The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-16
Congress ana Coast Defence.

The additions which the Senate Commit
tee has made to the Notifications bill In
crease 1t by nearly five million dollars,
and, indeed, much more than double it.
The amount fixed by the House was $4,-
144 1912, and the total now is $9,O52, 494.
As the House accepted the conclusion of its
own committee without change, SO the Sen
ate may adopt the bill in It's present form,
and. IL 30. 1t will have to be submitted to q
conference committee.
The first point to note in the increased
amount is that. while surprising by sew
eral millions the average appropriations Of
the last six years and while about 81 ,70O,-
0 ahead even Of the great appropriation
of the Fifty.fourth Congress at the session
corresponding to the present one, yet it is
less by nearly half a million than the max.
imum appropriation, that of last year.
If we look at details, some, at least. of
the additions proposed by the Senate Com.
mittee ought to commend themselves to
the House. Thu largest increase is that
of the sun for emplacements for uns
and mortars, from 81, 900 900 to $4,000
600. 1t cannot be a very difficult mat
ter to And out how much will fall due
under existing contracts, at about the rate
of progress hitherto made under these con-
tracts. This amount should certainly be
provided for, less any sum that remains on
hand. But, in addition, If 1t appears that
these emplacements will not be enough for
the mounting Of all guns and mortars that
will have carriages ready for them at the
end of the fiscal year, at the present rate Of
output of carriages, then for such addition
al emplacements there should unquestion-
ably be appropriations.
A large increase il made In the appro-
priation for purchasing forgings for heavy
guns. AS to this item it seems clear tina
II the ordinary work Of the Watervliet fac
tory during the next year will require the
furnishing of that additional amount of
forginRs, the increase should be made. The
object should be to keep the factory busy In
routine employment, even though the guns
are now much ahead of the carriages and
e~mplacements, because 1t Is wise to use
ourfacilities for what will certainly be need
ed, sooner or later. The addition of nearly
81 800, 900 for steel mortars and their car
riages may possibly be contested in the
House ut this time, although no one can
contend that they will not ultimately be
needed but as to the increase for coast de.
fence guns under contract, 1t 10 only neces-
sary to see what amount will become due
and payable under present arrangements
and past rates of progress, and that amount
should, OF course, be voted.
An increase which seems to US to demand
special study is that of $343.bOO for car
friages for heavy guns. We have scores of
guns ready to be mounted that have no
carriages. 1t is therefore highly impor-
tant to see just how much work will be
done on carriages during the coming fiscal
year, both In the public and the private
works now building them, taking the
present rate of work as the standard; and
money to that extent should certainly be
supplied. A similar consideration applies
to the proposed increase for . reserve sup
ply of ammunition. This supply should be
made ample for the number of guns we ara