Show I TRUST STEEL RUST BUGABOO One of or the arguments against the Presidents President's program for four battleshIps battleships battleships battle battle- ships Is that the steel trust Is back backof of tho the demand It is pointed out that if Ii the government government govern govern- ment were to give an order for the construction of four battleships thousands thousands thou thou- sands of men would at once be bo employed em em- tons of steel would be used and thousands of dollars' dollars worth o or of material of other sorts would bo be pur pur- chased That Isn't Ver very terrible In Iii fact the tho picture has a good many attractive fea fea- tures ture Every err battleship costs five e million mU mil lion to eight million dollars at the time of launching More mone money is Invested Invested In In- vested In furnishings in armament al' al ament in ammunition and in the pay of the men inca who man her All that argues employment wages I Incomes profitable work for American artisans and aud laborers the improvement improve improve- ment of or business at least to the 1 extent of the twenty to forty millions And in ina ina a time Ume when hen forty mil million Iou dollars added to the tho volume of completed business Is Isan isan an all Item to be considered the suggestion suggestion tion has Its attract attractive e features But we do not at all aU believe o the charge that the steel trust is promoter and nd Inspirer of this demand of President Preel Pi-esi- dent tIent Roosevelt f for r four new battIt ships True If four battleships were built It would profit tI the e owners of steel mills But probably every en ei suggested would be bo liable to the like imputation No public public build buildings build ings could be erected without the possibility possibility pos pos- of asserting that tho stone trust is causing government to act No irrigation enterprise no river and harbor har bar bor bar improvement no purchase of guns for the tho arm array or cutlasses for fOl the nay navy without some Jaundiced critic declaring declare ing lug a a. special Interest was being benefited benefited bene bene- and therefore was directing the action of government If there Is not better argument against a n. big navy than that it will give ghe employment ment to many men will will make a demand for much material will wili put millions of dollars Into circulation then then tho the opposition should be dropped |