New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-07
GRIPPING THE DEFENCES
A NIGGARDLY SUM TO BE DOLED OUT
FOR NOTIFICATIONS
THE ESTIMATES CUT DOWN EY NEARLY 70 PER
CENT-AN ABSURD BILL. PREPARED By
STATESMEN" FROM THE INTERIOR.

CENT-AN ABSURD BILL PREPARED ia
STATESMEN FROM THE INTERIOR.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE rRiBUNEl
Washington, Dec. eff there is any need what
ever for a system of National land defences for
the seacoast and seaboard cities of the United
States the so-caed Notifications bill which was
reported to the House of Representatives to-day
by Mr.. Livingston, of Georgia. is about as bad
a parody as ever framed and offered to
legislative body. If such system of National
defence is needed appropriation so meagre
even as that proposed is unjustifable and inde-
fensible at least in the present condition of the
National finances. The bill seems to be the
product of that narrow provincialism which often
appears to control the ideas and acts Of states
men" from a certain part Of the country. The
chairman of the subcommittee which prepared
it is Mr. Livingston. who represents the Atlanta
district of Georgia. AMI his Democratic col
leagues are Mr.. Breckenridge. who represents the
Lexington district Of Kentucky, and Mr.. Wash
ington who represents the Nashville district of
Tennessee-all remote from the seaboart upon
which are a score or more OF rich and populous
cities most of them in a virtually defenceless
condition. The three statesmen" mentioned
compose the majority Of the Subcommittee
which framed the bill.
The total amount recommended by the bill is
only S1.s79O57 which Is $5,47s.646 less than the
estimates and s547.946 less than the appropria-
ton for the current fiscal year. If the bill
should pass in its present form the total appro-
priations for Notifications and their armament
by the LID Congress would amount to s4,3oS.-
OSl, as compared with s4.944,3Sl by the Lid Con-
gress sSOO7. 1888 by the List Congress and $780,
b94 by the Lth Congress For the preservation
and repair of Notifications the appropriation
1ad &c 000-Sl0.OOO
that for the current year and $4,000 less than
the estimates This will allow less than $500 for
the care. preservation and repair of each work
for which no special appropriation Is made; and.
as General Casey clearly showed in his annual
report will be utterly inadequate. For the pur-
chase and manufacture Of carriages for mount
ing steel breech-oading seacoast guns OF eight.
ten and twelve inch calibre, an appropriation OF
only 100000 is recommended on estimates
amounting to sl32l.555. The absurdlty OF so
small an appropriation for this purpose VIII be
clearly understood from the following extract
from the report of the Chief Of Army Engineers
for the current year He says:
THE completion of emplacements for seventeen
ien-inch and eight-inch guns to be mounted on
disappearing carriages is delayed by want OF
carriages on which to mount the guns. and that
of seven emplacements for tweve-inch ana ten
inch guns is likely TO be delayed for the same
reason this flscal year III Is Hopcu anu "ieNN
that appropriation may be made Tor the manu-
facture of the disappearing carriage whlch hds
been invented by the Ordnance Depai tment. ana
has proved itself from the very first equal 10 an
the requirements which such carriage must
fulfil Guns on hand and emplacements await
ing their platforms, but delayed by reason OF
lack Of carriages, are certainly strong GROUNDS
for appropriations for these carriages .
The bill carries 100000 (one-haf OF the esli-
mattel for construction of emplacements' gun
and mortar platforms and mounting OF guns ana
Inortars: so that the building OF incomplete EN-
placements is 10 continue. and the work OF Duiio-
ing gun carriages Is to lag, while the guns theH-
selves which are. after all. rather necessary
part of any system Of land defences. and whlch
have been completed, must remain as useless on
account of want Of carriages upon Which 10
mount them. as though they did not exist.
The Government has appropriated large SUMS
for system of submarine defence. and twenty
elk mining easements and galleries nave Deeh
begun of which twenty are ready for occupaton'
but the outfit of mines. cables and other heces-
sary paraphernalia has not been PROVIDED ror
this purpose an estimate for the appropriation
OF 500 600 was made. The committee has recon-
rnended only 100000 sum which Is wholly In
ADEQUATE TO equip for use the classmates ana gar
leries that are ready for occupation, ana which
will remain useless until they shall have peen
properly equipped. 1t is not necessary 10 point
out her details to show that the bill Is such
one as ought not to be enacted INFO law without
mo .erial amendment.