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VOL. XXXIV. CLEVELAND, JULY 12. 1906. No.3. ARMOR PLATE CONTRACT. The navy department has divided the contracts for armor plate for the battleships South Carolina and Michi- gan between the three companies that contested, the Carnegie Steel Co., the Bethlehem Steel Co. and the Midvale Steel Co. The bid of the Midvale Steel Co. was from $70 to $95 a ton lower than those of the other two companies. It is given one-half the work to do and the other two companies get one- fourth each, but at the prices named in the Midvale Co.'s bid of $346 per ton. In explanation of the division of the work, Secretary Bonaparte, of the navy department, issued the following state- ment. "The bid of the Midvale Co. is the lowest not only in the aggregate, but for each one. of the four classes. All of the bids, however, are lower than any price heretofore paid by the govern- ment, for the like armor, and lower, so far as the department is informed, than is paid by any foreign govern- ment. The department is advised that both the Carnegie and the Bethlehem companies will be completely out of work for their respective armor plants within a short time unless they obtain some portion of this contract, and that the plants in question will be unavoid- ably shut down and the force therein employed discharged and scattered in the .contingency mentioned. This statement seems to be admitted as true by all parties interested. "The contractual relations of the government with the Midvale company have been hitherto satisfactory, but some doubt has been entertained as to its ability to comply with its existing contracts, and it is in fact slightly be- hind the time originally fixed in its de- liveries, although the evidence before the department does statement that it cannot comply with the terms of a contract to manufacture and deliver the whole of the armor in question, and it avers and offers to guarantee its ability so to do." not justify the "The secretary of the navy is con- vinced that the best results would be attained in this case, and the most ex- peditious delivery of the armor in ques- tion would be secured if the contract were divided between the three bid- ders. It seems to him clear that it would be against public policy and the best interests of the naval service, and, more especially, would seriously affect the assurance of good results and expeditious delivery of materials under this particular contract, if the govern- ment were to find itself obliged to trust to a single armor plant to supply its needs, all American competitors having retired, at least temporarily, from the business, and the purchase of armor abroad or its manufacture by the government itself being at present for- bidden by law. THEIR BIDS REDUCED, "The Carnegie and Bethlehem com- panies are willing, and have offered to reduce their bids to that of the Mid- vale company, and to take at the prices there fixed by their competitor any portions of the contract which may be assigned to them, and it seems clear to the secretary of the navy that in the exercise of the discretion re- posed in him by the act, it will be ad- visable to divide the said contract, as- signing one-half thereof to the Mid- vale company, at its prices, and one- fourth thereof, at the same prices, to each of the two other companies; it being his judgment and belief that, to attain with certainty the best results and most expeditious delivery the Midvale company should be properly -assigned one-half of the contract, but no more, and if practicable at the same prices, the other half should be assigned to its two competitors." REACHES ITS DESTINATION. The dry dock Dewey which started from Solomon's Island, Dec. 28 last, arrived at its destination at Olongapo on July 10. The-dry dock was built by the Maryland Steel Co., Sparrow's Point, Md. As soon as official confir- mation had been received by the navy department of the safe arrival of the dry dock at its destination, Secretary Bonaparte cabled his congratulations to the officers in charge of this most ex- traordinary towing act. The towing of the structure through the Suez canal was under the supervision of the aged head' pilot of the canal, Pappa Tue old man was under medical attention two of the nights that the Dewey was in the. canal. Com'dr Hosley who commanded the flotilla towing the Dewey, sent the old pilot a letter of appreciation and has recomended that some suitable trophy be given to him for his services by the navy. depart- ment. The Dewey was convoyed by the colliers Brutus, Caesar, Glacier and the navy tug Potomac. The towing machines supplied by the American Ship Windlass Co. gave exceptional service. What with adverse winds and hard 'seas progress at times was lim- © ited to a knot an-hour, but the great structure was at no time in any danger STUYVESANT DOCK | STRIKE SETTLED. oy New Orleans, July 12, 1906.--The strike of the freight handlers on the' Stuyvesant docks, which threatened for a while to tie up the entire river front of New Orleans, has been finally set- tled and the men went peacefully back to work this morning. They have ac- cepted the compromise of the railroad company and? will receive 18 cents an hour for ten hours' work, instead of 20 cents an hour for nine hours' work. At one time it was feared that all the other unions along the river front would be drawn into the controversy and that a serious tie-up of the ship- ping interests would result. The rail- road company had 500 strike-breakers at hand ready to put to work but made no attempt to use them, refraining from doing so until absolutely sure there was no chance of securing an amicable adjustment of the differences,