The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27

{ PROVIDES that 10 per cent additional .tay
shall be given 10 officers and ~ per cent.
aagluonai pay 10 enlisted men serving In
Porto Rico, Cuba. the Philippine Islands.
hawail, and the Territory OF Alaska.
Ihis provision is applicable to the Marine
Corps. but. being SPECIFIC In its terms. IS
limited 20 the places designated, and is
not operative elsewhere. Consequently.
oflcers and men Of the Marine Corps who
were sent 20 Guam or China from Porto
Rlco. Hawaii the Philippine Islands. or
Alaska lost the increased pay given oy
the act OF May -, Notwithstanding the
faet that they were subjected 10 the addi-
uOnal expense and hardships attendant
Upon foreign service.
II Is urged that this provision also be
amended
Ordnance aud Armer Plate.
Work under TIE Bureau of Ordnance
during the past year mas kept up with
the steadily increasing demands Of the
( naval service for ordnance material of all
descriptions. Armament of vessels here
tofore authorized. OF which forty-eight
are now under construction. will be ready
for installation by the time the vessels
themselves are sufficiently advanced to
receive IL. An Increased supply of am
munition has been accumulated. and suit
able quantities have been shipped to vari-
Gus points as the needs Of the service re-
quired.
Manufacturers of smokeless powder
are now experiencing little difficulty III
I supplying powder of excellent quality
which meets the required climatic, phys-
cal. and ballistic tests Three of the bat
! tlc-ships and one cruiser have already
received an outfit of smokeless powder
| and other vessels will be supplied as they
are commissioned. The manufacture OF
smokeless powder by the government has
been successfully carried on during the
past year.
"Of the amount of armor heretofore
contracted for, the manufacturers have
delivered 2.S69 TONS leaving l,I31 tons stil.
/ in process of or to be manufactured.
There remained 10 be contracted for
Tons
Three battie-ships OF the Maine elass...... 1880
Five battle-ships OF the Pennsylvania class. lSfJO
/ Six armored cruisers OF the West Virginia
class uZJ0
! Three protected cruisers of the Milwaukee
class ls61
Making a total Iot.......a as SO
After reviewing the bids and negotla-
| tions for arnor plate, the report says:
After prolonged negotiations, in which
the services Of the Chief of the Bureau of
Ordnance have been of the greatest value,
! and in which the companies met the de-
partment In a spirit OF reasonable adjust
ment, an agreement has been made with
them, and now awaits signature, for
Krupp armor of the first class for $40
a ton. The Krupp process involves the
Harvey patent, the validity OF which is
. now under consideration by the courts;
and IL is further agreed that the govern
ment will assume in addition any liability
/ for the Krupp process not exceeding IS,
or S24.32, a ton for Krupp royalty, and not
exceeding Sll.20 for Harvey royalty. The
maximum price TO the government is
! therefore $4O5.52 ton, subject TO diminu-
ton in case OF any reduction in the fore
going royalties. The bid of the above
companies for this class of armor was
$3.50, and the price originally asked S545.
The Midvale Company some time ago
withdrew its bid. but 1t would have been
unable in any event TO furnish armor
In due season for the Maine class OF bat
tle-shlpS. Had il not withdrawn its bid IL
is probable that some arrangement might
have been made for the distribution
among the three companies of the manu-
facture of the armOr other than that of
the Maine class. Its bid, however was of
value in enabling the department 10 Sc
cure the above large reduction. The price
OF other class armor is the same as here
tofore-SiO0.
Dry Deck in Philippines.
"A dry dock capable of accommodating
the largest vessels is needed in the Phil
ippine Islands. When the Oregon ground
cd last summer in Chinese waters.
through the courtesy of the japanese gov
eTnment, the use of the dock at Kure.
Japan, was secured. The department has
accordingly appointed a board TO examine
into and report, for submission TO Con-
gress. upon the best and most available
site for a naval station and dry dock In
the Philippine Islands.
The purchase from the government OF
Spain for sum not TO exceed S275.000. of
the l0,000-ton steel floating dry dock at
Havana, Cuba, was authorized by act OF
June Z, 1900. The government of Spain
having expressed its readiness TO sell this
dock TO the United States for the sum of
s250G00 in gold. a board has been appointed
to make a careful inspection of Il, pre-
liminary TO final decision in regard 10
its purchase
THE steel floating dry dock now under
construction by the Maryland Steel Com
pany for use at Algiers, La, will. il is re-
ported, be completed and ready to be
towed TO its destination by May or June
next, when favorable weather for its pas
sage may be expected. This dock is inter-
toAltiS AS tilN iai S'Sk VI NiiF N4aSS "a fAEdL-
ing dry docks in the world.
The expenditure Of the appropriations
providing for a dry dock OF concrete or
stone and for certain other improvements
and repairs al the naval station. Port
Royal, S. c., contained in the act approv-
ed June I, 1900. was left 10 the discretion
OF the Secretary of the Navy, Who was
authorized and directed 10 appoint a
board Of naval officers to examine into
the eXpediency of changing that station
10 some point In the State OF South Caro-
ma az or near the city OF Charleston
Cafetui Investigations have been in prog
ress curing the summer by board ap-
pointed in pursuance of the direction Of
TINS statute. the board having been as
sisted In It's examination by SURVEYS made
az the request or this department by the
Coast and Geodetic SURVEY. The rep0rt
OF this board is expected In Deeemher
next. and pending its receipt the expeDdi-
ture OF appropriations made for inprove
ments az Port Royal by the act above
ment!oned mas been held In abeyance, as
provided in said act
Navy Yard improvements.
Attention Is invited 10 the estimates
submitted oy the chiefs Of the bureaus cf
Yards and DOCKS, Construction and Re-
pair, and Steam Engineering for needed
improvements al the severa! manufactur-
ing navy yards. The demands upon these
establishments have largely increased
and in some instances have reached the
limit OF the capacity OF existing plants
'"rhe annual report OF the surgeon gen.
erai OF the navy shows that the health OF
the navy and Marine Corps during the
past year has been very satisfactory. Not
only was the total number OF cases under
treatment smaller than for several years.
but the death rate from disease was less
than the average for the same period
owing 10 deaths from gunshOt wounds |
the mortality rate from injuries was
however somewhat greater than usual
'.Duriug the past year a large proper
ton OF The naval force has been employed
on the Asiatic Station, principally about
the Philippines. Considering the climatic
conditions and the exposure TO which Of
ficers and men were necessarily subject
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