Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-08

event
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The work of the navy department and
its present condition are fully exhibited
in the report of the secretary. The con-
struction of vessels for our new navy
has been energetica1lY prosecuted by the
present administration upon the genral
lines previously adopted, the department
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 pro-
vide in every ship-building contract that
the builder should pay all trial expenses,
and it has also been determined to pay
no speed premiums in future contracts.
The premiums recently earned and some
yet to be decided are features of the con-
tracts made before this conclusion was
reached.
OUR NAVAL STRENGTH.
On March 4, 1893. there were in commits
sion two armored vessels, the double
throttled monitors, Miantoch and Con
terey. Since that date, of the vessels
heretofore authorized, there have been
placed in their first commission three
first-class and two second-class battle
ships, two armored cruisers, one harbor
defense ram and five double turretted
monitors, including the Maine and the
Puritan, just completed Eight new UNI
armored cruisers and two new gunboats
have also been commissioned. The Iowa
another battleship, will ba completed
about March l. and at least four more
gunboats win be ready for the sea in the
early spring. = - - $50
r. OUR FACILITIES. .
1t is gratifying to state that our ships
and their outfits are believed to be equal
to the best that can be manufactured
elsewhere. and that such notable reduc-
lions have been made in their cost as 10
justify the statement that quite num-
Der of vessels ere now being constructed
at rates as, low as these that prevail in
European ship. yards. Our manufactur-
ing facilities are at this time ample for
all possible naval contingencies. Three
of our government navy yards, those at
Mare Island, California; Norfolk, Va,
and Brooklyn, N. ARE equipped for ship
building. Our ordnance plant in Wash
ington Is. equal to any in the world, and
at the Torpedo Station we are successful
in making the highest grades of smoke
less powder. Three first-class private
ship yards at Newport News, Fhiladel-
phia ana San francisco, are building bat
tleships.
Eleven contractors, situated in the
states of Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia
and TIE state of Washington, are con-
structing gUnboats or torpedo boats. TWO
plants are manufacturing large quanti-
ties of frst-class armor, end American
factories are producing autommobile tor
.pedoes powder projectiles, rapid-fre
guns and everything else necessary for
the complete outfit of naval vessels. o..
ADDITIONAL WARSHIPS.
There have been authorized by con-
gress, since March, 1898, five battleshlps,
six light-draft gunhoats, sixteen torpedo
boats and one submarine torpedo boat.
Contracts Cor the building of all of them
have been let. The secretary expresses
the opinion that we have for the present
sufficient supply of cruisers and gun
boats and that hereafter the constrnc-
ton of battleships and torpedo boats wlli
supply our needss
Much attention has been given to the
methods OF carrying on departmental
buainess. Important notifications in the
regula tons have been made tending to
unity the control of shipbuilding, as far
as they may be under the bureau of cen
struction and repair. and also to improve
the mode of purchasing supplies for the
navy by the bureau of supplies and ac-
counts The estabiishnle mt under recent
acts OF congress of a supply fund, with
which to purchase these supplies in large
quantities and other notifications of
method, have tended materially to their
cheapening and better quality.
WAR COLLEGE.
The war college has developed into an
institution which 1t is believed is of great
value to the navy in teaching the science
of war; rs well as in stimulating profess
sional zeal in the navy; and 1t will be es-
pecally useful in the devising 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 formulated for securing
labor at navy yards through boards of
labor employment, and has done much to
make 1t more complete and efficient. The
naval officers, who are familiar with this
system and its operation, express the de-
cided opinion that It's results have been
to vastly improve the character of the
work done at our yards and greatly re-
duce it's cost
The discipline among officers and men
of the navy has been maintained to a
high standard, and the percentage of
American citizens enlisted have been
very much increased.
NAVAL RESERVE.
The secretary Is considering and will
formulate. during the coming winter, a
plan for laying up ships in reserve, there
by largely reducing the cost of main
tanning the vessels afloat. This plan con-
templates 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 too obvious to need comment.
NAVAL MILITIA.
The naval militia which was author
lied a few years ago as an experiment,
has now developed into body of enter
prising young men, active and energetic
in the discharge of their duties and
promising great usefulness. This es-
tablishment has nearly the same relation
to our navy as the national guard in the
states bears to our army and 1t
constitutes supply for our naval forces.
thei Importance of which is Immediately
apparent
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the secretary of the in
terror presents a comprehensive and in
teresting exhibit of the numerous and inn
portant affairs committed to his super
vision. 1t is impossible in this communi-
cation to do more than briefly refer to a
few of the subjects, concerning which the
secretary gives full and instructive in
formation. The money appropriation on
account of this department for its dis
bursement for the fiscal year ended June
go 1896, amounted to more than $157.000,-
900, or a greater sum than was appro-
prated for the entire maintenance of
the government for the two fiscal years