New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
COLONEL HERBERI'S REPORT.
SOUND PRoTECTIoNIST DOCTRINE ABOUT
NAVAL WORK
HOMEMADE VESSELS COMPARE FAvORABLY
WITH FoREIGN-CoST OF MATERIALS
REDUCED ONE-HALF.
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUYE.1

BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.
Washington, Feb. 1s.-"What is the matter
with Iierbertin a question heard asked on
all sides at the Capitol today, and 1t was question
which nobody seemed able ready TO answer. 1t
may be well to explain who Herbert u.s. and what
he hns done to provoke the question.
Colonel Herbert, OF Alabama. is chairman Of the
Committee Naval Affairs, and he is about to rtre
from Congress after period Of useful and honorable
service covering sixteen years. From the day he
first took his in the House of Representatives,.
| In October. 1877. down until within the last few
hours. Colonel Herbert has been regarded by political
| friend and foe alike OF the most active and
Jealous well stcadfast Free Traders in that
body and well has he earned and deserved that repu
| tauon. lie has been found in the front rank
when the fight waXed hottest in every struggle for
tariff reform and whether fighting III, defensive,
as in the XLNIlh and List Congresses, on tie
aggressive, In the XLVlIlth, XLIAth ard Lth Con
crosses has proved himself brave champion. shoulder
to shoulder with Morrison he fought; and Mills had
more active and daring lieutenant. lie believed
| as thoroughly any Free Trader can believe that
protection moral we'll economic crime. ana
that high tariff is the OF all villanies. lie
secuted the assertion that domestic competition under
protective tariff results in decrease In the cost OF
all article TO the consumer. III short, Colonel Her
bert enthusiastic. unqualified Free Trader.
| Well, chairman Of the House Committee Oh
Saval Affairs. Colonel Herbert Oh Monday brought In
i
report which has Just been printed ANA distributed,
and 1t IS the reading OF this report which has set
everybody 10 ask: "What Is the matter with Her
berti" In this report, after recalling the fact that
when the work o. rebuilding the Navy began, we
compelled TO import steel forgings for the
gums shafting for the engines OF the new ships and
| the armor for the single armored vessel
then engaged in constructing Chairman Herbert re
fers TO the law OF August 3, 1856 which required
That all tho ships therein provided for-includng
engines. armor and arma men-Should be Of American
material and TO subsequent acts. all Of which have
contained the same requirement and continues
follows:
The requirement severe, but time has proven
It to have been wise. Every vessel put anoat under
that law Of August g. 1856, and subsequent acts las
been homemade throughout, and there f. not one OF
them That will not compare favorably with the best
vessels of like type manufactured in other counties
during the same time"
Further Oh Chairman Herbert says: D." II may now
be safely asserted that some, at least OF imer
slipyaIcs can turn out unarmorcd vessel Of
uIe very highest type Of excellence quickly
be done in the oldest shlpyards Of Europe. TIL, is
a highly desirable result
n% th mat by no o% San, ALL o AGr 1@9s ,
Protection, Chairman Herbert by one leap lands
squarcly upon It and declares:
encouraging TO those who believe, with your com
mee In still further increase Of the Navy, IS that
since secretary w1ney began hi, system Of con,
entering into the composition Of III d"rI ship las
been reduced fully onc-half, and the price OF
peted ship excluding aTmor, has gone down 33 per
cent"
- impressed was Chairman Herbert with the truth
Of this declaration that be caused ule last half Of
the sentence TO be printed in italics AND this is Tie
reason why his friends are anxionsy asking one an
other, What Is the matter win Herbert"
some Of his Republican fiends ready to answer,
I" Hes all right