New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-01
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.
INSUFFICIENT NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS.
SECRETARY CHANDLER ABOUT TO ASK FOR MORE
MONEYr-WHY 1T Is NEEDED.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE.l

M0NEYrWHY 1T is NEEDED.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE.I
WASHINGTON Dec. 3i.-Secretary Chandler will
send 70 Congress, probably next week, letter re-
questing further appropriations for the general
maintenance Of the navy yards for the present fiscal
year. This appropriation the expense Of gas
coal. water, horses, watchmen, ETC.; and that
made for this year was 1920, O00-just one
half Of that made for the year before.
The Secretary finds himself with only 1924, 900
on hand, which will last until the middle of Feb
ruary. He will ask Congress to appropriate about
the same amount for the time from February 15>to
March 81 as a deficiency, the ground that the
naval appropriations of the present year were not
available until aboutth 9th of August, until which
time the expenses met out fast years appro-
p1ations. For the remaining three months of the
fiscal year from March 81 to June 80 about S75 900
will be necessary and the Secretary will give
notice that, If this appropriation is not made he
will shut up four or five navy yards. Which
yards he will select to be closed. the Secretary
declines to say, but the statements in his annual
report leave little doubt that those at Pensacola,
League Island, Boston and Portsmouth, and pos
sibly Norfolk, will be the ones If all five should
be closed only the New-York and Washington yards
on the Atlantic and Mare Island on the Pacific
would be left In active operation.
1t Is possible that some Of the yards might have
been closed before now had it not been for a
clerical blunder in the Naval Appropriation bill.
as the House originally passed the bill 1t provided
that If the Secretary of the Navy shall find that
work at all the navy yards now maintained cannot
be carried during the current fiscal year with adj
vantage to the service and economy to the Govern
ment tor the amounts In this act appropriated for
the maintenance and civil establishment at the
navy yards,' he should close the yards which could
be best dispensed with, and report his action to
Congress. The Senate struck out the words " for
the maintenance and civil establishment at the |
navy yards" leaving 1t at the discretion of the Sec
Rotary to close any of the yards if he thought they
could not be carried with advantage to |
the Government The conference committees |
agreed to this, but In engrossing the bill |
the House provision crept back by accident, |
and the closing of the yards was made TO depend |
upon the condition of these minor appropriations.
The appropriation foy civil establishments which |
covers clerks. writer's, etc. found sufficient |
with economy, and the question then was whether |
Congress intended that the navy yards should be |
closed merely because there was no money for |
gas water etc, and tho Secretary felt that he could
not 20 hold.
II Congress would deal with the navy yard rques-
ton the basis of the facts brought to its atten
ton in his annual report, 1t would accomplish
form which would reflect credit the Republican |
party While preparing his report the Secretary |
sent to all the navy yards for q state |
mont showing the number of naval officers, !
seamen and marines. and Of civil employees and |
wOrkmen engaged in the navy yards the II 9th of |
November and he payroll for wOrkmen and en-
ployes for that day. 1t appeared that in the
yards there 326 naval officers. 2,5O1 enlisted
mon and marines, and Of employees and |
90. Il = sSn
connected with the navy yards. and payroll |
for the employees and workmen alone Of S11 .3l9 per
lay. The only work IN progress on ships of war |
was on seven ships. The rest of the work beng |
done was almost entirely made work. winch |
could have been done much more cheaply- in ship |
yaris. A commission is now looking into the advi- |
stability of selling some of the yards, the |
saws in his report d" will not be required by any
present or prospective wants Of the country"
bo naval estimates tor the coming year have
been subjected to some criticism evidently through
IL has been stated that they
reed $4,000 900, and 1t has been
pointed out. that this sum is $ll000,000
the present year, the inference being drawn that
slr. Chandler Is growing eXtraydgmI. The facts
secretary with their estimates as required by law,
and the time being TOO short 60 allow him to revise
h.m rs carefully as he wished, he transmitted them
IA full to the Secretary OF the Treasury 70 be printed
Ina the volume Of estimates; bur in his report |
he revised them from $27042, 67S down
10 $50, $50 L97-about the estimates of last year.
The bureaus ked -, 0S000 Tor building hulls of
the two new cruisers, aud I'll 100000 for machin-
srv. Mr.. Chandler reduced both items To |
900 900 each. For comple tin4-sf7c monitors tho
bureaus ask, d -, 900, 0O0-reIuced 10 Sl,00O000.
Repairs and Improvements at navy yards were re-
iuCed from SO, So ia 20 ST. 1851. Or this last
item 800, 900 is for the dock ut Mare Is and. De |
luctIng this aud the $685., 900 allowed for the |
lulls and machinery OF the cruisers and monitors, |
the estimate, are reduced to little more than
1000 O00-abOut the appropriation for this year.