Connecticut western news., 1917-01-25

the war began
 We agrepd-if the Government would abandon its plans for Federal plant to make armOr for our Navy at amy p''ice he GOrerHmeHt itself might con- slider fair.
 Our ordnance plants are at the dis. poSal of the nation at fair operating cost plus g small margin. thus savin" the Government investment and de- preciation.
 One of the special needs of the new navy is siXteen-inch gunS-guns sixty feet long and capable of hurtling a 2O00 pound shell with such power and accuracy as to hit 50 foot square tar get fifteen miles away.
 We have undertaken voluntarily to construct. at a cost of $4.50O.0O0 plant fitted to build SiXteen-inch guns.
 Under no conceivable circumstances car orders which we may receive for this plant pay even a fair return on the investment.
 Considerable comment has been made upon the fact that British manufac. turer recently bid less than American manufacturers for sixteen and four teen-inch shells for the navy. am unable to state the basis upon which the English bid was made. It should be remembered. however that this bid was for specific shell, sam pe> of which are being sent over for test-a test not yet made.
 TwC years ago we took an order for at l. contract price of $76S,OOO. to be delivered within certain time or we had to pay large penalty.
 The only specifications for making these shells are that they shall be of certain size and must pierce armor-plate at certain velocity on i'm pact It is impossible to foretell the exact conditions of the tests. We had made large quantities of shells in the past which had been accepted. But in placing this particular order the Department altered the angle at which the tested shells must pierce armor plate. The result. however. has been ! absolute inability on our part to pro. duce in any quantity. shells which will meet these novel tests In fact. we know of no process of proiectile- e-mak- ing through which it is possible to pro- duCe in quantities shells which will conform to the requirements The result is that up to now on that contract of $76S.O0O. we have put into actual operating expense $l47. .SS1. and l ha,. sl 1 $495.744.. total of $943. .G25. with no receipts whatever.
 Such was the experience in the light of which we were called upon recent ly tO bid for SiXteen-inch shells. We bid on these shells at aPproxi- mately the same rate per pound as that of a fourtcen-inch shell contract 1 of one year ago upon which the Gov ernment awarded contracts. ! We have not the slightest idea what profit there will be in the making of these shells. We do not know that there will be any. There is no certain. i ty that it would be possible for us to deliver a shell to meet the test. For officers in the Navy to assume i that any bid made under such condi. tions is "eXorbitant' is utterly unfair [ We bid on the new battle-cruiSers sums which Navy department experts. i after examination of our books. found
 would yield a profit of less than ten 1 per cent. We agreed to assume risks | for increased costs of materials and la. l bOr. that made it possible that these
 contracts might yield no profit what.
 ever
 The costs run beyond the amount ap prnpriated ny Congress on the basis of
 the cost estimates made year ago.
 And because ShipbuilderS could not
 alter the memorable cost facts and re
 duce bids to early estimates of the 1 Navy Department. the prices are called
 "eXOrbitant."
 , It would be a real advantage to be
 relieved of this naval construction. The
 profit from it cannot possibly amount
 to much, and the responsibility is enor
 nous.
 We have determined to make this
 offer to the American Government.
 "If you will build two of the battle. cruisers ill Government navy yards
 we will build the other two at the us certained cost of building the ships in the Government yards. without addi tiCmG' CT"C.Sr commissions oi duy
 kind. We will also contract to have
 our ships ready for service ahead of ! tba Gorarn1Oant shine "