Evening star., 1902-04-28
NAVAL BILL REPORTED
Appropriations Amount to
.S77,659,386.63.
THE PROBLEMS SOLVED
COMMITTEES WORK DESCRIBED
BY MR.. DAYTON.
Cost Of New Ships Authorized Will Not
Exceed $40, 900, 900 - One to Be
Built in a Government Yard.

The naval appropriation bill was reported
to the House today by Chairman F'oss OF
the naval committee. The bill carries total
appropriations amounting to $T,659,3 ,3s665.
This amount is about 100000 less than the
naval appropriation bill of last year, and Is
s27 ,4O5, ,29S less than the estimates submit
ted by the Navy Department.
Items Of Expenditure.
A comprehensive idea Of the bill may be
had from the following items which COM
prise the heads under which all of the ap-
preparations are made: Pay of the navy,
SIG, 1919; pay. miscellaneous, s6oo'ooo;
contingent. navy, $4,000; emergency fund,
100000; bureau of navigation, Sl,2s9,67l:
bureau of ordnance, s3.109,006: bureau of
equipment, $500, ,202; bureau of yards and
docks. s742.214; public works, bureau of
yards and docks, $6561 ,075; public works,
bureau of navigation, Naval Academy,
$5OO,OO0; naval training station, Calfornla,
81 800; naval training station, Rhode IS
land, $114 $50; naval war college, s60,0C0;
public works, bureau of ordnance, 392,2oO;
naval observatory So. 600; bureau of medicine
accounts, So, ,S03, ,932; bureau Of construction
and repair, sS,5S5. .S24; bureau of steam en-
gineering. 50 1883 800; Naval Academy. 5000.
9O5; marine corps, s2,9SS, ,4G5: increase of
navy, construction and machinery, Sl3,-
30S,O1O; armor and armament. 100000;
equipment, 500 900; equipping a navy yard
to build ship, $175,0O0.
The problems which the committee had
to face and the manner IN which they
solved them has been described In an in
terview on the bill given for The Star by
Representative Dayton Of West Virginia,
the ranking republican member of the naval
committee.
1.-The present bill is very modest in it's
provision for new ships" Mr.. Dayton be-
gan. "and in this connection it will be re-
membered that no provision for new vessels
was made in the bill of the last Congress
the only provision then being that plans and
specifications should be prepared for two
battle ships and two armored cruisers. This
provision has been complied with, and the
present bill makes appropriation for the
construction of these four vessels. Two
small gunboats have also been authorized
for use in connection with our newly ac-
quired island territory.
Size of the Navy.
when these vessels are completed the
United States will have navy consisting
of twenty battle ships and ten armored
cruisers. This will be less than one-third
| the number that England now has and less
than one-half the size of the French navy,
besides being smaller than the navies of
either Germany or Russia.
The fighting line in naval warfare must
always be restricted to the battle ship and
the armored cruiser, the other vessels are
simply auxiliarfes or aids, and this is our
that we are the wealthiest nation in the
world and the one having the longest coast
line to defend besides now having island
possessions to look after. 1t, therefore,
needs no argument to prove that have
not been extravagant in our provisions for
new ships insthe ipresent bill.
Cost of the New Ships.
.The total cost of the new ships, which
have been authorized by the terms of this
bill will not exceed so9OOOOOO. The pay
ment of this amount will extend over a
period of four years, making an annual ap-
preparation necessary during that time Of
about 81 900, coo to cover this expense. No
part of this amount. however, is necessary
| this year, and the only progress that can be
made toward the new ships between now
and the next session of Congress will be to
secure contracts and prepare plans. The
battle ships are to carry the heaviest armor
and most powerful ordnance for vessels of
their class; are to have displacement of
about 16 900 tons. to have the highest prac-
ticable speed and greatest radius of action.
and to cost exclusive of armor and arma-
ment. not to exceed S4,212,O0O each. The
cruisers are to be of about IA. 500 tons dis
most powerful ordnance for vessels of their
class, to have high rate of speed. and to
cost exclusive of armor and armament not
exceeding 81. .659.000 each. The two gum
! boats authorized are to be of about 600
| tons displacement, and to cost not exceed
| ing $3.50 900 each.
Where to Build the Ships
| Probably one of the most vexing ques-
| tions the committee has had to deal
| with" continued Mr.. Dayton, ''is whether
| our ships should be built in the govern
| ment navy yards or by private contract
We tried the experiment Of building the