The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08

ing contract that the builder should pay
all trial expenses, and has also been de-
termined to pay no speed premiums In
future contracts.
The premiums recently earned and
some yet to be decided, are features OF
the contracts made before this conclusion
was reached. On March 4. 1893, there
were in commission hut two armored yes
sells, the double turrsted monitors Mian-
tohomah and Monterey. Since that date.
of vessels therefore authorized, there have
been placed in their first commission
battle ships. two armored cruisers, one
harbor defense ram, and nve double tur-
reted monitors, including the Maine and
the Puritan just completed.
Eight new unarmored cruisers and two
new gunboats have also been commis-
stoned. The Iowa, another battle ship,
will be completed about March !, and
at least four more gunboats will be ready
for sea In the early spring.
1t is gratifying To state that our ships
and their outfits are believed to be equal
to the best that can be manufactured else
where, and that such notable reductions
have been made In their COST. as to justify
the statement that quite number OF
vessels are now being constructed at rates
as low as those that prevail in Eouropean
ship yards.
Our manufacturing facilities are at this
time ample for all possible naval contln-
gencies. Three of our government navy
yards those at Mare Island, Cal. Norfolk.
Va, and Brooklyn n. Y. are equipped
for shipbuilding. ous ordinance plant IN
Washington is equal to any in the world,
and at the torpedo station we are sue
cessfully making the highest grade OF
smokeless powder. Three first GLASS prl-
vate shipyards. at Newport News, Phila-
delphia, and San Francisco, are building
battleships; eleven contractors, situated
in the States Of Maine. Rhode Island.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland.
Virginia, and the State OF Washington,
are constructing gunDoats or torpedo
poats Two plants are manufacturing
large quantities of first GLASS armor and
American factories are producing auto
matlo torpedoes, powder protectlles, rapid
FIRE guns and everything else neoes-
sary for the complete outfit of naval YES
sell. There have been authorized by Con-
gress since March, 1895, five battle ships.
six light draft gunboats, Is torpedo boats
and one submarine torpedo boat. Con
tracts for the building of all of them have
been let. The Secretary expresses the
opinion that we have for the present a
sufficient supply OF cruisers and CUR
boats and that hereafter thu construction
OF battleships and torpedo boats will sup
ply our needs. Much attention has been
given to the methods of carrying on de-
partmen5al business. Important modift-
cations in the regulations have been made
tending to unity the control of ship build
ing, as far as may be. under the bureau
of construction and repair. and also to
improve the mode Of purchasing supplies
for the navy by the bureau Of supplies
and accounts. The establishments, under
recent acts of Congress OF supply fund,
with which to purchase these supplies in
large quantities, and other notifications
of methods. have tended materially to
tine cheapening and better quality. The
war college has developed into an institu-
ton which it is believed will be of great
value to the navy, in teaching the science
of war. as we'll as in stimulating profess
sional zeal in the navy; and it will be
especially 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 adj
herred to the plan he found in operation
for securing labor at navy yards, through
boards of labor employment, and has
done much to make it more complete and
efficient.
The naval officers who are familiar
with this system and its operation express
the decided opinion that Its results have
been to vastly improve the character OF
the work done at our yards and greatly
reduce it's COST. Discipline among the
officers and men of the navy has been
maintained to.a high standard and the
percentage of American citizens enlisted
has been very much increased. The Sec
rotary is considering and will formulate
during the coming winter a plan for
laying up ships in reserve. thereby largely
reducing the cost OF maintenance of yes
sells afioat This plan contemplates that
battle ships, torpedo boats. and such OF
the cruisers as are not needed for active
service at sea, shall De 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. The naval
militia, which was authorized few years
ago as an experiment, has now developed
into body Of enterprising young men,.
active and energetic in the discharge OF
their duties and promising great useful
ness. This establishment has nearly the
same relation to our navy as the national
guard in the different States bears to
our army: and it constitutes source OF
supply Tor our naval forces, the import
ance of which is Immediately apparent.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary OF the Interior
presents comprehensive and interesting
exhibit of the numerous and important
affairs committed TO his SUPERVISION.
tt is impossible in the connection to DO
more than briefly refer to few OF the
subjects concerning which the Secretary
gives full and instructive information.
The money appropriated on account OF
this department. and for its disbursement
for the fiscal year ended June 3d. 1896.
amounted to more than $157, O00. 600, or
q greater sum than was appropriated for
the entire maintenance OF the government
for the two fiscal years ended June ~.
1861.
Our public lands, originally amounting
to l, $40. 600, 600 acres. have been SO re-
duced that only about 900, 600, 600 acres
still remain in government control, ex-
Alaska. The balance, being by
far the most valuable portion, has been
given away to settlers, to new States, and
to railroads, OF sold at a comparatively
sum.
The patenting of land in execution OF
railroad grants has progressed rapidly
during the year and since the fourth day
Of March, 1893, about %, 600. 900 acres have
thus been conveyed to these corporations.
agree with the Secretary that the re-
mainder of our public lands should be
more carefully dealt with and their alien
alton guarded by better economy and
greater prudence. The commission ap-
pointed from the membership of the ma
I1onal academy OF sciences provided Tor