The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-31
The Senate Committeo on Appropriation
SACRIFICES the House Provisions.

The senate Coumitteo on Appropriations
5Aorifloes the House PROVISIONS.
WASHINGTON, May 9O.-with the best win in
the world. probably. for pushing along the
work OF coast defence. the Senate Committee
OF Appropriations has Just taken step which
may seriously check 1t. The House passed a
Notifications bill which, IL not az liberal as 1t
ought to have been. was yet sensible In It's
scheme. 1t called for $4.52l,6Io. The Senate
committee now reconstructs this measure by
first striking out rather more than million
dollars, and then adding nearly four millions,
with the net result OF increasing the aggregate
BY 90, 1889, 1857. 80 that It carries $7,310,935
It Is doubtful to begin with. whether the
House will be disposed, in view OF the enor-
nous demands made by pensions and other
measures above last years routine outlays. to
sanction any such increase for forts and guns
as the Senate committee proposes. But that Ia
far from being the most important considera-
ton. The Senate committee has taken this
occasion to reverse the policy in heavy gun con-
struction hitherto adopted. and to revive an
old controversy which has, in some past years.
resulted in a deadlock and defeated the Forti-
ncations bill altogether.
It has stricken out the entire appropriation
OF e7s0.000 made by the House for machinery
and tools for the gun factory at the Watervliet
Arsenal IN West Troy, and it has also stricken
out the appropriation Of S24s.743 for erecting
an additional wing for the arsenal When this
subject was before the House 1t was fully eX-
planned that the Watervlist establishment is
the only one the Government has for finishing
tho many coast guns from the rough forgings
for which large orders have been given. The
Washington factory Is wholly devoted to the
batteries for ships. It was further explained
that unless additional appliances were given
to this factory 1t could only finish a small num-
Der OF guns each year. and these not OF the
largest calibres desired. 1t is obvious, there
fore. that In striking out the provisions OF the
House for this purpose the Senate committee
seriously cripples tho work Of heavy gun con-
As substitute it appropriates $9.S75 900 for
the purchase Of one hundred heavy guns from
private manufacturers. half Of them to be ten
tween the eighth and twelve Inch caIibres
For finishing guns OF these caLlores 1t 9ppro-
pirates s2oVOu and u Increases the a iS 6S
to $500, 900.
Nothing can be said against liberal provisions
the as Far as e6s policy eaa aad
to the Governments resources 1t Is OF the high
b IN he PR G in ae
to carry out this plan it is niece ssary to simul-
aS Of
private steel works to furnish forgings
which the Government afterward finishes
and assemblies in its own factories. The entire
armament of our new feet has been provided
under this system. and quite ~. worthy OF
communication as any OF the valuable additions
Of Secretary Whitney to the navy. such as the
charleston. tho Baltimore. and the Gushing Is
his practical establishment Of q great finishing
award Of contracts which enabled the Bethle-
hem works to establish plant for furnishing
the forRings for heavy guns
What the Washington ordnance yard does
ior the navy Is precisely what Watervliet under
takes to do for the heavy guns Of the fixed forts.
II is step backward. accordingly. for the Senate
committee to cut out the Waterviet appropri-
alton. The other part OF its work is not objec-
uonable although the chances that the House
Till VII, concur In all Of It are anything but good:
the proposed appropriations for private gun
tees action Singh ar Is that for years the Sem
ate pushed the claims OF the W atervliet factory.
ply insisted on giving the private gunmakers
the preference. But at last. In the Fitieth Con-
grese a happy concession afforded both sys-
TENS fair trial; and yet now. having at last.
Rlter years OF labor, brought the House to that
point. the Senate. should 1t adopt the concu-
sions OF its committed would strike out the
very provisions which the House has already
made for the Government finishing factory.
saSTlllcing these TO the private gunmakers.
The truth is that in the trials OF the private
Ihurlow gun. there has been nothing to en-
courage the idea that the Government should
STOP us own work, or even stop increasing and
extending Its work. on the system already
adopted. Private gun manufacture should be
fostered: but until It's success shows that it
can take the plac Of the Government factories
the urgent needs Of the country demand that
the latter should be literally sustained.