The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-08-19
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\ SECRETARY OF NAVY \
x SAVES LARGE SUM 4

= SECRETARY OF NAVY
SAVES LARGE SUM 4
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(By Congressman c. H. Tavenner.)
When Mr.. Daniels. for many years
editor and publish Of the Raleigh
(N. CO. News and Observer, was
sworn in as secretary of the navy and
had time to look about him, he found
that the peoples money was being
wasted by the payment of excessive
prices for armor and practically all
articles required for the navy.
Throughout his two years in the cab
met he has been earnestly endeavor-
ing to rescue the public treasury from
the patriots for war, who year in
and year out have been helping them
selves, seemingly at will, from the
public crib. Secretary Daniels has
saved the government some $2,00C,-
900, which is but drop in the bucket
to the amount he could save if he
could obtain government manufacture
of everything.
In his first annual report for the
year 1913 Secretary Daniels asked
for an appropriation for an armor-
plate factory. I quote from that re-
port:
II desire to recommend the pas
sage at the earliest moment Of suf-
fcient appropriation to begin the
construction of government armOr
plant to relieve the situation which,
in my estimation, is intolerable and
at total variance with the principles
of economy in spending government
money. Only three firms in this
country can manufacture armor plate
and these firms have put in bids for
armor plate seldom varying over
few dollars, and in many instances
being Identical to cent. Asked for
reasons as to the uniformity of these
bids, two of the firms replied frankly
that as the contract would be divided
among them anyway, the only effect
of competitive bids would be to re-
duce the profits made by all of the
three firms.
"By manufacturing armor plate in
it's own plant the government will be
able to keep for it's own use many
improvements in the manufacture or
composition of it's armOr that may
be developed. The last word has not
been said in armor, and past history
shows that great improvements in
the manufacture and design of armor
plate have been made. The greater
part of these improvements were sue-
gested by actual experience gained
by naval officers. Under our present
system of obtaining our armor plate
from private companies such i'm
provements become the property of
all the world and can be obtained
by anybody who cares to buy them;
Even now the improvements in armor
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navy have been embodied in the war
ship of another nation recently fin
ished by the Bethlehem Steel COM
pany and put into commission. This
is not an argument lightly to be dis
regarded in favor of government
armOr plant, nor has it been over
looked, for instance, by Japan, which
has erected it's own armOr-making g
plant and surrounded it with such
are able to tell whether or not at
this minute the Japanese armOr may
not be superior to any other in ex-
istence. In addition to Japan, the
French government, after expert
menting with factory capable of
producing only the lighter weights
of armor, is charging the government
plant so as to permit the production
of thick plates, and Russia has had
it's own armor-plate factory for some
time.
| II do not see how it is possible for
congress to justify to the people a
refusal to erect government plant,
nor how it can answer the charge
that will invariably be brought UP
that the same mysterious Providence
which saved this profitable business
to the steel companies three times in
the past, even after money for gov
ernment plant had actually been ap-
nr0nriated is MT still at work oY,.