The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-27

on nose TWO vessels are under command OF
onlu Uaptaln, and there Is attached to them
mar q su1loient number of officers ana
kant 20 look after them. Their stores are
ohfbuih storehouses convenient, the ma
maSy taken oaresof, and arrangements
days. - '-AoiA- ~ ''- -0O
~ Upon careful consideration of the re-
bboae ana the supplementary report OF tne
ensoard, and of the whole subject matter,
h ta.o department. recommends that dock
be constructed at Boston, as recommended
~ tne board, adapted to the docking OF
uno largest ocean going vessels. That
Mxhlle, on. account of it's lack Of some Of
une enumerated requisites, the board does
, noe include Portsmouth, N. H., in it's
ISL OF recommendations, yet in view Of
cne TACT that it's otherwise well-equipped
yard has no dock at all, except worn
out floating wooden, dock built in 1851, so
lar worthless that its lifting capacity Is
reported to be only 1900 tons, dock
should be built there commensurate with
tne use of the yard. IT there Is navy
YARD, there should be a dock. That at
rev York, as soon as tim Der dock No. 8,
which is now under repair, is ready for
use. probably some time in March next,
80 that timber dock No. 2 can be spared,
me latter, which is now deteriorating,
pc ntted with concrete entrance and
Wloened sufficiently to accommodate our
largest battle ships. That the present
cim DER dock at League Island, completed
only six years ago, which is OF sufficient
length $500 feet. but too narrow for naval
vessels of the largest size, be widened and
provided with concrete entrance, SO as
20 meet the requirements of q first class
DOCK. That at Norfolk the short dock be
enlightened $50 feet, as recommended by
che board. That at Port Royal. as recon-
mended by the board, proper wharf be
constructed adjoining the dock. That at
Algiers, New Orleans, steel floating
COOK, with necessary wharf and ssmoor1ngs
DO constructed and that at Mare Island
the new first class dock recommended by
the board be provided as soon as the
depth of water, which is now only 20 feet,
shall be increased, as it ought to be, to
the proper extent.
Hitherto for more than decade the
increase of the Navy has very properly
been in the line of new ships, and wisely
SO, as this has hitherto been the vital
need. In the opinion of the Department,
the time has now come when that in
crease should be on adjunctory lines in
order to bring our naval facilities up to
the same line Of advance, AS heretofore
indicated, the principal need today is that
OF sufficient docks, of which there is a de-
ploreble lack; of adequate supplies of the
munitions of war, which should never be
at the hand-to-hand stage: of an equip
menJ OF our navy-yards equal to the de-
mand upon them of the increasedsnumber
OF our ships; and of an enlarged corps OF
officers and men to do the work.
Additions to our fleet may be hereafter
necessary to bring it in case of emergency
to an extent commensurate with tbs
growing necessities of the country, espec-
tally in view Of the development of
Alaska, which is continent i'll itself,
and Of the possible annexation of islands
in thesPaciic. On the other hand, it is a
mistake not to recognize that on naval
power has moro than doubled within the
last few years; that. the case of any emer-
genoy beyond our present resources is the
very rare case; that until it comes ships
will be gradually taken out of commits
sion and put into reserve in order to re-
duce running expenses; and that due
regard is necessary TO the relation of the
national, expenditures to the national
revenues.
The Department. therefore recommends
that the authorization of new ships by
the coming Congress be limited to one
battle ship for the Pacific Coast, where,
after the..fve now under construction are
completed, there will be only two, while
on the Atlantic there will be seven; and
also to few torpedo boats and torpedo
DOdU u0bbfOJeT DUuil VI WlAlCA dT0 GOln-
paratively of little cost, and more OF
which are desirable in order to bring
this swift, mobile, and handily effective
arm of the service up TO it's place in the
general scheme for coast defense.
COST.
According to the reports Of the Pay
master General the total cost of main
tanning the Navy during the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1896, exclusive of It's
increase, land of permanent improve
ments at yards and stations specially ap.
propriated for, was SIS, 494, 86a. O3, and for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897
II, 514. 231.1 10. It appears, therefore, that
the expense Of maintaining the Navy is
a growing one, as distinguished from its
increase and permanent improvements,
the cost of which varies from year to year
according to the Judgment of Congress
as to the desirability of these latter items.
Attention is called to this fact because
the country should be under no .misappre-
hension as to the increasing cost of
maintenance.