New-York tribune., 1875-12-27
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
S22 1872 ,42e 40 sIs,577.546 80

Total $22, 1872 426 40 Tls,5I7546 80
Beginning with salaries and expenses one sees
that this item could easily be reduced 10 Sl5OOO0
n large reduction of the general appropriations for
the navy would, of course, lessen the amount of
clerical labor to be performed in the Department,
and the force could he still further cut down by re-
oniring more work of the clerks retained. In tins
way the business of the Department could be easily
done for tho sum named. Under the head Naval
Establishment are included the contingent
fundsD of the navy and its several bureaus, amount
ing for the current year to $3l5,000; the sum de-
sired for next year is 1871 ,0OO Every Democrat
whom have heard speak of the subject thinks that
this item can certainly be reduced To Sl5O0OO and
many will advocate cutting it down still more. In
der the same head the Secretary asks for 100000
for the Ordnance Bureau $4,000 more than WAS
appropriated for this year, OF this 100000 is re-
qnred for the mechanical branches of the Ordnance
Bureau in the nayy-yards, and $250,000 for fitting
ont ships, &c. This could probably be reduced one
half by stopping new work. 1t is not probable that
the SD 600 asked for to pay for experiments at the
uayy-yard ia Washington will be granted.
The Secretary of the Navy asks for Sl02, 900 for
the purchase and construction of t0rpedoes and the
Secretary of War desires l50,000 for the same pur-
pose As both branches of the service torpedoes
for the same purpose lharbor defensel, these two
COPS may just as well be consolidated at saving of
800. 900. Secretary RObeson thinks he needs
$40 900 for the followlDg-naned purposes Bat
terry of the new soop Trenton, $4,000; gun
carriages for the same, $4,000; armament of five
double-turreted monitors, $f20,000. There is
immediate occasion for expendng this hat-million.
Half a million may be stricken from the Secgctarys
estima ,es S1 ,J00000l for the Bureau % Equipment
and Recruiting, and $500 900 from those for the Bu
reau OF Yards and Docks. Forthe Buroauo oi Cnsruc-
ton and Repair the Secretary desires -, SOC, ,oo0an
amount equal to that which appropriated for
this year. II is from this appropriation that Mr..
Robeson has been building his ships. \ million
dollars would certainly be sufficient TO prevent the
navy from going TO decay, and as the cOn5truc-
ton of new vessels ought to be stopped at
once aud not resumed while the present hard
times continue, $4,000, 900 can be- taken from
this item. In addition, estimates submitted as
follows: For repairing the Puritan and Dictator
$500 600; repairing six scholarships for boys We
turned over to States, 100000; building two IRON
rams, $500, 900; total, 100000 There will be
excuse for granting these appropriations. The est
mates for the Bureau of Steam Engineering amount
to 81 10000 against 81 100000 appropriated for
the current year. OF this 81 1900 is for repairs
OF machinery, etc this is the amount that was
appropriated for the present year, aud t has been
sufficient to pay for much new machinery, and 70
many extraordinary repairs, il probably be
dueed TO $30O,0OO. The item for boilers for
the Shenandoah, Wachusett, Alaska, Benicia,
Wabash, Lancaster, and Juniata, $i00.0 may be
stricken ont altogether. The grand total which Mr..
ton and repair of vessels and machinery is