The Portland daily press., 1898-03-12
A NEW MAINE TO BE BUILT.
Naval Committee Recommend Three New
Ships, One To Be Named After Ill Fated
Baitteship.

NaVAi SOuiElCIeS heCCID"bnu 1AToc new
Ships, One To Be Named After Ill Fated
BaitIeship.
Washington, March 11.-Three new bat
tleships Of the staunchest type afoat. were
authorized by the House committee on
naval affairs today and provision for
their construction was inserted in the
naval appropriation bill and ct the same
time the committee agreed on max
imum price of S400 per ton for armour
plate for our vessels, an increase in the
forces of naval marines by over 473 men
and put matters in fair shape for de-
cision tomorrow, on the location of dry
docks, probably four IN namber, capable
Of accommodating the largest sized
war vessels. The committee was in sss-
sion practically all day and before the
decision on The increase. of ships WAS
reached there was a long and interesting
discussion.
:. Representative Tate, Democrat of
Georgia, believed that two vessels would
be ample and that further expenditure
beyond the point of necessity should be
avoided.
. Representative Loudenslager of New
Jersey protested that il the strength Of
the navy was to be increased at all, it
should be to the extent of three new yes :
sells built and armed to meet any vessels
afoat.
\ Representative Hawley Of Texas moved
that a cruiser be substituted for one OF
the hattleships, but the later withdrew
the motion. When the vote was taken
there was only one dissenting voice
Mr. Tate, insisting that two battleships
would be sufficient to meet present needs.
The new warships will be of the finest
pattern. 1t will be two years. doubtless,
before they can be 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 fixed, being left
to subcommittee of appropriations
which will report to the full committee
tomorrow. The COST it is expected, will
bo about five million dollars each, though
for the fiscal year in the bill, the amount
of the expenditure may not exceed $780,
900 each.s IN important question was
raised as to whether the expenditure
for the new battleshids should be betrayed
out of the 1,C00, 00D emergency bill.
This was passed over.~
The committee also agreed on provis-
ion authorizing the secretary of the navy
to purchase arInor plate by contract or
otherwise at 81 cost of not exceeding
S4OO per ton. This was agreed to, only
on the express provision that this should
include the nickle used in the arnor
for which large outside percentage has
heretofore been paid by the government.
This limit of armor contract price having
been generally expected with the excep-
tion of the insertion of the proviso as to
nickle, met with little opposition in the
in the debate. One of the most impor-
tant features of the work on the bill was
an agreement on an appropriation of
Sl95, 900 for outftting, rationing and uni
forming 473 additional marines.
This naval force was made the sub
1ect of C special urgent request to the
House after the submission of the recon-
mendations.
The question Of it's establishment Of
the new dry docks went over for action
fill tomorrow. 1t was thoroughly dis
cussed today 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 realized tomorrow these
docks will be constructed at Boston,
New Orleans. Mare Island and League
island. With the amounts to be paid
for dry docks and for armor plate the
aggregate not yet determined, the bill
as it stands carried in all something like
S36, OOO. 900 which, however, will be large
ly augumented 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 Tues
day.