The Springdale news., 1888-12-07
THE NAVY.

Se'eiai hears IfeVIOuS.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-Secretary Whit ney, In his annual report, after presenting brlet review of the condition of the navy as It will exist on the 4th of next March in comparison with the same on the 4th of March, 1885, says that so far as armored ships are concerned the subject is yet to be treated ill a broad way by the depart ment and Congress. As result of the policy adopted and carried out during the post three years, the conditions at the present time are such that everything necessary to a first class fighting ship can be produced and furnished to the depart ment in this country as soon as in the course of construction any element or feature is desired; but this has never heretofore until the present time been true and therefore the consideration of the subject has been necessarily postponed by the department until the present time. The efforts of the department in ship construction have necessarily, since March 1885, been devoted to unarmored vessels, and as to these the department is able to report that when the ships in course of construction, and those author ized, shall have been completed, the United States will rank second among the nations in the possession of unarmored cruisers or "commerce destroyers,' hay iG,g the highest characteristics of size 5000 tons and upward-and possessing speed of nineteen knots and upward. The importance which has been placed upon this branch of naval armament will be appreciated from tbe statement that En- gland and France possess sixty-five yes sels of the class known as unarmored cruisers.
 The attention of the world was attract ed to the destructive effect which was pro- duced upon the commerce of the United States by the cruisers fitted out under the auspices of the confederacy in the war of the rebellion. The total tonnage of the reg istered vessels of the United States had risen year by year until, in 1sGl, it amount ed to 2,642,62s tons; and between 1861 and 1866 it was reduced to ,492.126 tons, or in other words to the point which we had reached i'll fsf9, from which decline we have never recovered, The insurance war risk upon American vessels during the war rose ia exceptional cases to as high as twenty-five per cent.
 Discussing the production Of power by machinery, Secretary Whitney says that an examination of the condition of the department i'll 18s5 in this respect, led to the conclusion that the machinery of
 
 to produce ten-horse power for each ton or machinery, and it was determined to make that the standard, and to enter into no contracts that were not based substan- italy thereon. Plans of machinery were purchased abroad, which upon trial had approximated that result. Bidders were authorized te bid upon plans thus submit ted to competition. or Were permitted to submit their own plans, but We're obliged To gurantee the results determined upon by the department, under severe penalties for failure. and with compensatine pre- miums i'll case of attaining better results. All the contracts for the construction of ships which have been entered into since March. 1885, call for the production of power by machinery equal to the highest standards. The efforts of the department in this matter have been cordially second ed by the bureau chiefs; and it is believed that at the present time the department has reached the point where entire rei- ance can be placed apon it for the produce ton of war vessels equal in character to those of any other country.
 Referring to a reduction of expenses during the past three years, it is claimed that the savings of the department are pay isg for the new navy, and on this topic the Secretary says:
 IL is gratifying to be able 10 report that not wlthstanding the large expenditures for the rev navy in the last three years. the reductions in other directions has made the total expend- ture less for the three years than for the threA years ending June 90, 1881, the ordinary ex- penses of the department having been reduced over twenty per cent.
 A table is included in the report which shows that the expenditures for the years ending June 30, 1ss2, 1883 and 1881 were S47,919.397. and for the years ending June 20. 1SS6, 1sS7 and 1SsS. S46, ,S30 G30. The tiS- cal year ending June 90, 1sS5, is omitted from the table as not having been wholly iii either Administration.
 Discussing coast and harbor defenses, Secretary Whitney says:
 In the last annual report of this department considerations were given leading to the con- clusion that 1t would be unwise for the depart meat to follow the course of the European powers in building unprotected torpedo boats, and in the present uncertainty regarding the impractcabilIty of submarine boats, and while waiting the practical trial of the dynamite gum boat, 1t has been deemed wise for the depart ment to build one light t-draught heavily ar mored harbor-defense floating battery or ram for which designs have been prepared
 Considerable space is devoted to a discussion of the business methods Of the department, and to the efforts beng made to simplify, systematize and improve them. Upon this subject the Secretary says: During the years of 1884 and 1885 fifty per cent. in value of the supplies of the department were obtained by open purchases without competition. Dur ing the last year the proportion of such pur- chases was less than eleven per cent, and in the course of the next fiscal year it is believed that the open purchases can be reduced to about five per cent. The naval brokers have for the most part disappeared, and regular re- sponsible dealers are becoming more contrac- tors for these supplies. For time 1t seemed impossible to dislodge them They would underbid regular dealers, notably for the sup ply of coal. It was quite evident they had odv xyhi