from $40 to $40 8
ton. which they are now charging
us.
II do not see how it is possible
for Congress to Justify to the people
a refusal to erect a government plan
nor how it can answer the charge
that will invariably be ibrough up
that the same mysterious Providence
which saved the profitable business
to the steel companies three times il
the past, even after money for a gov
ernment plant had actually been ap
propniated. is not still at work ex
ercising it's fbeneficent protection
over these lusty specimens of infan
industries, who are even now unde
Government investigation as viala
tors of the antitrust law"
- Unclaimed Letters.
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