Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-08
GROWTH OF THE NAVY.
"ratitying Progress in the Task of
Putting 1t on n First-CIass
Footing Noted.

The work of the navy department and
| It's present condition are fully exhibited
IN the report of the secretary,
Ihe construction of vessels for our new
navy has been energetically prosecuted by
| the present administration upon the gen.
eral lines previously adopted, the depart-
neht having seen no necessity for radical
changes in prior methods under which the
work was found to be progressing in a
manner highly satisfactory 1t has been
decided however, to provide in every ship
building contract that the builder should
pay all trial expenses. and it has also been
determined to pay no premium in future
contracts. The premiums recently earned
and some yet to be decided, are features
OF the contracts made before this couclu-
sion was reached
on March 4, 1898. there were in commits
sion out two armed vessels, the double FUR
reted monitors Miantonomah and Monte
rey. Since that date, of vessels thereto
lore authorized there have been placed in
their first commission three first class and
two second class battleships, two armored
cruisers, one harbor defense ram and five
double turreted monitors, including the
Maine and the Puritan, Just completed
Eight new unarmored cruisers and two
new gunboats have also been commits
stoned. The Iowa, another battleship. will
be completed about March l, and at least
four more gunboats will be ready for sea
in the early spring.
Our Ships as Good as Any,
1t is gratifying to state that our ships
and their outfits are believed to be equal
to the best that can be manufactured else
where. and that such notable reductions
have been made in their cost as to Justify
the statement that quite number of yes
sells are now being constructed at rates as
low as those that prevail in European ship
yards. Our manufacturing facilities are at
this time ample for all possible naval con-
tingenci0s. Three of our government navy
yards. those at Mare Island. Cal, Norfolk,
Va. and Brooklyn. n. Y, are equipped for
shipbuilding; our ordnance plant in Wash
ington Is equal to any in the world and
at the torpedo station We are successfully
making the highest grades of smokeIess
powder. Three first-ClasS private shin
yards, at Newport News. Philadelphia and
San Francisco, are building battles hips:
eleven contractors, situated in the states of
Maine. Rhode Island PENNSYLVANIA. New
Jersey, Maryland. Virginia and the state
Of Washington, are constructing Sunboats
or torpedo boats. Two plants are manu-
featuring large quantities of first-class
armor, and American factories are produc-
Ing automibile torpedo powder projec-
tiles, rapid fire guns and everything else
necessary for the complete outfit of naval
vessels
There have been authorized by congress
since March, 1896 five battleships. six light
draft gurboars, sixteen torpedo boats and
one submarine torpedo boat. Contracts for
the building of all OF them have been let
The secretary expressed the opinion that
We have. for the present, a sufficient sup
ply of cruisers and gunboats. and that
hereafter the construction of battIeships
and torpedo boats will supply our needs
Much attention has been given to the
methods of carrying on departmental bust
ness. Important notifications in the regu-
lations have been made tending to unity
the control of shipbuilding, as far as NAV
be. under the bureau of construction and
repair, and also to improve the mode of
purchasing supplies for the navy by the
bureau of supplies and accounts The es-
tablishment under recent acts of congress
of supply fund with which to purchase
the supplies in large quantities, and other
notifications of methods have tended ma
terially to their cheapening and better
quality.
Minor Naval Matters.
The war college has developed into an
institution which it is believed will be of
great value to the navy, in teaching the
science of war, as well as in stimulating
professional zeal in the navy, and it will
be especially useful in the deyising of plans
for the utilization. in case of necessity of
all the naval resources of the United
States.
The secretary has persistently adhered
to the plan he found in operation for Sc
curing labor at navy yards, through boards
Of labor employment and has done much
to make it more complete and efficient
The naval officers who are familiar with
this system and its operation express the
decided opinion that its results have vastly
improved the character of the work done at
our yards and greatly reduce its cost.
Discipline among the officers and men of
the navy has been maintained to a high
standard, and the percentage of American
citizens enlisted has been very much in
creased.
The secretary Is considering and will
formulate during the coming winter, a plan
for laying up ships in reserve, thereby
largely reducing the cost of maintaining
our vessels afioat. This plan contemplates
that battleships. torpedo boats and such of
the cruisers as are not needed for active
service at sea shall be kept In reserve
with skeleton crews on board to keep them
in condition, cruising only enough to Insure
the efficiency of the ships and their crews |
in time of activity. The economy to result |
from this system is toe obvious TO need |
comment
The naval militia, which was authorized |