The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-03
UNJUST REDUCTIONS
Senator Dolph Criticizss the
FOrtifCatiOnS Bill.
The Pacific Coast Made TO Suffer by the
Proposed Amendments.
An UnWiSs Appropriation for CaStirOn Sea-
Coast kOrtarS-The BeniCia
Gun-PaCtOrg.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-The Fortifcations
Bill came up in the Senate this afternoon,
and Senator Dolph Of Oregon severely criti-
ciZed the committee having it in charge for
reducing certain Pacific Coast arpr0pria-
tions and increasing others in different parts
Of the country, for which there was no ne
cessity in his opinion, viz, reducing the
appropriation from $4,000 to $4,000 for
the purchase of submarine mines and the
necessary appliances to operate them far
closing channels leading to our principal
sea ports; the reduction from 100000 to
$4,000 for needful casemates and cable
galleries to render it possible to operate sub
marine mines; also for striking out the ap-
preparation of $4,000 for the Improvement
of the torpedo station at Yerba Buena
Island, and for cutting down the appropria-
ton for the construction of gun and mortar
batteries at New York, San Francisco and
other harborS from ST. 900, 600 to S750, ,0e0. He
said that the excuse offered by the commit
tee for making these reductions was poor
one. They contended that they were rem
dered necessary in order to increase others
OF greater importance.
Dolph said that an appropriation of
100000 for cast-iron sea-coast mOrtars,
hooped with steel, was made by the COM
mlttee IN the face of the expert testimony Of
General Benet and all other witnesses of
the War Department who had ever testified
on the subject, who were unanimously of
the opinion that cast-iron guns, hooped with
steel, were treacherous, and that steel guns
should be employed Dolph understood that
there was now on hand an uDexpended bal
ance of $780, 600 from last years appropria-
ton, which, with the S400, 900 now proposed
to be appropriated, would make total of
SS00,000 for cast-iron guns. which had been
characterized as Incompatible with steel
guns and were in fact treacherous and
almost worthless.
The committee had not .paId the slightest
regard to the expert testimony in this re-
spect, but had reduced the appropriation for
the purchase Of oil-tempered and annealed
steel for high-power coast-defense guns
from S1.000,000 to SS00O and had in
creased by 100 per cent the appropriation
for worthless cast-iron mOrtars. Dolph
then alluded to his amendment, introduced
last session, providing for an appropriation
of 100000 for the erection of an assem-
bling foundry for high-power guns at some
an army or navy board TO select site for
same, the location to be approved by the
President before the appropriation was
made available. he said that instead of
adopting his amendment, Congress had seen
fit to employ this language: "a board to
inquire into the adviSability of erecting a
gun-factory for furnishing and assembling
high-pOwer guns to be mounted in fOrtIfca-
tiOns at Benicia Cal, or at the Rock Island
Arsenal, or at the Indianapolis Arsenal or
at some point on or near the Gulf coast"
DOlph said that the Army Board had con-
strued this clause to mean that If gun
foundry was to be located on the Pacific
Coast it was restricted to Benca. He con-
tended that the location should not have
been restricted to Benicia, but that other
sections OF the Coast should have been
given chance. He said that his amend
ment of the last session had been reintro-
dueed and reported favorably from the
Fortihcations Committee, and, being re-
ferred to the Appropriations Committee,
the latter had seen fit TO pigeon-hUle it. He
said that he would not let the matter drop
there, but would call it up again while the
Fortilcations Bill was under consideration
and endeayor to have his amendment
adopted by the Senate.
Senator Dolph said tonight to a Califor-
MIA Associated Press representative that he
fully expected to defeat the amendment in
the appropriation bill calling for pot
metal mortars" held together by steel bands;
that in his speech to-day he did not give The
matter the attention he would have done
had he thought there was any possibility of
the amendment prevailing. he insists that
the expenditure last year of So, COZ, 500 for
the manufacture Of guns by private parties
ana tie amendment this year calling for
S4,2J0OOO 10 be expended in the same way.
Is injudiciOus. He said that with this large
sum of money the Government could estab-
nsn its own gun-fOundry.