The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20

The Naval Appropriation bill Vas re.
ported to the House of Representative
yesterday by Mr.. Foss, Chairman of the
Committee on Naval Affairs. The bill
carries a total of $77,O16, 635, the
largest sum ever recommended by tbs
House Naval Committee. More thar
100000 of this amount is for con-
tinuing the work on naval vessels
authorized by previous acts, and s3,0O0,-
600 additional is for carrying on the re-
building of the Naval Academy as pro-
vided in the Naval act for the current
year, while the increase in actual appro-
priations over the last act is s11 ,S65, 719.
The amount under the head of in
crease of the navy is $25 Acc, 900, an in
crease of $4,000 600, and the appropriation
for pay of the navy is increased 81, 4S9, :
3Sl on account of the addition of 5000
enlisted men and so warrant machinists.
and an increase Of 100000 is made in
the items Of food and supplies.
Items have been inserted for new ma
chinery at the Washington gun factory to
cost 100000; for converting the battery of
the cruiser Baltimore, s175000, and for
supplying the 5000 new enlisted men of
the Marine Corps with the army rife,
S100, COO
For The purpose of further increasing
ine naval establishment of the United
States the committee recommends that
the President be authorized to have built,
by CONTRACT, two unsheathed seagoing bat
tleships, carrying the heaviest armor and
/ the most powerful ordnance for vessels
of their class, upon trial displacement
OF about 1900 tons each, to have the
highest practicable speed and greatest
radius of action, and to cost, exclusive of
| armor ard armament, not exceeding So
! $4,000 each, and two unsheathed armored
| cruisers carrying the heaviest armor and
most powerful ordnance for vessels Of
| their class, upon trial displacement of
about 14,o00 tons each, and to have the
| highest practicable speed and greatest
radius of action and to cost, exclusive of
armor and armament, not exceeding 81
O0O,0C0 each Maximum cost OF the vessels
| herein authorized, exclusive OF armor and
armament, will be SIS, 200, 900.
The bill provides that not more than
one battleship or armored cruiser shall
| be built in one yard or by one party
and the usual provision is made that at
least one and not more than two of the
( battleships and armored cruisers shall be
built on The Pacific Coast.
The report accompanying the bill re-
1 cites that ''the department has recently
J cen Rieted for the construction of tho
{ FIVE l.attIcships and six armored cruisers
/ authorize by the acts of March 3. 1899
/ and June Z, 1900, at a cost Appropriated
, at $4,000, 100. On the LIST of February bids
! will be opened for the three protected
cruisers authorized by the act of June :,
1900 In view OF the fact that the ship
yards Of the ountry were likely to be
well filed with work in consequence of
! the recent letting of these large con-
| tracts, your committee thought that the
above programme was one that would be
considered adequate and would meet the
aphfoVal OF Congress in its policy of
Duiieihs up the navy.
appiopfialohs ior navy yards and ma
n va sta tions are recommended as toilows;
VT It1nloutn. S3'o,soo; boston: So26.00o;
oSo. sl,oUs'Veo, league island 5000
oso ns1. I,e w. NorioiA' sSS4'
sssi ESQ. Pc 60 co., oooa i3iahu
s40 oo0. Pensacola al zoo. AIsiare sSso
0G0: Dry Tortupas s10O OO6. gev,aii s1o7
800 and Tutuiia s2a5 o00
For the four now dry docl,s bpi,dine
ar portsmouth Roston te.S,,o Isiana
and Mare Island 81 600 .0GC is provided
The report of the committee contains
the following on the subject of armor.
THE large increase over that of last
years bill is to be found under tho in
crease of the navy Last wear our an
propriatiou was nearly sf3 ono 600 whereas
this year the committee recommended
after consulting the department an an
preparation of s21. 600 600 We have ar tho
present time a large number of sbins nm
der. eonstruction-more than al any other
period of the history of the building of
the new navy. Your committee also nro-
vides, under the increase of the navy an
appropriation of 81 coo, goo for armor and
armament for sbips now under constr,,c-
ton II will be remembered that Com
gress wisely solved tine pernlexinr o,,es
tion of nrovidinp armor Mat TO- 90
sbins last year bv Tho a,ao,,s,t
rrn,isinn r,,,;,, c-a.S niehe Vi
Nav mn nor,a, 20 b. VI 'ne
nr;.o ~ ~ 49,; s,s,1 a. Aioi at euoh
- - IN t'9 might seem
anu JUS VI puiiu an armor-
pi iale Iaotoly, to"aru "hieh S4eVo'VO0 |
were APPROPRIATED.
ne secretary OF the Navy has made |
a tuIi report to Congress in connection |
with this matter. He has contracted with |
the armOr plate companies for the mann |