Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-29
IN THE SENATE.
Naval Officers Must Stick to Navy German
Opposes So Many New Battleships.

Washington, April 2S.-In the Senate
the discussion on the amendment t,
the naval appropriation bill. prohibit
ing retired naval officers from taking
employment with persons or corpora
tons having contracts with the gov
eminent. was continued. The amend
ment was advocated by Chandler. who
denounced the system aimed at in The
amendment as a vicious one, The naval
service was being honcycombed. h,
said. by the desire of naval officers I,
learn enough of machinery matters t.
be able to obtain private employment
at Il large compensation; when. either
by leave of absence on the active list
or by getting themselves put upon tn,
retired list, they leave the public ser
vice and go into the employment o.
large contractors. This. he said. was
doing infinite mischief to the navy
Hale spoke of the difficulty which tn,
committee encountered when it recon.
mcnded anything that ran counter 4
the interests of a few individuals: ano
suggested that the Senate had beer
lobbied by officers affected by III,
proposed amendment or their friends
Some $4,000. 600. he said had been paic
to those two great firms Carnegie an,
Bethlehem. He believed that they haC
been largely paid and the time hat
come when they could afford to furnish
armor for the government at a Yer,
much reduced rate. In these new con
ditlons where it was contest between
the government and those concerns
there ought to be no man in their EN-
ployment who was an officer of the
government
The amendment was agreed to
Yeas. A.; nays. II.
Inc provisions for the increase Of tn,
navy We're taken up. German moved
TO reduce the number of battleship.
| provided for in the bill from four I,
two; Quay moved to increase the num-
Der from four to six
| German spoke of the excitement ere.
ated in Congress-largely through the
pfess-as to the relations of the United
states with other nations. Under this
great war scare, he said, larger appro.
| pflatlonS were asked for vessels of wal
| than ever asked for before, except il
time of actual war. The appropriation
Tor four battleships was made by tho
| House, in face of the fact that there
was rot revenue enough derived from
the tariff and internal revenue laws
| and miscellaneous sources, to pay tn.
| ordinary expenses of the government.
| There was now, and would be in the
next year, deficit in the treasury. OF
the large amounts paid in the last -four
years for pensions. construction OF
ships and other expenditures of the
government, $lea. 900, 900 had come from
| the sale of bonds
Hale made brief remarks. German
proposed that all after the enactne
clause of the Dingley bill be struck out
and provision be inserted putting a
duty on tea and coffee to the amount
of $39. 200 a year. Sherman would not
agree to this. German criticised the
policy of the Republican party in Con-
Sress. He denounced the aDpropria-
ticn of $51, 100000 for the navy lin e
time of absolute peace In the cours,
lof further remarks he referred sarcas-
tically to the secretary of the navy as
trying to rival the great admirals
| without action on Gorman's amend
ment, the Senate adjourned