and recreation day. Some of them have by private subscription purchased and improved fair grounds and other recreation places, and there has long been a demand for a Federal law that would permit a county as such to select some suitable scenic spot for a general outing place for the county. This bill recognizes that commendable public demand and authorizes a county, as well as cities and towns, to locate not to exceed a section of land for public-park purposes. This is an exceedingly important provision. It is a recognition for the first time apparently of the right of the farming population to have a suitable outing place of their own. In some instances two or more counties meet at some place once or twice every year. They go as far as 100 miles in their automobiles, and several hundred automobile loads of people congregate at some attractive spot and take their families and have a general barbecue and picnic and recreation day. The committee feels that there could be no higher or better use made of a suitable portion of the public domain, if such can be obtained within a county, than to allow that county to make such selection and own and improve it and take a proprietary interest in preserving it as a place to hold their outings and picnics and public out-door gatherings. The committee feels that it is unnecessary to urge upon the House the importance of encouraging county parks. These playgrounds are looked upon as reservoirs of health and happiness.

There has never in our history been such a need and growing demand for public recreation places as there is at the present time, and suitable localities of natural scenic beauty should be preserved and used for public outing places, and thereby benefit the lives of millions of people physically, mentally, and morally. The tendency of our Nation and of every State, and of every city in the United States, is to encourage the creation of more outing places. The strenuous lives which the American people are living require out-door recreation and relaxation, and our city, State, and national parks are one of our greatest health assets. Therefore, the committee unanimously and earnestly recommend the passage of this bill.

CONGRESS,

CONGRESS,

GOVERNMENT ARMOR-PLATE FACTORY.

APRIL 6, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. PADGETT, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 1417.]

The Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1417) to erect, or purchase, or both, a factory for the manufacture of armor, having had the same under consideration, report the same favorably with the recommendation that the bill do pass.

At the present time the armor plate for the vessels of the Navy is supplied by three private manufacturing plants, namely, the Bethlehem Steel Co., the Carnegie Steel Co., and the Midvale Steel Co. These companies entered into the manufacture of armor plate for vessels of the Navy in the order named at various dates since 1887. At the beginning of the manufacture of armor, when the Bethlehem Co. was the only company equipped to manufacture it, the Carnegie Steel Co. was induced by the Government to enter the manufacture of armor in order that competition might be obtained in the awarding of contracts for armor plate. But shortly after the Carnegie Co. entered the field competition between the two companies seemed to have disappeared, and in 1903 the Midvale Steel Co. entered the field and after building a plant succeeded in getting a contract for part of the armor to be manufactured in one year for a price considerably less than the bids of the Carnegie Co. and the Bethlehem Steel Co.

After the Midvale Co. had established its ability to manufacture and deliver armor plate to the Government, identical bids from all three companies were submitted for the manufacture of armor plate for the Government and continued so until the last year or two. Whether this condition was brought about by the Navy Department in an attempt to keep all plants in business in order that they might be an asset in case of war or emergency or whether by an agreement

or understanding among the companies, it has been fully demonstrated to the satisfaction of the committee that competition from abroad and at home has disappeared, and the Government finds itself in such a position as to be forced to contract for armor plate at the price submitted by the companies. Many investigations have been had at the instigation of Congress to determine the cost of the manufacture of armor plate, and it seems to be demonstrated by these investigations and the reports thereon that the Government can manufacture armor plate at a price considerably less than that charged by private manufacturers.

While it is admitted that armor plate is not an article of commercial use and that the Government is the only customer for armor plate in the United States, yet it is the opinion of the committee that the Government should not be compelled to pay a price set by domestic manufacturers where it has been demonstrated that competition no longer exists. It is therefore believed that as a measure of protection against such a condition of affairs the committee should recommend the erection or the purchase of a factory for the manufacture of armor plate for the vessels of the United States Navy, and therefore recommends that the bill do pass.

64TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. J REPT. 497, 1st Session.

MANUFACTURE OF ARMOR.

APRIL 13, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. BUTLER, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted the

following

VIEWS OF THE MINORITY.

[To accompany S. 1417.]

We, the undersigned members of the Committee on Naval Affairs, dissent from the action of the majority of the committee in favorably recommending at this time the bill (S. 1417) to erect or purchase, or both, a factory for the manufacture of armor, and appropriating $11,000,000 to erect or purchase same. A brief statement of the armorplate business in this country, together with our objections to the proposed legislation at this time, is herewith presented.

GENERAL STATEMENT.

Prior to 1887 no armor plate was manufactured in this country. The Bethlehem Steel Co. went into the business in that year and built a plant of approximately 6,000 tons capacity. In 1890 the Carnegie Co. entered the business, erecting a factory of about the same capacity. These two companies went into the armor-plate business upon the invitation of the Government. Following the SpanishAmerican War the country entered upon a greatly increased naval program, and the capacity of both the Bethlehem and Carnegie plants were doubled to meet this demand. The two companies have at the present time an annual capacity of about 12,500 tons each. In 1903 the Midvale Co. went into the armor business and put up a plant with an annual capacity of about 7,000 tons. The three plants above mentioned have an aggregate annual capacity of approximately 32,000 tons. The average requirements of the Navy for armor during the past 29 years have been less than 10,000 tons per annum. The capacity of existing armor plants has, therefore, been practically