Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-12-11

for radical changes IN prior methods
under which the work was found to %
progressing In q manner highly satis.
factory. It has been decided. however,
to provide In every shlp-building con,
tract that tho builder should pay al
trial expenses. and 1t has also been de.
future contracts. The premiums re-
Gently earned and some yet to be de.
cided are features Of the contracts
made before this conclusion vas
reached.
mission but two armored vessels. the
double.terreted Monitors, Miantohoee
Vessels Heretofore authorized there
have been placed in their first commits
sion three frst-class and two seconu'
class battleships, two armored cruisers,
one harbor.defepse ram and nve oouDle
turreted Monitors. including the MALI, nlhtt
and the Puritan, Just completsd. E.kn III,
new unarmored cruisers ana tWU nc"
gun-boats have also been commisslu ,;',
ed. The Iowa, another battleship VIII
he completed about March J, anu d.
least four more gunboats Will pc feaoy
for seq in the early spring.
II is gratifying to state tnat our
ships and their outfits are DelieVeu ~
be equal to the best that can ne mar
ufactured elsewhere, and that SUCH NJ,
table reductions have been MADE IN
their cost as to justify the statement
that quite q number of vessels ale
now being constructed at rates as 10"
as those that prevail In European snip
our manufacturing facilities are at
this time ample. for all posslDle nasa at
contingencies. Three Of our governmei1i'
navy yards, those at Mare AsIah4; c oro
equipped for ship building, our ordnance
plant in Washington is equal 10 any
in the world, and at the torpedo sta-
ton we are successfully making !ne
highest grades of smokeless power.
Three first-class private ship yards: at
Newport News, Philadelphia, ana nan
Francisco are building battle s.n nts.
eleven contractors, situated in the sea!e'
of Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvanla;
New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia. and
the state of Washington. are construc.-
ing gun-boats or torpedo poa.s,
Two plants are manufacturing iarsS
quantities of first-class nrmor, aau
American factories are producing hu-
tomobide torpedoes, powder p,tSj;s n.
tiles, rapid-fire guns. ana every om ,,tt,}
else necessary for the complete 'ou'"'
Of naval vessels.
There have been authorized by con-
eress since March. 1898. i've patti,
Ships, six light draft gunboats, siS.een
torpedo boats and one 81. sub mn 'iid 1Gu
~ al, NJ them have been let. The sec
reta ar; expresses the, opinion that , we
have for the present ssfici and t thPt
hereafter the construction OF Datsi,S
ships and torpedo boats will supply
our needs. - tho
Much attention has been given 10 tiai
methods Of carrying on departnaen';n "a,
business. Important modifcations ~
ing to unity the control Of snip ,,a ,,,.
ins, as far as may be. under the w,
reau of construction and repair, ! anu
also to improve the mode Of pS h,'raaH of
supplies for the navy by the n os1s h'IsS y.
supplies and accounts. The ESTABLISH
ment. under recent acts Of congress, OF
supply fund with which to t, pnrcn and
these supplies in large quantities s , anu
other notifications Of methods. na a,'e
tended materially to their cheapeh'"s
and better quality.