The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-14
Annual Report Of the Secretary Of the
Navy.

WASHINGTON, Nov. %.
The Secretary of the Navy, in his annual
report, says since his former report the navy
has been considerably improved. There are
now in commission twenty-eight cruising
ships, one steamboat and five sailing vessels
ali in condition for active service except the
Gettysburg. There are six vessels, including
one monitor, which can be made ready for
sea in few months. Besides these there are
thirteen needing more extensive repairs, but
all can be put in thorough condition with the
present appropriations and those asked for
the next fiscal year. In case of necessity
ninety-one war vessels of all classes in
Guiding monitors, can be put in service,
and the Secretary submits the following
estimates with the remark that the De-
partment has not felt itself justified in going
beyond the estimates of the last fiscal year:
Pay of the Navy, 1880, 600; pay of the civil
establishment in navy yards, S1S9, 1899; ord
nance and torpedo corps, S273, 900; coal, hemp
and equipments, $S00,000; navigation and
navigation supplies, $l04, 800; photographic
work, 5000; naval observatory, nautical al
manac, $40, 500; repairs and preservation of
vessels, 81, 500, 600: steam machinery, tools
etc, $780, 600; provisions tor the navy, 81 200
OOO; repairs OF hospitals and laboratories, 800
600; surgeons, necessaries and navy hospital
fund, $1,000, and contingent expenses Of the
department bureaus, S105, 600; naval academy
Slo6,694; support of the marine corps $780,
90, naval asylum dJ
maintenance of yards and docks, $40, 900: re-
pairs, etc, of navy yards, S375, 900; total S14,-
$50, 3Sl.
From tables contained in the report it will
the Secretary says, be seen that the total esti-
mates of the last fiscal year, including the
amount appropriated for the deficiencies of the
previous year, were ST, 46S, 1892. After deduct
ing the deficiencies Of 1877 and 1878, which
were "a, 16l, 47S, the amount chargeable to the
expenditures OF the year was $l3, BOG, 9l4, which
Was S767, 1893 less than the actual expenses of
the previous year and 81, 92S, 677 less than the
expenditures, including the deficiencies of
that year, and 81, $50, 430 will become cores
pondingly greater every year consequent upon
the skill Of our manufacturers, artisans and
laborers, and as experience has shown that no
nation can afford to leave its commerce un-
garded upon the seas, the duty of protecting
ours is now greater and more urgent than It
has ever been before.
The Secretery shows our dependency upon
foreign nations for Transportation Of our surplus
productions to the markets of the world, and
says: II this condition of affairs is to continue
our industrial interests must be left to suffer
still further injury. Secretary Thompson dis
cusses the relation of the navy to commerce
and says our rapidly increasing exports have
demonstrated that this country must become
the greatest producing country in the world
The area OF our improved lands is annually
charging, keeping pace with our rapidly in
creasing population, and giving assurance
that the surplus OF our agricultural and man
ufacturing products will become correspond