Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-08

! an appropriation viii I've made for the CN-
/ pCnscs necessarily attendant upon the com
| ing meeting In our capital city as will be
worthy OF our national hospitality and ndl-
cative OF our appreciation of the event
NAVY Is GROWING NICELY NOW.
WORK on Contracts Authorized Pro-
crosses RnpidlS nnd satisfactorily.
The work Of the Navy department and its
present condition are fully exhibited in tho
report Of the secretary The construction
of vessels for our new navy has been en-
ergetcally prosecuted by the present admins
istratlon uron the general lines previously
adopted, the department having seen no
necessity for radical changes in prior meth
DDS under which the work was found to he
In progression In manner highly satsfac
tory. 1t has been decided, however, to
provide in every shipbuidinE contract that
the builder should pay all trial expenses.
and l. has also been determined to pay no
speed premiums in future contracts The
premiums recently earned and some vet to
be decided are features of the contracts
made before this conclusion was reached.
On March 1898, there were in commits
sion but two armored vessels. the double
turrctod monitors Miantonomah and Mon.
terey. Since that date, of vessels thereto
fore authorized, there have been placed In
their first commission three frst-ClaSs and
two secOnd-class battleships, two armored
cruisers. one harbor defense ram and Ave
double-turrotcd monitors, including the
Maine and the Puritan, just completed.
Eight new unarmorod cruisers and two new
gunboats have also been commissioned.
The Iowa another battleship will be COM
pleta I'd alout March 1, and at least four
more gunboGts will be ready for sea in
the early slring 1t is gratifying to state
that our shirs and their outfits are believed
to be equal to the best that can be manu-
iactured elsewhere, and that such notable
reductions have been made in their cost as
to justify the statement that quite mum.
Der of vessels are now being constructed
at rates low as those that prevail In
European shin yards.
Extensive Mnnurncturing Plants.
Our manufacturing facilities are at this
time ample for all possible naval con-
tingences. Three of our government navy
yards, those at Mare Island, CAL Norfolk.
Va, and Brooklyn, ~ Y, are equipped for
shipbuilding, our ordnance plant In WASH
ngton Is equal to any in the world and at
the torpedo station we are successfully maxi
ing the highest grades of smof Cless powder.
Three iirst-class private shipyards at New
port News, Philadelphia and San Francisco,
are building battleSlps eleven contractora
situated In the states of Maize, Rhode Island,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland,
Virginia and the state of Washington, are
constructing gunboats or torpedo boats Two
plants are manufacturing large quantities OF
first-claes armor. and American factories are
producing automobile torpedoos and powder.
projectles, rapid-fre guns and everything
else necessary for the complete outfit of
naval vessels
since March. 1898, five battleahipS, six light
draft gunboats, sixteen torpedo boats and
the submarine torpedo beat. Contracts for
the building of all them have been let. Tho
Pecretary expresses the opinion that we have
for the present sufficient supply of cruisers
and EunbOats, and that hereafter the con-
struction of battleohips and torpedo boats
will supply our needs
Much attention has been given to the
methods of carrying on departmental buel-
ness. Important notifications in the regu-
latiOns have been made, tending to unity
the control of saipbuilding, as far as may
be under the bureau Of construction and re-
pair, and also to improve the mode of
supplies for the navy by the
bureau of supplies and accounts. The ootab-
under recent acts of congress- OF a
supply fund, with which TO purchase these
Tpplies in large quantities, and other moli-
fcations of methods, have tended materially
to their cheapening and better quality
Some Matters of Detail.
The War college has developed into an
institution which II Is believed will be OF
great value to the navy in teaching the
science Of war as well as in stimulating pro-
fesolonal zeal in the navy, and it will be
useful in the devsing 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 lie found in operation for securing
abcr at navy yards, through boards of labor
employment. and has done much to make 1t
more complete and efficient. The naval
DhiCers who familiar with this system
md its operation express the decided opinion
hat its results have been to vastly improve
he character of the work done at our yards
md greatly reduce its cost.
Discipline among the officers and men of
he navy has been maintained to a high
standard, and the percentage of American
citizens enlisted has been very much in
reaSed.
The secretary IS considering. and will
during the coming winter, plan
or laying up ships In reserve, thereby la geiy
educng the cost of maintaining our vessels
float This plan cOntemplates that battle
hips, torpedo EOats and such of the
ruisers as are not needed for active service
{ sea shall be kept in reserve with skeleton
rewa on board to keep them in condition,
rusing only enough to insure the eihciency
f the ships and their crews in time of
ctivity The economy to result from this
ystem Is too obvious to need comment.
The Naval Militia which was authorized
few years ago as an experiment has now
eveloped into body OF enterprising young
zen. active and energetic in the discharge
their duties and promising great useful
ess. This establishment has nearly the
anne relation to our navy rs the National
uard in the different states bears to our
rmy and II constitutes a source of supply
,r our naval forces the Importance Of
hich is Immediately apparent.
OF TIE INTERIOR.
extensive business of Deep Interest
10 the whole PcGpic.
The report OF the secretary OF the interior
-esents comprehensive and interesting
,hibit of the numerous and important af-