The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-23
Mr.. BLAINES VOICE RAISED.
Alta CKIN0 THE NAVY AND PLEADING
FOR ITS REFORM

WAhhlN0lONt JNUs I'LL t ptHult NOu-
sidered to-day the amendments to the Naval Ap-
preparation bill proposed yesterday by Mr..
Blaine rep Me-. which provide for the APP
pointment Of n board Of three naval officers.
who shall inquire as to the number Of officers
required for a naval force consisting OF 1900
men also whether any Of the navy yards may
be dispensed with and providing further that
after July 1888. only such number Of graduates
from the Naval Academy shall receive appoint
ments as midshipmen as are required to I'LL
vacancies. Mr., Blaine said that II was the duty
ofCongress TO correct errors and make reforms.
Congress had limited tho number OF mon
of the navy to 1900. and for that 1900
men we had q total OF 1920 officers.
or ono officer to little over three men.
We had 81 vessels and SO in commission. Tho
British navy, which has 800 steam vessels and
total OF 49i vessels. had 1920 officers with
something over 10000 men. That Government
had In commission about 243 vessels and avail
nblc for service quite five times IA many rs we
have. II had nine or ten times az many sailors.
and five times ~ many ships. but only about
two and one.half times as many officers rs wo
have. The French navy had 1929 line officers.
and in point OF number OF vessels that navy was
almost as largo rs the British navy; OF course,
navy OF Great Britain. the largest and most
effective In the world there were two great navy
yards and two subordinate ones Franco had
ihrrs ereat wards and two subordinate ones
while we, on Sly degrees OF coast latitude. had
seven navy yards.
Ban accusations. The pay OF the officers OF our
navy on tho active list amounted to over
t3.S22.0OO annually; for those on the retired
scamen amounted 10 but 81. 800 900 per annum,
the service. From the Naval Academy we were
now turning out annually an average OF flty
the graduates from the Naval Academy should
not be entitled 70 commissions. except upon
merit and to I'LL any vacancies which may at
the time exist. Pass the law now and every
cadet. upon entering the Academy. would I'M
derstand that his entry into the service de-
1t was impossibl to make navy by graduating
cadets from tho Naval Academy. You could
improvse mountain. Ae has i 10 grow SS Tn.
less there was a c9mmerelal marine to build
FROM was we could na sSv' Which No Av d There HC
grow out OF commercial marine, and
In that respect we were sadly deficient. The
within tho past twenty years, and we might as
well arm our soldiers with bows and arrows MS
vessels. We stood to-day furnishing almost ms
much ocean freight as any two countries in the
that II only served 10 point The moral We paid
in one year tS5 900 600 gold for freight. aud he
mittee on Finance tMr. MorrilU that il would
not he possible thing for this country to main
tin specie rtIsumpton WIN mat drait upon IT'S
Gle payments in 1857, and said We resumed
upon freight money which laid to the credit Of
American commerce in Europe. In tho last
ten years we had sent and brought between
l.QOOOOO0O0 and tl2.O00.OO0,OOO worth Of
products. and the freight. with tho passengers
attached thereto. paid over 81 100 600 900 Out
OF that the European nations got $500 900 OOO
yet we continued npproprlatiug Tor our navy TO
protect a commerce witch did not exist He ask d
that Congress would give to the revival Of COM
merce some part Of the sum now being wasted
on navy. He believed - 100000 or % 900 900
could be taken from The navy without impair
ms It's efficiency. and THIS SlQOOOOO or $4,000
What advantage was given TO n man hy issuing
60 him an American register for foreign built
line OF steamships to run to Europe in conncc-
ton with his road. They were foreign, yes
sells. manned by foreign men. and should we
give American registers to foreign built ships
i would establish lust such lines. 4 ship Of
not thinE mat went into that ship from
her keel s~p. which was not produced
in this country. When that. ship WINS
Of materials and tigjOuO worth Of labor
He then referred 10 The Legislation OF Congress
TO AID IN building railroads. and said from 1876
10 1919 the Congress Of the United states had
passed ninety-one acts endowing railroads
with land and money TO tho extent Of
t5'O,OOQOOO. In his judgment Congress acted
wisely. because II cheapcned freights. We had
system OF railroads ahead of the whole world
but when we reached the ocean IL seemed we no
longer took any interest in Transportation.
Tnke tbe ysw y6rE M1 En- IrI nn me- g
eignorS on IL for hruEcmcn. conductors. and en-
gineers, have all It's locomotives constructed in
the welfare Of this country than for that railroad
10 turn all our freight over 20 foreign ships
d
10 Liverpool is 1000 miles. We operate 900
miles, aud turn the other 5000 over 10 foreign
ors. lie then referred to events after the war
OF lsl2, nhd SAID our commerce then ran ahead
OF Great Britain SO much that absolute alarm
seized that country In lsl7 we passed an act
that the products OF no country should come
into the United States exc"p, In American
vessels or the vessels Of the country furnishing
The produce. lie would like ~ SEQ such law
passed now.
The Government OF tho United States should
give 20 any man or company Of men aid from
the Treasury of the United States If he or they
would establish and maintain n line OF steam
ships e. any foreign port. or no might limit it
port. lie would invite competition from all over
The country. There was no reason why Savan-
nan should not be great sea port. There was
no renson why grent foreign trade should not
be concentrated at New Orleans. Tho United
States steamer Tennessee had lust returned
from three years cruise. and.tho cost Of that
cruise would surprise every member OF the
Senate. The raresi thing she met IN hertravels
was an American ship, and the only Stars and
Stripes she saw We're those At her masthead
that the anendmenis Of Mr. Blaine could not
DE eonSSide , as hey hey proposed new legisa-
mo war closed. Most OF them were sold for
scrap iron. or disposed Of in way unknown
70 Congress; The senator from Maine was in
The other House OF Congress then but did not
raise his voice against the abuses. Let our
people buy their ships where they could get
them cheapest. and compete for the carrying
trade Of the world. OF all the great ships leav-
Ing the port OF New York for ports beyond tho
We could not build ships. because everything
entering into their construction. from the
smallest nail to the bunting at the mast
The Senator from Maine appealed TO the
House To 20 into the TreasurytO subsidize lines
b pay arrears 81 pensions. which passed few
days ago, he tMr, Beck believed would take
creased TAX to be levied to meet ali these c tx
ptnses Five per cent upon the incomes Of all
these Arrears Of ponsons W. could q' Sot R ms
pose additional taxes on our people and call