National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-02-18
Mr.. Hendnll,a plan Reviewed.


The following letter, which has been |
sent to Co ngressman Cox, presents some
practical views in regard to the building
up Of navy which will be read with in
torest, coming as they do from gentle
man thoroughly familiar with the subject
of which he treats:
NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 1ssj.-HoN. s. s. CoxA
Dur Sir: | see In the public press that Mr.
Randall proposes to have another board ofeN-
perts appointed by congress. The board is to
consist Of six civilians, "Who shall be skilled
In wood or iron construction, ship building or
engineering, with the secretary Of the navy as
the seventh member aud president Of said
board
Knowing your desire to build up a navy Of
the best kind, take the liberty to lay n few
facts before you in regard to the absurdity of
/. A shipbulldet who has not had any OK.
periepce In building ships for tho navy knows
nothing whatever of the wants of navy ship;
he Is without experience in every particular
part OF the construction; he can give the length,
breadth, and depth, but the size and weight of
the material to construct such q ship and its
details he has no know ledge Of The size aud
weight Of the engines and boilers TO propel the
ship eight or eighteen miles per hour-the
most important element-he hasn no knowledge
ui; he is totally ignorant of each and every
element OF navy ship. speak from expo
rionco as a practical man.
? Mr. Randall cannot obtain the services OF
any first class shlpbuilder for $40 per day
| Even member Otcongress, whose duties com.
| mcnGe on the first Monday In December, and
| occupy, say three-lourths Of the time for five
months, and at the short sessions he is only on
/ duty from December TO March 4. Count the
| long and the short sessions both, eight months
/ at twcnty-siX days per month, would be 2lS
/ days services, and he draws from Uncle Sam's
| chest $1,000 for the COS days services equal TO
| SiSO7 per day. If was 10 deduct the time
| some members Of congress are absent from
/ Washington his pay would be over SEQ per
| duy, and yet Mr.. Randall wants to pay ship
/ builder $40 per day. would be pleased TO
/ have Mr. Randall explain to me what kind
| OF shipbudors he could get for this small pit.
/ tance.
As have stated that shipbulders aro not
| conversant with navy ships l will here add
that we now have in the United States navy a
| corps of naval constructors and engineers who
are capable to construct any ship that the
government may require. They are all com
! petent both In practice and theory to perform
/ tho duty that Mr. Randall wants to put on
some outside parties without experience. We
nave had enough Of naval advisory boards
with those new vessels, and trust that yOn
| Will use every effort to defeat any such meas
| ure as Mr. Randall has proposed. IL is only
folly to attempt TO build ship by advertising
| for designs nom some ex-secrctary and eX-
admiral All those are of the past and past
ages; let US have our ships built by the officers
of the times now in office; this government
should not go back to the past ages. Iron
ships are an experiment for this government,
built by days work In the navy yards under
the eyes of its officers. You will then get as
good n ship as any nation ever produced.
Make appropriations for five ships this year
varying In size from 5000 to 5000 TONS leave IL
with the president OF the United States TO de-
termlno the details through his officers. You
eau build one NJ Boston, two at New York; one
AZ Philadelphia, and one mt Portsmouth, Va.
The government has moro appliances and
tools in any one of those yards than all the
private shlpbuilders In the United States Why
should those ships be built by contract? Have
those ships built In the navy yard; then we
Will have II standard of workmanship and ma
teriNl such rs cannot be done In outside yards.
suppose the ships cost more to construct them
ut first; they will not cost half TO repair them
when two years In service. The hands QRmau
cannot construct ship any too good. You
must be liberal with the laborer olfhe couu-
try. II congress would appropriate s5,-
| 10000 this year TO commences on those
five ships II would stimulate business all over
this country, the miner, the coal dealer, the
furnace, the rolling mills, the machine shops,
the ship yardr.- and railroads would be in
active opc.diion; the money would flow all
!. oHa-a.h5 United States in manifold ways in
V - money filtered through thousands and
4-Jre families circulutes to the benefit of the
community To keep back the appropriations
for our navy for ono year VIII bring more dig
tress on the working people; they want work
the country wants n navy: the money is In the
Treasury j know that you viii use every
effort 10 build n navy and aid our idle laborers
oil over the United States. | do not expect &c
build any of the ships; l have no interest In
any way; indirectly they will help me as they
will all other citizens, Our navy is q disgrace
and scandal all over the world. l am, deaI
Dir, with great respect,
NATHANIEL MCKAY.