The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-12-03

THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
A'Resume of Secretary 1.mont's Report
An Economical Administration.
Washington, Nov. M.-secretary La
mont's report OF tho operations OF the war
department for 1896 show total expenditures
sggregating nearly So. 000. 900. and an unex.
pended balance Of nearly 100000 turned
back into tho treasury at tho END OF the
fiscal year. For the three years Of secro.
tary Lamont's administration the surplus
has amounted to more than SS.00O. Co.,
The report shows that by July l, 1897.
there will be in position 70 high-power
breech-loading guns, and % breech-loaolng
mortars OF modern design. ana by the 1oI-
under way or provided for. 12S guns and 15s
mortars. A battery Of two or three Of these
guns takes the place Of the ancient fort.
ind II more effective.
distributed among the ports of Portland.
Me-: Portsmouth. N. H.; Boston. Nara
gansett Bay. eastern entrance to Long
Island Sound. eastern and southern en-
trance to New York, Philadelphia, Balti-
. more: Washington !n. Hampton Roads. W;l-
West. Pensacola. Mobile, New Orleans.
Galveston, San Diego. San Francisco, tho
mouth Of the Columbia river and Puget
sound.
The total amount appropriated for sea-
coast defenses. including cost Of sites. for
tihcations and armament since the adop-
ton Of the present scheme IL 81, 457,0 900. OF
which more than one-third was carried by
the act passed at the last session Of con-
gress.
M =. ...s~..>. - <h> a.~. ,%v,, ant <or <ho
next fiscal year aggregate $1o.482. 1858. With
this appropriate provision will have been
made for 163 h1gh-power gun emplacements
129 rapid-fre gun emplacements. 300 L.
inch mortar emplacements. SaS high-power
steel guns. 81 rapid-nre guns. 2so Pinch
mortars. $50 eight. ten and twelve-inch gun
carriages and go l2-inch mortar carriages.
In the belief that the problem OF a sat
isfactory disappearing gun carriage has
been solved, the appropriations committee
the present congress that this department
proposed to spend no more money for gum
lift batteries. thus saving $2o.ooo.ooo.
Secretary Lamont says his predecessors
in office at the head Of tho war department
had, during many years, the difficult task
OF arousing the public mind to realization
Of the national deficiencies In the matter OF
coast defense. AZ the interest which has
been awakened has grown deeper, sue.
cessive congresses have made more liberal
adopted scheme. Therefore. in submitting
the estimates for another year. he feels
that 1t Is no longer necessary to repeat the
arguments that have been reiterated 40
many times. While earnestly inviting at
tention to the great work that yet remains
to be done, 1t Is also his fortune to have
the more grateful duty OF exhibiting the
important results that have been actually
accomplished as well al the splendid prog
ress which is now being made toward early
completion Of the work.
The armament OF troops with the new
MARGARINE arms was completed in May.
and the armory is turning out 125 rifles or
carbines per day under the appropriation
made last year. All the ammunition FOR
small arms now made II supplied With
smokeless powder OF american manu1ae-
ture and Of satisfactory quality.
The total expenditures for river and har-
Dor improvements ordered by congress dur
ing the year ending June 30. 1880, Including
those OF the Mississippi and MISSOURI river
commissions. was $l7.0s9.oo Including the
amounts appropriated by the act OF June
3, 1896, there was available for expenditure
on river and harbors July l. SIX. 100000. Tho
Mississippi river commission has decided
to discontinue the plan to improve the
river by bank protection and to adopt the
plan of dredging channels in shoal places
and maintaining. with state and local CO.
operation. an effective levee system. With
this change OF policy the minority believe
the function of the commission IL ended,
and the work should be turned over to the
secretary Of war.
Referring to the great lakes the report
says: 1.-The new lock at the falls Of the
st. Mary's river. though not fully COM
pleted. was thrown open to commerce AL
ESdh xS de9t fsst Il 5sns oh En-; sSs m 1S
sills and single lift approximating Is feet.
Is an essential link in the chain Of improve
ments which are to give a ship channel
with depth Of 20 feet connecting the waters
OF the great lakes between Chicago. Duluth
and Buffalo. This work. now nearly COM
leted. is one Of great magnitude. and It's i'm
portance to the interests OF navigation may
be judged by the fact that its total cost
from its inception to complexion. while
about five per cent. Of the value Of the
commerce passing through the Detroit
river during the season OF 1885.
During the last fiscal year II, go vessels
passed the canal at st. Mary's falls. as.
gregating 15.64S0@ registered tonnage and
the net tonnage through the suez canal
during the year 1896 by nearly 5000. Nv tons.
The traffic through this canal in the year
1896 was the largest in it's history.
''Tho commerce passing through the Do
troit river during the year amounted to
about Is, S5O, GOO tons, with estimated value
of SIZE, O0O. 900. an increase Of seven per cent.
over the commerce Of the preceding year.
This tonnage is In excess OF the combined
net tonnage Of London and Liverpool for
the year 1894 as reported.
The army consists Of q, 426 officers and
men, or 2S4 below the legal maximum. Tho
effective field strength on October 81 was
1882.
The completion already Of some coast de-
lenses and the approaching completion Of
other modern batteries render necessary
q larger force OF artillerists. but no other
increase Of. tho army IN asked for The plan
of:sea coast defense involves 100 distinct
batteries in over 20 harbors. and force
must gradually be supplied to take care Of
guns and Notifications a. they are COM
pleted and maintain them In 4 state of
efficient defense.
Investigation this year has shown serious
deficiencies in the arms and equipment OF
the state militia branch OF the service
When tho states furnish the armorios and
defray all expenses incidental to keeping
their forces in training. Secretary Lamont
suggests that tho United States should
provide them with tho Implements which
they will need In active servtce-arms and
field equipment-as the supply on hand ~
totally inadequate. Tho secretary recon-
mends that the Springfield rifle. caliber IS.
be issued to state troops: that the states
ia allowed to return to the war department