Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-27
MTDVALE PART
OF A COMBINE,
TILLMAN SAYS
Senator From South Carolina
Charges Big Corporations
Are in League to Fix
Prices of Steel.
Congressional investigator Runs
Into snag When He Asks Sc
crets Of Anmor Industry in
company's Books.

United States Senator Benjamin n.
Tillman, OF South Carolina, today
charged the Midvale steel Company was
in combine with the Carnegie steel
Company and the South Bethlehem
steel Company
The charge was made during Senator
Tillman's visit to the plant Of the Mid
vale company I'M Nicetown Senator
Tillman is here with special congress
sional committee conducting hearing
to determine the feasibility Of the pro-
posed Government-owned armor plant
The committee adjourned to the execu-
tive offices of the Midvale Company after
making an inspection Of the plant
Senator Tlllman made request for
books Of the company. The books asked
for by the Senator showed the profits Of
the company. whose value is assessed az
s1S.OOOoOO.
COMBINE FIXES PRICES"
officers of the company refused this
request.
THE Midvale Steel Company, in my
opinion. is in n combine with the Car
negie Steel Company and the South
Bethlehem steel companies, which control
the price of armor plates" said Senator
TIllman.
Later Senator Tillman, In discussing the
hearing. said:
Il am firmly convinced the Government
must make its armor to fortify itself
against the robbery which has prevailed
in the past"
The committee is composed of Senator
Tillman. Congressman l.. p. PadRett, OF
Tennessee: Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss.
chief of the Bureau of Naval Ordnance.
and c. G. Block, an assistant in the bu-
reau.
For several days the committee has
been making an inspection of other i'm.
portant armor plants in the country.
They will return to Washington probably
tonight and later make their report 10
gathered.
During the hearing Senator TilIman
made Inquiries about the cost OF arnor
plate, the cost of manufacture, the SELL
ing price and the profits. To all these
questions the officers of the company re-
FUSED to reply. Then the South Carolina
Senator made n requeut to look over the
different entries In the books which com
tain the so-called secret
WOULD NOT PRODUCE BOOKS
This request was also denied. When
Senator Tillman asked whether the books
would be shown to Government inspectors
he was informed they would not
Among the features discussed by Sena-
tor Tillman at the hearing and at which
all statements by employees of the steel
company were given under oath, was the
possibility of the Government becoming
a partner of the Midvale Steel Company.
w. p. Barba, general manager of the
Midvale Steel Company, said such a plan
or suggestion would be encouraged.
Although the committee has not the
power to decide on the location OF the
derstood that its recommendations az
the House, which is to determine the
Members of the committee have
been quoted as saying they favor the To-
cation of the plant near the coast. This
augurs well, it is thought. for PhlIadel-
phla, with the many ADVANTAGES 1t offers
as the location of an armor plate manu-
factory.
Senator Tillman, Representative Pad
sett and Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss
the committee. ACCOMPANIED
by secretaries, they have visited the
llants OF the Carnegie Steel Company
Il Pittsburgh and of the Bethlehem
steel Company at South Bethlehem, con-
iucting hearings at both places a. 10
he cost OF steel and the possibility OF
he Government operating a plant OF its
'wn. All the testimony taken was under
lath.