Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-02
THEY COME HIGH.
But Great Nations Must Have
the Very Finest WarshIps.
We Are Now Building the Best Fight
ing Ships in the World.
hardest Worked Man in the Senate - Some
Of His Duties.

N0vlcS cost money. IHo Sroat ualoicshipS
and armored cruisers of modern times arc
expensive Injuries, but it seems that ma
tions must have them. Official figures
ouoted recently in congress show that for
tho current year the five great nations of
Europe-Great Britain, France, Germany,
Russia and Italy-spend for the mainte-
nance and increase of their navies the
enormous sum Of SOS, 900, 900, divided as
follows: Great Britain, $9l, 000 900;
France, So, 900, 900; Germany, $50 oOo,
900; Russia, s27 200, 600, and Italy, $l9,
100000. For the coming year the ex-
penditure will be still greater Great Brit
ain having appropriated $780, 600, 900 for
naval purposes, amid great enthusiasm IN
parliament, and Russia and Germany hav-
ing made arrangements for largo increases
Of their naval establishments. Comparing
resources with resources our annual ex-
penditure for the naval service, averaging
CSC, 600, 900, is not extravagant.
Our New Navy.
This winters appropriation bill for the
navy carries generous items for new ships
and torpedo boats. 1t authorizes a larger
increase Of the navy than any other naval
bill has ever contained Official figures
used by Chairman Boutclle of the house
naval committee show that the cost of tho
new navy has been, in round numbers,
S83,00O,O 900. This sum provides for some
thing like so vessels of all classes, ranging
in cost from the great battleship at from
Is, 600, OO9 to 81, 900, 600 down to torpedo
boats at $3.50, 600 each. If to this sum be
added the amount authorized by this
years bill, We shall have a total Of about
$110, 000,0 spent on our new navy
These figures, 1t should be understood,
comprise only construction of new vessels
and do not include repair or maintenance.
The new battleships which We are about
to build will cost IS, $50, 600 each for the
hull and machinery alone. The great
guns and other appurtenances will cost
from 81, 000, 900 to 90, coo, 900 for each yes
sci, giving total cost of something like
sc, 000, 900 for each Of these great fighting
machines.
Our Powerful Ships.
Chairman Boutelle of the house naval
committee tells me we are now building
the hest fighting ships in the world. ~
believe says he that the general type
Of character Of the battleship which we
arc now building and preparing to build
is not only by all odds the best and most
powerful one in the world, but that the
type Is fixed for some time to come. OF
course l cannot guarantee this. In view
of tho progress Of the past and of some of
the marvels of the last sig months, he
would indeed be bold man who would
predict that no great changes will come to
our naval architecture at an early day.
But feel sure we are increasing our navy
with type of vessels which will continue
IN high favor for years to come. Minor
improvements we shall mako from time to
time
THE Iowa is claimed to be an improve
ment upon the Indiana" continued Mr..
Boutelle. "The battleships that are today
under contract at Newport News are
claimed to be superior in important re-
spects to the Indiana and the Iowa. Tho
Indiana, tho Massachusetts and the Orc
gon, concerning which 1 say freely that I
believe they are the finest completed ships
In the world were experimental ships with
us. They were tho first battleships that
we had ever tried to design, and they re
fleet eternal honor upon their designers. II
was marvel for us to be able to step into
this untrodden field and in the first three
great fighting ships that we put afoat
show that We could not only build ships
horo of a character almost as good as those
constructed In the great shipbulting es-
Establishments of Europe, where they have
been engaged for generations in that work,
but that we had actually built ships that
arc conceded by British naval architects,
by experts from Japan and by other mari
time powers to DO the most powerful YES
sells in the world
A Hard Worker.
Tho hardest working man in the United
States senate is Alonzo Stewart who il
carried on the rolls rs assistant doorkeep-
or, but who is in many respects the mar
who runs the senate He is expected to
know everything that is going on every
minute of the day. If Il senator has gone
to his committee room to take little Sleep
and is not to be disturbed, Stewart is the
man who is to be ready with tho explana-
ton. If a party of senators have gone out
for drive or for little gamo of poker.
Stewart is expected to know whom to tell
whore they are and whom TO lie to. If any
one wants to find Il senator right quick,
Stewart is the man he appeals to, and
Stewart usually knows whether tire man
inquestion is in the restaurant, the barber
shop, tho cloakroom, tho bathroom, over
at the senatorial annex, at the house end
of the capitol, up in the gallery with some
lady friends or wherever he is. How
Stewart keeps track of the movements ii
nearly 80 senators and never fails to know
just enough and not II bit too much is one
Of the curiosities of life in the capital
curious illustration of the nature Of
the services rendered by this extraordinary
senate official is found in recent scene on
the floor. The Du Point case was under de-
bate, and tho constitution Of the state os
Delaware WAS in frequent demand. Ono
Of Stewards duties is to keep his ears open
for references to books by senators on tho
floor, and whenever state constitutions
Congressional Records, the Statutes of the
United States OR Of some particular state
or any other work of reference is men
TONED ne Is expected to hustle for it, open
It at tho right page and place 1t on the
desk OF tho senator who may wish to CON
suit It,. On the day in question Ave SEN
ators cited as many different sections of
the Del0ware constitution, and the words
we're scarcely out of their mouths till
Al0nzO Stewart had the books on their
desks, every ono opened at the right place.
Assistant Doorkeeper Stewart IL not
only familiar with the constitutions Of ali
tho states and with The Congressional Rec.
ORD and the other annals Of congress-. Int
~ studied law for the express purpose Of
equipping himself for the discharge OF his