The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-03-06 00:00:00

4ie3toratTribge Orasertier.

SATURDAY, MARCH 6th, 1880.

THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE
NAVY.

Great Britain spends more upon her army
than upon her navy; yet, according to the
annual recital in the Mutiny Act, it is upon
the navy that the honour, safety, and welfare
of the kingdom depend. The naval estimates
for the coming year amount to £10,492 935,
and show a• decrease on those of the
previous year of £93,959. The estimates
bear witness on every page of the severe
scrutiny and pruninc,
.they have undergone;
at the same time that the efficiency of the
fleet is in no way compromi9ed. His curious-
to note the transition state in which the
nay has been daring the past fifteen or
twenty years ; and out of this condition it
can scarcely as yet be said to have passed.
The substitution of ironclads for unarmoured
construction has had a well-defined effect on
naval policy and expenditure. One result
of this is that we have now a larger fleet of
ironclads, some of which have alreads
become absolete and been removed from the
active list altogether. Another result has
been to reduce not only- the number of ships
it is found necessary to maintain, and.
consequently of men required for active
service, but to reduce the crews of men-of-
war themselves through the constructive •in-
novations which have been introduced. A
further element of disturbance has been
found in the substitution of steel for iron,
which will have a very material influence in
the same direction—namely, lessening the
size of vessels and the strength of their
crews.

A rough idea of the changes which have
been wrought may be obtained from a com-
parison of a few prominent items of expense
now and ten years ago. For instance. 67,120
men were voted in 1868 9, as against 58, 800
for the present year, at a cost of £3,036,634
and £2,721,536 respectively. We require,
in fact, 8,000 fewer officers and men
for the work of the navy now than we did
then with a reduction in cost amounting to
£300,000. On the Ist December last there
were in commission 246 vessels of various
kinds, including 25 ironclads. This number
does not vary greatly from that of ten years
ago. During this period, however, the
number of ships kept in reserve, such as
guardships, coastguard cruisers, and hulks
was much diminished. As regards the
construction, repair, and maintenance of the
fleet, there has been a good deal of change
in the ten years as far as the increased ton-
nage is:affected. The Inflexible has already
cost more than £650,000, and is still in-
complete; ttle Dreadnonght, sister ship to
the Devastation, cost £577,000; the Tomer-
aire £490,000 ; and the Alexandra nearly
£600,000. These figures mark a great
advance on the cost of the construction of
the earlier ironclads, which averaged about
£350,000. Again, with repairs, the expense
now is for ironclads alone as much as would
have sufficed to build a man-of-war fifteen
years ago. In the force of such an advance
in the expenditure both in repairs and con-
struction, it is not surprising that the Navy,.
diminished though it is in numbers, now
costs nearly as much asit did in 1868, when
it was maintained on a more extensive scale,
and one which left a large field open for
economy and redaction.
The principal source of the reduction of
£93 959 already noted, will be found ia the
provision for labour and stores. At the
same time a good provision is made for work
on construction during the year, twelve iron-
clads being in hand in addition to 30 un-
armoured vessels. If the work which is
thus allotted out is accomplished in our
dock-yards, a considerable addition will be I
made to the strength of the navy in the
year. It is further proposed to proceed
Iwith 56 torpedo boats, so thataltogether the
labour of construction will be conducted
with vigour. That the navy, our principal
defence and protection, should cost between
three and four millions annually less than
the army, which is the smallest of any first-
class European Power, while the fleet is the
largest, may well appear remarkable ; but
cost what it may, it must be maintained
even though the expense were infinitely
greater than it actually proves to be.