Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-09
THE NEW BATILEsHIPs.
Proposals 10 Have Some Of Them Constructed
in Private Shipyards.


navy, as passed by the House. provides
that all the vessels shall be built by
contract.
Nevertheless now that the bill is be-
fore the Senate a feeling has been re-
vived in some quarters, not only that
the option of building the ships in a
government yard should be reserved to
the navy department, but that one or
two of them ought to be built there.
With four, if not more, great armor-
clads to be authorized, and IL torpedo
boats, it is suggested that work enough
will be provided for the private ship
building plants even with one vessel
| constructed at Norfolk or Brooklyn.
Such a PLAN it is urged. would secure
| the continued use of the costly plants
erected at those places for the build
ing of the battlcships Maine and Texas
and the cruisers Cincinnati and Ra-
| leigh and the completion of the moni-
! tors.
Il would enable the government to
| obtain the services without increase Of
| pay of many experienced officers who
have hitherto been engaged on ship
| construction. II would also give work
to many skilled mechanics at Norfolk
|
| count expensive tools.
| But it seems a sufficient answer 20
this plan that the wise policy of our
| government has always been that Of
resorting to private yards for this sort
| Of work. The cases of the Maine and
| the Texas We're exceptional. as no steel
battleships had then been built in the
| country, and the government under
l h.. Not
much must be learned by experience
and that some mistakes would pc
| made
| Perhaps it il; only remarkable that
| these initial vessels OF their type have
lone SO Well just as it is also sub
| iect of concentration that our first
group OF steel cruisers, the Chicago,
Atlanta. Boston and Dolphin. have
rendered such splendid service.
The case OF the Cincinnati and Ra-
eiSh was also exceptional, from the
TACT that no bids within the limit fixed
by Congress were received from pli-
yate sources, so that they had either 10
| DE delayed until another Congress OF
Use constructed in the navy yards. is
The act allowed them q be.
But in general our policy has been
oy giving out contracts for the ships;
md the results from the very first have
justified that policy. our war vessels
thus built being recognized all over The
world as excellent in their types F'or
this reason it seems iniudicious, even
although so many battleships are to be
puilt. to insist that one or two of them
hall be built in government yards.
;1t- ,rrhf no
however is to supply in the bin sim
pie provision for building any of the
hips in government yards, provided
they cannot be contracted for on terms
and conditions deemed by the navy de
partment TO be fair and just to the gov
crnment.
The bidding on the very last pair Of
oattleships suggests how little danger
there is of combination among build
rs; but. without reference to that con-
| tingency. we have in the case of the
Cincinnati and the Raleigh an instance
| in which the governments option to
ouild III its own yards may be of use
The chances are enormous against
| rot giving out all the battleships and
| torpedo boats by contract. but. on the
,ther hand. there appears to he no good
reason why the government should
needleSsly cut itself off from a priVi-
| ege which it might like to use.
| 1t may here be noted that the fine
| speed just shown by the Raleigh. in Il
heavy sea and wind, and without the
advantages Of picked coal and thor
)ughly trained fire-room force. is cred
| table to her builders. 1t is only to be
| regretted that, after the work in get
| ing Official consent to the trial, it
| ihould not have been postponed as
| soon as it was seen that the conditions
| Tere unfavorablc, and would not allow
| her to make a representative record.
| AS it is she must. unless she has an
| 'ther trial. which is improbable, be put
| m the record With only Is 2-3 knots
! because the opinion of her officers that
| she could make over 20 goes for moth
! ing
| However, the real question is not as
| q the merits and dement's of vessels
| quilt in the navy yards. because beyond
| Ill que stinn our general policy is that
| VI construction by private enterprise.
| md this has produced most admirable
| results. All that needs to be done is to
| done il to amend the pending bill so
| ;hat in the improbable case of needing
| to build battle ships or torpedo boats
| in navy yard, it could lawfully be
| lone
| 1t may be added that the Walker
| Board VIII have before it the whole
question of the method Of installing on
the battle ships now to be built 1t is
considered at the ordinance bureau
that Saturdays firing at Indian Head
| was decided triumph for the super
posed turret system, but the board will
have the opportunity in the Indiana to
make a further contrast between the
turrets of that vessel and the one pro-
posed for the Kearsarge.
Capt. Sampson, having satisfied him
sell as to the best way of placing the
main battery, will also now put before
| the board some suggested changes in
| the secondary battery.
| 1t is noted as an instance of the fair
| ness of the secretary in the matter.
that while he asked the opinion of sew
eral prominent officers last year upon
| the superposed turrets. most of them
being favorable thereto, he has re-
| Trained from appointing any OF them
| Oh the Walker board. and has taken
| those who had expressed no official
opinion. but are recognized as experts