Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-22
TEIE NEW NAVY,
Commensurate PrOgr css kseins nsade
Ina EeC0r


WASHINGTON, November 21.-Theodore
Wilson, GDiet Of the Bureau of Con-
s.frcsion and Repair, has submitted to
Secretary Tracy yoluminous report of
the operations conducted under the gu
psrvision OF the bureau during the year
ended June 80, 1889, and containing esti-
mates for the coming fiscal year, ending
June 80, 1891. The latter includes:
Salaries in the bureau. $21 $50; preser-
walton and completion of vessels on the
docks, purchase of materials and stores
of all kinds, labor in the navy
yards, ETC., $1,000, 600; clerks, ETC.,
in the navy yards, $l2,972; i'm
provement of the plant at the New York
navy yard, $4,000; Norfolk navy
yard, 1000; Mare island navy yard,
San Francisco, $4,000; account bulls
and outfits of new ships heretofore au-
thorizsd by Congress, 81 100000 i'm
provements for plant at Portsmouth
navy yard. $l50,0O0; at Boston navy
yard, $3.50, 900; at League Island navy
yard, Philadelphia. $3.50, 900; construc-
ton of two tugs, $50, 1000; construction of
one freight boat, $450,0O0.
During the year 1SSS.S9 the following
expenditures were made: Repairs on
vessels at navy yards, $373, 1854 construc.
ton and repairs, $779, 943; labor at navy
yards and materials, $40. 905; civil
establishments, $40, 925; steel cruisers
| "a ,52S, 400; repairs of vessels, $I20, 1854
increase Of the navy, $74S, 127.
The Commodore presents a lengthy
argument in favor OF increasing
the efficiency of III, navy yards, as
indicated in the estimates, saying this
great nation should not close any navy
yard. Tho report says that after eight OF
nine years there will be no wood fossils
remaining III active service. A deficiency
appropriation will be necessary in order
that the work of construction and repair
may be carried on during the remainder
Of the present fiscal year without inter-
ruption. The single turreted monitors are
said to be now in worse than useless
state, and the report recommends thai
something be done with them. To put
them into condition for efficient service
in harbor and coast defense will cost, i;
is estimated, $450,000. There are thir
teen OF these monitors.
| Commodore Wilson calls attention to
the difficulty of obtaining satisfactory
bids for the construction of vessels when
the cost is limited by the acts authoriz
ing them to be built, and recommends
that in the future the bureau be moi
crippled by such legislation.
With the completion of the vessels
now building and appropriated for, the
United States will posssss ten armored
vessels, thirteen single turreted monitors
twenty.one steel cruisers or gunboats, two
dynamite cruisers, practice cruiser fol-
cadets, an armored ram, one first class
torpedo boat and seven iron steamers
The work OF rebuilding the navy Is pro.
crossing very satisfactorily, and the re.
suits accomplished during the past six
months are sufficient guaranty OF the
purpose of the Department to advance
the work with the utmost. rapidly, and
OF it's energy and success In the ger.
Torrance of the task. The yes
sells already Under contract and
| building at the navy yardl
ara progressing favorsoiy, and come
are rapidly nearing completion. The
progress made upon the armored cruiser
Maine, at the navy yard at New York
deserves special mention, and is very
creditsole to that yard. II will thus b.
seer that as far as lies within the powe
OF the Department it is vigorously en-
tdeavoIing to satisfy the popular demand
for establishing navy worthy of tn,
United States, and commensurate to it
Importance as maritime power.