The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-12
THREE NEW EMPHASIZES
PROVISION TOR THEM MADE IN
 NATAL APPROPRIATION BILL.

NATAL APPROPRIATION BLLL, This Action Taken by Naval Committee of
 the House-The Vessels Are to be of the
 staunchest Type Afioat and One of Them
 Win be Named 'Iaine"-They Will
 Cost About s5,OOO,OoO Each.
 Washington, March 11-Three new battleships of the staunchest type afloat were authorized by the house committee on naval affairs to-day and a provision for their construction was inserted in the naval appropriation bill. At the same time the committee agreed on a maximum price of $4Oo per ton for armor plate for our vessels, in- creased the force of naval marines by 473 men and put matters in fair shape for a decision tomorrow on the loca- tion of dry docks, probably four in number, capable of accommodating the mittee was in session practically all day and before the decision on the in- crease of ships was reached there was long discussion. Representative Tate
 believed that two vessels would be ample and that further expenditure be-
 yond the point of necessity should be avoided. Representative Loudenslager
 of New Jersey protested that if the
 strength of the navy was to be increas-
 ed at all it should be to the extent of
 three new vessels, built and armed to
 meet any vessel afloat. Representa- tive Hawley of Texas moved that a cruiser be substituted for one of the battleships but subsequently, withdrew the motion.
 One Ship 10 be Named "Maine." When the vote was taken there was but one dissenting voice, MT. Tate in- sisting that two battleships would be sufficient to meet the present needs. The new warships will be of the finest pattern. It will be two years doubtless before they are placed in commission. One of them the committee decided should bear the name of the ill-fated Maine. The appropriation for their | construction was not named being re- 1 ferred to a subcommittee. The cost, | it is said, will be about $5,0O0, 900 each. 1 Thought for the fiscal year covered in l the bill the amount of expenditure may | not exceed $2,000000 each. An import ant question was raised as to whether | the pynanIit1rp Ioy hot should be defrayed out of the $50, 900, ,O0O 1 emergency bill but this subject was passed.
 Armor Plate at s4O0 a Ton. The committee agreed on provision authorizing the secretary of the navy
 to purchase armor plate by contract or | otherwise at cost of not exceeding 1 S40O per ton. This was agreed to only | on the proviso that this item should 1 include the nickel used in the armor. This limit of armor contract brace has
 been generally expected and with the
 exception of the insertion of the pro-
 viso as to nickel met with little, oppo- 1 sition. One of the most important feat ures of the work on the bill was an l agreement on an appropriation of l $135,000 for outfitting, rationing and
 uniforming 473 additional marines. This l increase in the naval force was made
 the subject of a special and urgent re- 1 quest sent to the house after the sub l mission of the regular recommenda- | tions.
 l Drydocks
 | The ouestion of esta h1isbmepf of ,,ax,, l dry docks went over for action to-mor- row. It was thoroughly discussed to- l day and the outlook is that four new | docks will be authorized, two on the Atlantic coast, one on the Pacific and
 another on the gulf. If the present ex- | pectations are materialized tomorrow l these docks will be authorized to be constructed at Boston, Algreirs, New l Orleans, Mare Island, Cal, and League l Island, Philadelphia. With the amounts
 to be paid for dry docks and for armor plate in the aggregate not yet deter
 mined the bill as it stands carries in all
 something like 36,000,0 which, how ever, will be largely augmented by the
 other items. Rapid progress has been
 made with the bill and it is likely it
 will be in shape to report to the house
 Monday or Tuesday.