The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-03-14

During First Year Of Office Secretary
Of War Has Called for Competitive
NJ. Bidding Saving $4,000, 900
OUTSIDERS GET PORTION OF PIE
Tavenner Brings Out Facts Concern.
ing Privileges Given Certain Army
I'd and Navy Officers

Washington March 14-Easy-go
Ing, generous, old Uncle Sam has
been passing out his hundreds so1
every. year for THE Army and
Navy, and the Army and Navy of.
f1cers have SO used the money thai
for each dollar expended the country
has received little more than so cents
worth of war materials. :
Congress has. been appropriatine
100000, 900 annually for the Army
alone or, to be exact, $1,O07, 41O,270
On the last 10 years, and then has
been permitting the Army officers tc
have practically a free rein in the ex.
penditure of these colossal sans
And Congress has been making a
mistake. % 81 5-..'~s>~' .-....s. Il @- :,
For instance, if 100000 is ap-
propriated for Field Artillery amm,4.
milton, the chief Of Ordance Is left
practicall free to purchase the ammu.
milton from outside manufacturers or
to manufacture 1t in the Government
arsenals. The same applies to the
Navy. ~ 49, . d -. Z ~~,..'...
- Get Bulk of Contracts
Under this practice. which gives
a few officers altogether too much
freedom in the handling of so many
millions of the peoples funds few
favored contractors have been able to
obtain the great bluk of the fat Gov.
contracts. re-. ~" T.
For instance, three concerns have
obtained from the Army and Navy
more then $100,00o,O00 worth OF
contracts in II years. These three
concerns have conspired to prevent
competitive bidding between them,
and the Army and Navy officers have
only winked at this teamwork on the
part of the armor and ammunition
trusts. .,. IT, p. 49,, /,
The Army and Navy officers have
shown q marked generosity in spend.
ing the peoples money with these
three concerns. They have been
paying the ring all the way from 20
to go per cent more than they could
have manufactured Identical or su.
perior guns, ammunition, and other
ammunitions for in the Government
arsenals and navey yards.
Saves Taxpayers 100000
Secretary OF the Navy Josephus
Daniels deserves the support of the
Nation in the courageous and eff
fective fight he is making to rescue
the Navy Department from the ten
der mercies of the armor ring. Fol
years the Navy has been dominated
by the armour ring. Having a
on the manufacture Of ar.
NOR plate in this country, the armo1
ring has been able to demand and
obtain extorionate prices for armo1
plate. Secretary Daniels called q
halt almost the first day he entered
office. Through real competitive
bidding he has already saved the Gov.
eminent more than 100000, and
has been In. office only one year.
Real Competitive Bidding
Recently he awarded a contract
for building 100 torpedo TASKS, in.
Guiding heads. There was competi.
tion; new contractors - entered the
field previously monopolized by the
ring, and the Secretary of the Navy
was able to purchase 100 TASKS fol
$5S,246 which under former. condi.
lions would have cost $115,076.
The bids of the Bethlehem Stee
Co., and the Midvale Steel Co., twt
of the three concerns comprising tn,
armor ring, under honest competi
tive bidding showed q reduction o.
"A per cent as compared with bid.
for similar forgoings submitted b,
these companies only four months
previous. ~ @a,,s-
Personally believe that these Of
ficers who in the expenditure of tn,
|people's money. have been paying
|s116,075 for supplies which coul,
have been obtained for $58,246
should, somewhere or in some man
ner. be- required to make a n,1h1i