Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-02
54th CONGRESS.
Busy Closing Days Of an Ex-
ceedingly Busy Session.
Senate Attends Strictly, Monday, TO
Considering Appropriation Bills.
sslk Of Tine Takes Up BY Articles q Naval
Appropriations.

81. S1s,ni.stou, Mdrcn In the Senate.
the distric; appropriation bill being under
consideration. GaIlinger offered an
amendment appropriating $4,000 for q
cremat0ry. .coiumbarium and morgIe for
tue cremation OF bodies Of the INDECENT
dead in Pot:cr's field. The amendment
was agreed 80.
The, district appropriation bill was
sion. 1t appropriated &7.444.e77, an in
crease Of sl.6'a,s GS over the amount in the
bill as II passed the House. and an in
crease OF II :544IS over the bill for the
current ilscal year. half of the amount to
be paid out of the treasury OF the United
enues.
the earliest possible moment ask action
on the House amendments to the bill for
an International monetary conference.
me conference report ON the bill to pre-
vent trespassing on national military
parks was agreed to.
The Senate at LIE. took up the naval
appropriation bill. The hill as reported
increase OF ss.5sssc Over sf ~. II sc;St i ~
the bin as it passed the House. Tine 4tems
constituting the increase include the fol-
envy. 5000; increase of the navy, con.
struction and n,.lcl1fncrysS 35600 00.1ostab-
rs lisn IN government artnor factory. 0.-
ports an amendment Authorixfnk con
tracts for three torpedo boats. not to cost
over $4,000 in all. The torpedo boats
amendment and all the other amend
ments up to that point were agreed to.
without discussion or question. The
amendment providing that mo contract
TOR TO e armof Plates shan be made az rate
amendment striking out the clause thar
no portion Of the armor shall he nur-
chased until It has all been contracted
lot were passed over temporarily: aiso
the amendment appropriating 10000
tory
The remainder of the. bill having been
of. the controverted amendments
were taken up. The first question was ON
the provision in the bill that the total
COST COS OF the armor shall not exceed S. no.
ported an amendment that mo contract
for armor plate shall be made at a rate
10 exceed 800 per tom Hale, in charge
81 the bill stated the reasons for the ac-
chandler moved to amend the Senate
by making read that No
contract for armor plate shall be made
ton. He said he Joined in the commend
alton for the zeal, ability and courage of
the secretary of the navy which found
an em s, in mis- report: in which he
arm for three battleships. which was Il
reduction of about $50 per ton from thf.
price paid within year for armor for
ate committee on naval affairs, however.
believed the price should not be higher
than between 500 and $40V a ton. He him-
self believed that $500 per ton was nearer.
4 fair and Just price than 800. assuming
that the government was prepared to
contract for a sufficient number OF tons
Of armor to make it an object for con-
tractors to keep the works in operation.
He believed that the contractors would
make a fair and reasonable profit on the
armor for three battleships at $500.
make the radical changes proposed in
he bill as to the increase Of the navy,
hen that increase was begun in 1884 the
,rincip,e was laid down that the govern
nent should not attempt the almost Inn
possible task Of extracting the ore from
he mines. fashiOning 1t into great blocks
u, y SIC stes, ;, and producing armor plate for
greater than IL the armor were made in
private establishments.
Jones. DEM. Of Arkansas, inquired as
furnished armor to the Russian govern
nent at $50 a. ton. while It was charging
'GO ton to the American government,
German admitted that fact. but said
government was inferior to that fur
lished the American government.
Jones called attention to the statement
'roiits derived by the bethlehem works
lad repaid the $3.000O00 invested In the
liant. besides allowing dividends OF %
ID not the senator from Marya ae sSin
he price paid by the government for ar
nor was too high?
German replied that the manufacturers
ould reduce the price of armor. IL Con-
ress should enter into the scheme OF
wninE and running great plant itself.
nd making armor. 1t would cost four
ines as much as now paid.
Jones disclaimed being In favor Of that
cheme. and asserted that the govern
lent had been paying a m0nstrous price
or arThor.
GRAY asked German what he would adj.
iSe IL the Bot h1ehem and Caruegla Cnvn~