Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1915-12-16

fBY UIIooH
DEPENDENT % Monrfoot,re
.no government itself of powder,
.mor ~ plate, torpedoes, war vessels
- munitions of war, in order to
'.r ,oront the government from being
rnloited of enormous amounts in
'Nr i,oto rroft bv the steel trust and the
,or ring is the outstanding recon-
.ndotion in the report of Secretary
t tha Navy Josephus Daniels, made
to the president today
That the greatly increased building
,rogram recommended for the next
fro wears should be largely carried
oDt hv the department, is Daniels
contention.
Experience has demonstrated" he
cows that it has been sound public
roIicv for the government to be able
n manufacture smokeless powder. A
fow wears ago the government paid 30
cents pound to the private company
from which it purchased it's supply"
THE DUPONT powder trust.) "At
tbe first session of the siXty-third
congress | recommended an appropri-
alton to add to the plant at the naval
moving ground, the appropriation to
be large enough to enable the navy to
manufacture all the powder for it's Or
dipary needs. This year the product
was nearly 100000 pounds. Con-
ress made the appropriation and the
navy will soon be manufacturing in
its own plant at Indian Head all the
powder it needs at cost of rs cents
uer pound instead of the So cents it
has been paying to private manufac-
turers. The cost of manufacturing in
our own plant has steadily decreased.
II the 3,9S4,97S pounds manufactured
had been purchased, it would have
cost, at SO cents per pound, $2,112,-
03S34 Inasmuch as the actual cost
to the navy was 25 cents, the cost
was S996,244.50, or $1,115,793.84 less
than the price charged by the private
manufacturers. This saving is for
one year only"
Armor Plate
The secretary renews his recon-
mendation for a government armor
plate faCtory-another effort in the
quarter-century fight to eliminate the
private profit graft from armor con-
tracts.
1t has been demonstrated be-
yond controversy" says Mr.. Dan
ielS, that the prices charged by
tAe armor plate plants have no
reference to competition and lit
lie reference to the cost Of pro-
auction. 1t is estimated that
our government should estab-
lSA plant with the capacity of
IVVoO tons, armor plate could be
Manufactured at S262.79 per ton,
Ut factory with 10000 tons ca
paclty at $3.50 per ton. The price
charged the government for the
aSl armor plate purchased was
Ff-o per ton, and the price in
1915 was S455 on contract let
March 3, 1913, and $44O per ton
0n contract let November II, 1913
ana IN 1912, $42O per ton. This
'uo"S that a very large saving
'"n De effected if the congress
makes an appropriation in accord
aAce with my recommendation
'Of The erection of an armor plate
plant"
The Graft.
DdllleiS asserts that IL an
,on. Oi pate plant had been built in
u O "heh recommended by Secretary
"sfOert' the government would have
,a'eu enough money on armor plate
h, '"n plant as large as that owned
49,, al three of the private companies
M a III The meantime to have supplied
,ss, Hi0r plate for it's own ships at 9
tOpay." A 'p0i''
nroi.S'y .'ory Tor the manufacture o1
~rh 'e'''les is also recommended
Of i. navy can supply a large portion
n,"a 10 needs by the erection of thi,
The report. 'e' 'nereos' says
ben 'use private company ha.
D.do.' IN the habit Of selling it's tor
bv s's s's to foreign nations, and there
fa,,as'p ,a'sp'''ns of the secrets Of manu-
tn. a. worked out by navy expert.
sri,o ospa'tment found it necessary !,
judy. ss suit reports the secretary
IVA OF the circuit eour% oS =.