Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-05
FOR A BATTLESHIP.
Representatives Of YIrsinia's Cities by
the Sea in Washington.
WORK AT NORFOLK MAYNARD.
The Government should Keep II Up,
SO That skilled Workmcn May Not
he Driven Into Private Employ
mcnf-PersonaI-ifies


and Berkeley, and The Board OF super
visors Of Norfolk county to appear oe
fore the Senate Committee on Na'a'
Affairs. with a view to securing one "a
the battieships contemplated by the Dill
introduced by Senator Hale. for construc-
tion at the Norfolk navy-yard, arrived
here to-day. and organized by the election
90 G. s. Sherwood as chairman ana MI
Alvah n. Martin as secretary. the ioi-
lowing gentlemen were present.
NorfoIk-R. A. Doble. president Board
OF Hsrbor Commissioners inolii"'
Townshend, president Real Estate hA-
change: Captain ]. w. McCarrick' OF 'he
Chamber of Commerce; X. ii. Johnson
of the Merchants Exchange, ana H. d.
Goodrdge. of the Council.
portsmouth-Messrs G. S. Sner"oou'
w. v. IL. williams, J. Davis Reid Johh
!. King. and Joseph f. Weaver, members
of the Council; Hon. l.. II. DAVIS Masoi'
and Captain John II. Happier CITY A''oi-
ney. md
Berkley-Messrs George G. Martin ana
4, C. Jones, members Of the Council
Norfolk Cornty--Hon. William \. PORT
,ocl, Judge Of the County Court; Coionel
II. c. Marshall, Commonwealth 5 A''oi-
nov and MIR. Alyah II. Martin, County
Clerk. tic, ,,,ore in
troduced 10 the Naval Committee py
senator Daniel Mr.. Tyler was ABSENT
owing to the Illness OF his chiiu'
FoRcIBLE SPEECHES.
r.or,,r,e sneecbes we're made by Messrs.
e.horu,ood McCarrick, Portlock, Williams,
and others in behalf OF the adNdn -,
of the Norfolk navy-yard ioI pu''u 1ns,
.h,ps OF war. The committee tneiI re-.
The Naval Committee room W NJ. i .',,S
o,ber Senators and Representatives wiz,
:, view of enlisting their services anu
s,,,,rathios In behalf OF the naVy-yaiu
NJ sherwood made the point OF ma
,il,fv NJ the navy-yards to retain tidIiioH
worlmen for repair-work; thI tiie To- .,'.
of work I'm the government Eaiuo -.
driving skilled mechanics away from ~ ~,
homes. to the disadvantage OF 'iie 49, go.
lie was asked number OF queS'lonSS
80. re- senators from California ana
Georgia -. ..,,,,i,ted
Cantain James w. McCarrick subnlt t,
nc y business proposition that the
government did not propose TO Keep nv
Yards in work. II should dispose OF .noi'
40 others who would IL seemed ulousi
faaSalil<e 10 let SUCH FtANt-'~
tho interest on which must be cohsiutI
able remain idle and 20 10 decay. iic
,bon,ht the senators should amend the
I'm co as 10 provide for keeping both the
navv-vard and outside yards busy All
tho shine that both could build for seye,
raI wears TO come would be neeoeu
IN preserve peace or protect the COM
,neree OF the United States.
Tie had been an officer IN the ooH,,
~ sbius. for the lack Of whlch the
Revolutionary had been unable to esiap-
,isb commercial relations, and conse-
opently fell, as any marluhe MAUI"
must fall which neglects its navy.
he was also asked several queSlons
bv the chairman of the committee lal,
cameron. OF Pennsylvania, the senator
from Georgia, and Mr. Il'iinan' VI
South Carolina. -,
Nj w v III. Williams was Sharply
interrosated by Mr. Tiilman as 10 lhS
oight-hour law In government yards anu
The go-as-you-ploase system prevailing III
private yards.
SECRETARY HERBERT.
THE hearing accorded the delegation
witch was for the purpose OF securing
the building OF a batteship, was prlel
and the members then turned their atten-
ton TO the Navy Department, ana Sc
cured a pleasant interview with Secretary
Herbert This partook OF the nature OF
an interchange of views on navel ahalrs.
The Norfolk men urged that the Sec
retary should aid them IN securing lhe
building of battieship al each OF the
prominent government navy-yards, re-
rardless OF any work that might be given
out bv contract TO private concerns. This.
they said would keep the navy-yards
from rustlng or going TO decay Tor
want of work. as being allowed 10 De
idle. they are practically at pre-
sent. AS Il is now. skilled work
men are being forced from their homes
near the government navy-yards, and
perhaps could not easily be gotten to-
gether again.
The Secretary, after very courteously
hearing all they had TO say, replied that
he was greatly In favor OF keeping the
government plants in use, at least sufii-
GENTLY so to keep them from rusting.
lie was frank to say that he did not be-
lieve Congress would authorize any of the
proposed battleships TO be built at the
navy-yards. and he did not feel in a
position 70 urge II.
DIFFERENCE IN WORK.
While he believed the government yards
in this country, as in Europe, could turn
out better finished work. he did not be-
Ieve they could build the battleships
now needed as quickly or as cheaply as
they could be built by contract. He
gave no reason why this was the case,
but he was very decided in the opinion
that they could be built more cheaply,
first because, under the law, mechanics
worked only eight hours per day in gov
eminent yards. while contractors require
them to work ten hours, or twelve hours,
as their necessities require. Next, he
said that contractors followed up their
men to see that they did the work con-
tracted for more effectively than navy
yard officials seemed to do.
Just then one of the Norfolk men asked
n he meant to say that men working in
private yards, under plans furnished by
government officials. and under the in
spection OF government officials, could
do more work than men working under
the same class Of officials In public yards.
The Secretary said he did not care TO
discuss what could or could not be done.
lie only knew what had been done. The
result of the interview was that the
Secretary said he would do all he could
TO secure repair-work and the building
OF torpedo-boats at the various navy
yards. but did not think that anything he
could do now would avail to have any
OF the proposed new battleships built al
any OF the government navy-yards
Congressman Amos Cummings, of New
York. made an able argument before III,
House Committee on Merchant Marine
and Fisheries In favor OF the present
State pilotage system to-day. This closes
the hearings on this subject, and the
full report will now be printed.
OTEY'S FIRST HONORS.
Representative Otey had his first bill
passed In the House to-day. IL was pri
vste-bill day, and every member who
had bill, and there were scores Of them
were on the floor. cooked and primed