Arizona republican., 1904-02-21
THE NAVAL BILL.
Furnishes Theme for Antitrust and
 Anti-l17perialism Speeches.

Washington, Feb. 2O.-This was field day in the house. The naval ap- propriatiOn bill was under considera- tion and the discussion encompassed various tories, much of it revolving more or less around politics.
 After M". Dayton, (rep. of West Vir- ginia), of the committee on naval af- fairs had pleaded for a larger navy, MT. Hitchcock (dem. of Nebraska) de- clared that there was gross national extravagance in the annual appropria- tion bills. He asserted. too, that the larger items in the army and navy supply bills went to the trusts.
 MT. Hardwick (dem), precipitated a discussion on the Phi\opine/.uestion by declaring that the retention of the islands was responsible for the de- rnand for large navy.
 Mir. Williams, the minority leader, sought to secure an adjournment until Tuesday, that proper respect might be paid to the memory of George Wash inGton on Monday. MT. Payne of New York, thought it would be more pa triotic to celebrate the anniversary day building up a navy and the house ad- jouTned until Monday with the naval bill still pending. MT. Dayton speak ing for the naval appropriation bill took up the declaration of MT. Eitz- gerald of New York, that it was the purpose of the government to procure navy greater than that of Germany. Mir. Dayton asked if there was any American citizen who would say that this nation should not, if occasion | came, to defend itself against either | Germany or Great Britain. He charged that Mr. FitZergerald favored i'm provements for naval establishments | in New York and in this connection he ! said there were too many navy yards many of which could be cut out MT. Dayton said the navy on its present basis could not compete with any one of the four great powers Mir. Hitchcock, e Nebraska, opposed the spirit of extravaganza, which, he said prevails. He declared that this repub- lie was more eXtravagant than any power on earth. With the coming of militarisT? and imperialism had come that spirit which had come with every monarchy, of wasteful extravagance for the army and navy. He spoke Of gigantic and wasteful annual appro- priatGn.''
 The army and navy. asserted MT. Hitchcock, "were absorbing $2 of every
 
 asserted that the larger items in both the army and navy bills went to the trusts, the armor trust, the railroad trust and the ship building trust The largest item in the army bill out of total of s75,000,000, was $40, ,OOO, ,OOO for transportation. In the naval bill there was an item of S12,0OO,00O which was to go to the armor plate trust. There were only three armor plate factor ies at most to receive this money and two of these, Carnegie's and Bethlehem he declared were controlled by the same men. who united and conspired every time they made a contract with the government to make the same price for armor.
 MT. Hitchcock said at the proper time he would offer an amendment making it mandatory on the secretary of the navy to build an armor plate factory although lie had no hope that his amendment would prevail. These appropriations were made for the benefit of the trusts, he said, in face of the antitrust legislation and an appropriation of $50O,0G0 by the last l congress to destroy them. MT. Hitch cock said the government was sup posed to be after the trusts, yet was making large contracts with them it. self and paying them money. There YVES a discussion between MT. Cooper, chairman of the insular com mittee, .:ndS Messrs. Hardwick and Cochran over retention of the Philip pines and the republican administra- tion on that subject Mir. Cooper de- clined to say whether or not it was the intention of the republicans to with draw from the island.
 Mir. Bates Sof Pennsylvania said he was glad to see the democrats coming together and thought it significant, il, view of a recent magazine article writ ten by Grover Cleveland, that the members of the minority were taking up the question of the retention of the Philippines. MT. Bates said Chicago and New York newspapers had con-