Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-01
OUR NAVY.
Its Present Equipment ano
Condition.
4. Clearly and ForcsfuIIy Stated BY
Senator Hale.
In His Comprehensive and Mastery
Speech on the Appropriation Bill.

The Senate having under consldera-
zion the bill Oh. r. 1222O) making APP
nropriations for the naval service foi
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1905, ana
for other purposes
Mr.. HALE said:
Mr.. President: move that the Sen
ate proceed to the consideration of the
naval appropriation bill.
The motion was agreed to; and the
Senate, as in Committee Of the Whole
proceeded to consider the bill Oh. K
1920 making appropriations for the
naval service for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1905, and for other purposes
which had been reported from N
Committee on Naval Affairs with
amendments.
Mr.. HALE. Task unanimous consent
that the formal reading OF the Dill De
DISPENSED with, and that the committee
amendments be acted upon IS they ar.
reached.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore- The
Senator from Maine asks unanimous
consent that the formal reading OF the
bill be dispensed with, that it be read
for amendment, and that the committee
amendments shall first receive consid-
Grafton. Is there objection? TIL" chair
hears none. The Secretary will read
the bin.
Mr.. CORMAN Mr.. President, l do
not observe that there is report from
the Committee on Naval Affairs upon
this BILL as there IS in another branch,
where, l am told. it is the rule or GUS
tom to state in a report the general pro-
visions Of the bill.
ask the Senator from Maine wheth-
or it would be entirely convenient for
him at this stage to give the Senate an
idea what the bill contains and what
fl proposed to be done with the amounts
involved in the direct appropriation. a
wei! as the obligations to be incurred
il the provisions Of the bill become law.
Mr. HALE. Mr.. President, the re-
Fort of the committee to which the
Senator refers is very brief. 1t states
the amount of estimates for the next
fiscal year covered by this bill at $780,
$4,000 in all. The House sent to the
Senate a bill appropriating $9G,674,00o.
The Senate committee has not inter
fered much with the bill as passed by
the House and has added to the
House items OF $96674,0 900 only
1927 900. SO the bill as reported
to the Senate carries $4,000, 73S.9t.
the estimates having been cut down
about $5000,000.
AS to the general question suggested
by the Senator from Maryland (Mr.
Germany. have prepared some figures.
and l think it proper. ms the Senator
has asked that l state the reasons for
the bill and the purposes to which the
money is to be applied and that l should
lay the tables before the Senate. My
general practice. as Senators know. has
been to make no speeches upon apprO-
priation bills, but only to answer ques
lions.
think it is we'll Mr.. President, while
we are reporting bill covering n very
large increase. the largest increase ever
allowed in any one year excepting last
year. that the country and the Senate
should realize what our situation is rs
to the Navy. so that all may know just
where we stand as to our naval estab-
lishment, in which the Senate and the
country have a great pride and .
great interest
! do not thInk it has been appreciated
that while we are going on with n
large program. and do not propose this
year TO change it, n great deal has bean
done heretofore for the Navy.
l have here a list of the appropria-
tions which have been made and up to
the present time including the appro-
priations for this year. which OF
course have not been expended.
ginning OF the present United States
Navy.
Total amounts of naval appropriation
acts for each year from act of March 3,
1883 to and including act of 1904: