New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-14
THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
REASONS WHY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE HAS
MADE A REDUCTION.

MADE A REDUCTION.
Washington March 13.-Representatvc Herbert, Of
Alabama, chairman Of the House Committee on Naval
Affairs has prepared elaborate report TO accom-
pany the Naval Appropriation bill recently reported
to the House. After calling attention to the facs
that the bill carries an aggregate appropriation OF
500 728, s23 81 ,8I4 .e3l less than the amount ap.
propated mt the second session Of the List Congress
for the current fiscal year. and s3467,sl6 less than
the amount estimated By the Department as neces'
sary for the year coveTcS by the bill, the report
says:
We have been enabled to make this reduction with
S Sayr IN sreat par bas Of the large surplus that
will remain on hand uncxpended and to the credis
" of the Navy - the end OF the preSeno
fiscal year This, however. is not the only direction
/, which We recommend a reduction OF expenditures
The report says that the committee reduced the
limitation beyond which repairs shall be made 10
wooden ships from 90 TO 10 per cent Of the original
value Of the vessels, and further provided that new
boilers shall be made for any wooden vessel. The
committee has excepted. however, from the operation
Of these limitations the Kcarsarge and the Hartford.
speaking OF the matter Of " Increase Of the Navy"
under which head the bill appFOprates some millions
Of dollars less than the act for the current year, the
report says:
The appropriations for this purpose in each fiscal
year from lso7 10 AID inclnGlns the current year
reason that in 10 OF these years has the progress
in shipbuildlng IA the manufacture OF arinor OF
guns been rapid Is the authorities had reason 10
hope for and expect. The authorization OF shps
La, been, In the opiniou OF your committee ai,
reasonable and the results Of OR efforts To establish
plants for building Ship for armOr,phies, guhioES-
incs and the assembling Of guns have been. considering
ihe results attained, extremely gratifying. Yet the
fact remains that the difficulties, though they seem
all at last to have been t;umphantly surmon1ed,
RAPIDLY as apRopra4Sns nave end az he currens
fiscal wear a very large Of money In the Treasury
10 the credit Of Increa.e Of the Navy which can
and ought TO be taken into account In making appro
Tor ,b, mi committee
unanimously OF opinion that every dollar should be
appropriated Necessary TO eomple'e sHe nys recor
mcuded as they believe. all the moneys that VIII
be called for during the coming hsca, Sea rocr ~
congress to authorize the construction OF one or Hy
new vessels at each regular session. unul va Ill, ,
have provided considerably larger nnmper V ,hnss
ships than we have or will have wheh '"eS0
authorized arc completed ,..,n. ,,,,cb a naval
The recent CHILEAN imbroglo. during Whiom t a t n,
wor seemed for n time 10 be unite Proos.olmnSy,
developed the fact that people ut large que
tatng the Navy. -
The report calls attention to the dhc"i,ics CIV
countcred in demonstrating in this country '"e iu'
OF manufacturing heavy steel armor Tor VesSes anu -
the fact that although the Bethlehem iron oo"ipan'
ormor plant Is said to be uncquaed In the woriu,
has only inst fairly begun the delivery OF arhor plates
and II l. not vet ND TO monthly contract requirements
There are twelve vessels for which armor yet TO DC
furnished and It will take until the spring OF 1919 W
complete the delivery Of this armor, amounting 10
Il 600 tons even II mOatllly contract requirements
be met For these reasons says the report " uio
majority OF your committee have decided that II would
not be best now TO authorize the construction OF ano'her
battlcship Your committee do not believe ho"e""l'
that our new Navy has yet reached the point NJ "hch
further increase should cease. II Is not disputed ths'
we need more Grstcass battleshpS We nave no"
only three authorized. Eight or nine more OF These Ill
addition TO our authorized fleet. would give us e-
spectacle navy. sufficient perhaps for our purposes.
~, hatt In were authorized now we cOull uOt
reasonably expect that the heavy armor u w0ain re
0ulrc could be furnished when needed 'erlhhlf,
reasonable progress made IN lis constrcoh elteI
the new shin Of those already authorized wouIu
be Obliged 10 wait for armor ms several OF them arc
doing now some Of them have been ready, or IN con-
don 10 be speedily made ready for armor f0r years
Tho majority Of the committee has Therefore recOm
mcndcd the authorization Of one strong and swift com
merco destroyer OF the type Of the New YORK WHOSE
arnor can be manufactured much more easily ana WIN
much less delay than can the heavy aIncr for battle
shin Nv extending the construction OF the new vessels
needed over a series OF years the report says we
shall avoid mistakes and prevent the repetition III
different ships, of the same error and hy Keeping
appropriations within moderate bounds each year C1n,,
gcsS will commend its programme 10 popular approval.
Tho few mistakes made thus far, the report adds are
So insignificant that II may be safely stated that our
success in shpbuding Is remarkable.