Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-23
NAVAL APPROPRIATION.
House Committee on Naval Affairs
Completed 1t Tuesday


Completed 1t Tuesday.
| Washington, April 23.-The house
committee on naval affairs yesterday
completed the naval appropriation Dill
The most important item, as to new
ships, was left until the last. and as
finally determined upon was as fol-
| lows:
Two battleships of about 10000 tons
displacement to cost, exclusive OF ar
NOR and armament, S4,212,000 each;
two arnlored cruisers of about 1880
tons displacement each, to cost, eXclus-
i've of armor and armament, $4.6Ss,Ooo
each; two gunboats of 1000 tons each
to cost $3S2,00O each.
The following provision is made:
THAT the secretary of the navy may
| in his discretion and so far as In his
judgment is practicable, direct that
any or all of the vessels herein au-
thorized be built in such navy yards as
he may designate"
Provisions also are made for build
ing one of each class of ships on the
Pacific coast and that no contractor
shall build more than one battleship,
cruiser or gunboat.
largest ever authorized for the Ameri-
can navy. and among the largest war
ships afloat. The armored cruisers al
so will be exceptionally large for their
class, considerably exceeding the New
York and Brooklyn in tonnage. The
amount carried by the bill is slightly
above $76,000,000.
There was a sharp parliamentary
contest and many votes before the final
decision on ships and on building in
government yards was reached.
After the routine business the house
Tuesday went into committee of the
whole and took up the consideration OF
the senate amendments to the omnibus
claims. AS passed by the house the bill
carried about 100000 for the payment
Of claims. To this the senate attached
all the findings of the court OF claims
under the Bowman and Tucker acts for
captured and abandoned property,
French spoliation claims. aggregating
about 100000. and many miscellane-
Gus claims aggregating in all over So
100000
Mr.. Mahon, of Pennsylvania, chair
man Of the committee on war claims.
amendments and send the bill to con-
ference but there was objection from
the democratic side.
Mr. Underwood. of Alabama, moved
to strike out that portion the findings
OF the senate amendment covering the
findings of the Selfridge board, $L07l,-
425; churches and schools, $62.974,
state claims, s422,721, and miscellane-
Gus claims. $177.260.
The Selfridge board claims. he said.
grew out Of the construction of vessels
during the civil war and had been con-
sidered and rejected by congress.
Mr.. Mahon, of Pennsylvania, and Mr..
Roberts, of Massachusetts. defended
the Selfridge board claims. They main
tanned that they We're just obligations.
Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, chairman OF
the appropriations, opposed the claims.
He declared there was a full settlement
OF the contracts made with the claim
ants, and also for extra work done. He
argued that the claims had no legal
standing.
Mr.. Sims, of Tennessee, and Mr. De-
Almond, of Missouri, also opposed the
claims.
The house, by vote of 70 to 70, re-
jected claims attached to the omnibus
bill the senate aggregating $1.s0o,00o,
and on the heels of that action nom
concurred in the whole senate amend
ment (the various items having been
ruled to constitute single amend
ment), and sent the bill to conference.
The military academy appropriation
bill was passed yesterday after the
limit of cost of the Improvements at
West Point had been reduced from &c.
100000 to s5.5Oo,000, and the amount OF
the appropriation in the bill from s3.-
100000 to s200o,00o.