Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-04-20
BUILDING OF WARSHIPS.
SECOND DAYS DEBATE on NAVAL
APPROPRIATION BILL.
Mr. Day tom Opposes the Construction
of Vessels Of War I'm Government
Government Armor Plate Factory

Washington, April 17.-The second
days debate upon the Naval APP
preparation bill in the House to-day
was confined closely to the subject
matter Of the bill and was, as a rule,
devoid of interesting features. The
questions of armor plate and the build
ing Of warships in government yards,
as on yesterday, attracted most atten-
ton. The speakers to-day were Messrs.
Dayton, of West Virginia; Loudens-
lager of New Jersey; Adams, of Penn
sylvania; Vandiver, of Missouri; Ell
lott, of South Carolina; Rixey, Of Vir-
ginia; Fitzgerald, of New York, and
Wheeler, of Kentucky. General debate
was closed to-day and tomorrow the
bill will be read for amendment under
the five minute rule.
Mr.. Dayton, of West Virginia q
member of the Naval Committee, the
first speaker, contended that the naval
programme outlined in the bill was not
an eXtraVagant one. He predicted that
larger appropriations would be required
In the futbre. He opposed the building
Of Warships in government yards and
the esta blishment of a government ar
NOR plate factory.
Mr.. Wheeler, of Kentucky, asked II
there was not a lobby here to defeat
the proposition to build ships in gov
ernment yards.
Il never heard of such a lobby" re-
piled MIR. Dayton. The only lobby
have seen was the lobby of naval con-
structors, If it could be called lobby
arguing in favor of the proposition,
oppose"
One of the strong reasons urged by
Mr.. Dayton against the government
embarking in the manufacture of ar
NOR was the possibility that in a few
years the whole scheme of defending
ships might change. Already a naval
expert had suggested compressed cot
ton as a substitute for armor.
Mr.. Elliott, of South Carolina, made
an extended argument in favor Of COM
pleting the inland waterways along the
Atlantic coast both for defense and as
an artery of commerce in time Of war.
Mr.. Rixey, of Virginia. criticised the
extravaganza in the bill He favored
the consolidation of some of the bu-
reaus. He also advocated government
built and government made armor and
ships.
Mr.. Wheeler, Of Kentucky, of the
Commerce Committee, criticised severe
ly the rule of the House which pro-
hibited members from making public
on the moor Wnat was done ana Sa1Q
behind committee doors and declared
himself in favor of compelling commit
tees to open the doors to the press The
most vicious legislation was hatched
behind closed doors. He also opposed,
he said, the appointment of men with
special interests to serve on commit
tees. Their desire to serve their constit-
uents, he said, Out-Weighed their duty
to their country. Upon conviction, Mr..
Wheeler said he was opposed to a gov
ernment plate factory and the building
Of ships in government yards. But
when it came to surrendering some of
his convictions or submitting to high
way robbery he would let some Of the
former go. He was convinced, from
what he had been able to learn, that
the profit on armOr plate was from $50
to 200 per cent. Mr.. Wheeler created
something of a sensation by expressing
the opinion that IAN officer in the uni
form of the United States" was respon-
sible for the armor plate trust He did
not name the officer and was not Ques-
toned as to who he meant.
General debate was then closed.
At 500 o. m. the House adjourned.