The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-22

severe, nor even as severe, as those
enforced abroad, and that shells thai
could meet these tests were actually
being manufactured abroad and could
be manufactured here.
Some American companies seemed
| to think it was our duty to let them
go ahead in the same old way, manu-
featuring shells inferior to the best
rather than to expect them to improve
their product. Of course, their pleas
and even their thinly yelled threats
to go out Of business if we did not
concede this right to them were ig-
nored. r..
II regret to say that these COM
panies, apparently secure in the be-
lief that we would have to take what
ever kind of shells they manufac-
| tured anyway and at any price they
saw fit to make, have not improved
their projectiles to meet the require
ments. I would be most reluctant to
publish their figures did not believe
that they were we'll known abroad,
and in view of this fact I feel no harm
can be done in letting our own coun-
try know the facts
"Out of thirty-four 14-inch shells
submitted by the Bethlehem Stee!
Co. for the test, three passed. per-
centage of 8.8. The Crucible Steel
co. managed to get 37.7 per cent; OF
the sample shells submitted passed
and the Midvale, which apparently
showed more enterprise and real de-
sire. to bring up the standard than
others, passed 10 per cent-a most
gratifying improvement over the
others and which shows that our con-
tention that American companies can
produce good shells is we'll found
ed.
"Of the shells submitted by the
Hadfields, Ltd, consisting of three
sample shells and six additional test
shells, not a single one failed to meet
all the requirements.
I'm view Of this record and of the
necessity of having our ammunition
equal to that of other countries, I
feel that i would have been GRIMM
ally negligent, even if no question of
price. were. involved, in refusing to
accept the bid of the Hadfelds. 7
am determined that our navy shall
nave as good ammunition as any 9TH
er nation, and # possible, better
ammunition, and will buy such am
munlt1on at any time and any place
that 1t can be best obtained
Government Competition.
"As I have repeatedly pointed out,
all questions of price or profits being
eliminated, a monopoly invariably
leads to stagnation. It is only hu-
man nature for a firm, certain of get
ting an order to avoid the expense of
the experiments and improved pro-
cesses required to improve the quality
of it's. goods. This is exactly what
happened in the manufacture of ar
NOR piercing projectiles. Nothing
could better illustrate the necessity
OF competition, if, we are to keep
abreast Of other governments and of
the soundness of my contention that
If competition cannot be secured 9TH
erWlse the government itself must
compete.
AS to the contention that by es-
tabiishing*a navy plant we are going
to force private manufacturers out of
business, it is an absurd and unten-
able theory. Our requirements, with
an eVer-increasing. navy will of ne
cesslty be greater each year than the
year previous. There will always be
plenty OF work for the private manu-
1acturers SO long as they are willing
TO improve their product so as to keen
abreast of foreign governments and
to quote, a just and reasonable price
for what they make..
have never had in mind a navy
plant of greater capacity, working one
shift of men, than one-third of the
total \amount required by the, navy.
The two-thirds left for the private
with our new ships in
commission will be greater than the
whole amount of a few years ago.
Up to Manufacturers.
only in case of an utter failure on
the part Of the. private manufacturers
to. keep their product abreast of the
times or to quote prices in any way
reasonable would it be necessary for
the navy, by working three shifts in
stead of one. to manufacture enough
material to cover our entire needs.
In recent years the navy has built |
some OF its own ships, has mahufac- !
,ured large amount Of it's own DOW |
aer and has also undertaken to man |
fracture number Of smaller articles /
which are also purchased, yet today |
We have more work for the sfipyardsI
han they can handle. The powder
are still receiving con-
,ractS and in the smaller materials
We have no complaints from the pri-
rate manufacturers that we have
driven them out of business. The
heory that a navy plant will result
n a government monopoly has been
hxy hot |
Is well as being obviously unsound."
Rumanians Confer