The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-12-26

The three men composing the inves-
dgatng board which has been appoint
ed to personally inspect the twenty
three sites recommended MS suitable
for the location OF tho proposed Sill
100000 government armor-Diate plant,
Will start on the work early neSA
month. and West Virginia will be about
the first state they will visit There
are Two sites recommended In that
Charleston and Huntington.
Moundsvtlle, which was ono OF the
original competitors. and was left out
OF the favored list of final rccommen-
dations, has been irving 10 apply
enough influence to get the visiting
board TO stop on there and give that
promising community the once over.
but hasn't been able to make its point
II IS unlikely that it will, for TO favor
MoundsN<ile this way would bring the
scores Of other equally as ambitious
ana doubtless as meritorious munich
pAiities back again at the navy depart
ment demanding the same concession.
The visiting board is composed OF Rear
ADMIRAL Frank F. Fletcher, Naval
Commander II. Clark and Rubin Back
enhause. consulting engineer Of Bos-
ton who has done considerable worlt
Tor the government in recent years.
| These three men. after personally in
| speeding and studying the twenty
/ three sites recommended as suitable.
/ will make q recommendation to Sec
| rotary of the Navy Daniels. Then fl
| viii be UP to that official to designate
! the one site. 1t is that fact which
Z occasions so many gunsses that the
plant will be located IN southern
state. and If that be the case, II, is
thought that Birmingham. Ala. viii
have the call. Set over against thar
opinion Is the argument that as Ala
hana seems quite certain to be desig-
mated as the location Of the proposed
government nitrate plant. which is to
be built at an initial cost of S2O,O0oO 1000.
1t is not probable that it will be given
he armcr plate plant, too. In the end
there is still another opinion-po-
litfcal pull Will have great deal 10
do with finally determining at what
Nl"ces. in that states. these two plants
viii be located, the merits OF several
places surviving the further process OF
elimination being equal. Proponents
OF competing places in the northern
states thereupon declare that the party
in power could gain nothing of any
value by building the plants in SOUTH
ern states. but would stand to gain by
placing them well up north OF Mason
and Dixon. At the very end of the
competition. the president is expected
to study the question and make the
final decision, passing the verdict along
to his secretary of the navy TO stand
for before the public And as the
final word upon the whole subject.
there is a growing feeling that neither
one OF the two immense appropriations
authorized will ever be used. or. al
least, not within the next few years
Robert ". Harper. the banker, who
Is chairman Of the Inauguration com
mittee, has completed appointing his
committees. The -ointees are of all
parties, which ats for the an
pointment of ex-S nator Nathan Bay
Scott, the Hon. Isaac T. Mann and
Capt Guy Scott. Mrs. Wesley Martin
Stoner, who campaigned for the lost
cause Of woman's suffrage in West Vir-
ginia and is, therefore. known to a
great many people in that state, is
NH.t ho hFsf,e NY,