The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-21
HOUSE TALKS ON
 MANY SUBJECTS Naval Appropriation Bill Causes
 Ii All GETS THE FLOOR Wanted House to Adjourn Over Mon- day Tn Honor of Washinston's Birthday, But the Speaker
 OverruIed Him.


 propriation bill was under consideration, and the discussion encompassed various topics. much of it revolving more or less around politics.
 After Mir. Dayton, republican of West Virginia, of the committee on naval af- fairs, had plead for a larger navy, Mr. Hitchcock. democrat of Nebraska, de- clarsd that there was gross extravaganza in the annual appropriation bills He as- serted too that the larger items in the amy and navy supply bills went to the trusts. He gave notice that he would attempt on Monday to amend the bill to provide for government armor plate factory.
 Democrats Getting Together.
 MT. Hardwick of Georgia precipitated discussion on the Philippine question by declaring that the retention of the is- lands was responsible for the demand for large navy. He challenged the ma jority to make a declaration as to the future of the islands.
 MT. Bates, republican of Pennsylvania, said he was glad to see the democratic members getting together. He called att tention to the utterances on the minority side of the Philippine question and then to the views recently expressed by Cleveland on that and other subjects.
 MT. Williams, the minority leader. sought to secure an adjournment until Tuesday, that proper respect might be paid to the memory of George Washing ton on Monday. MT. Payne of New York thought it would be more patriotic to Q aru hu the navy and the house adjourned until Monday with the naval appropriation bill still pending.
 The house upon convening went into committee of the whole with Mir. Hep burn of Iowa In the chair and resumed consideration of the naval appropriation bill. MT Day of West Virginia, 8 mem- Der of the naval affairs committee spoke for the bill.
 Advocates Larger Navy. Taking up the declaration of MT. Fitz- l gerald of New York, that it was the pur- pose of the government to procure navy greater than that of Germany, MT. Day ton asked if there was any American citi- zen who would say this nation should not l If the occasion came defend itself against either Germany or Great Britain. He charged that Mir. Fitzgerald favored m- provements for the naval establishments at New York and in this connection he said there are too many navy yards many of which could De cut out. He said he would join hands with MT. Fitzgerald next year in selling out the New York | navy yard which is worth $25, 600, 900. MT. Fitzgerald asked if Mir. Dayton was will ing to turn over all the work to private | yards.
 MT. Dayton replied that he was not MT. Fitzgerald declared that this was l inference Ina drpUy ba mans conduct and denied vigorously that he ever recommended any improvement of the New York yard at the expense of | the naval expense and which the com- mittee had not approved Not Buying Contractors. { | MT. Dayton said in this connection be- l cause of the competition the government was getting war ships constructed at the | lowest possible price and that in two in- stances the contractors were not making 1 a dollar.
 MT. Dayton said that the navy on It's l present basis could not compete with any
 one of the four great powers. MT. Hitchcock of Nebraska opposed
 the spirit of extravagance which he said 1 prevails. He declared that this republic
 was more extravagant than any power l on earth. With the coming of miltarism
 and imperialism had come the spirit | WHicH Hdd cOine Wlln every InundrCiiy ol | wasteful extravaganza for the army and | navy. He spoke of gigantic and waste 1 full annual appropriation" l The army and navy, asserted Mir. | Hitchcock, were absorbing $2 of every s
 taken from the people in taxation. | MT. Hitchcock asserted that the lar | ger items in both the army and
 navy bills went to the trusts-the armor
 trust. the railroads, the beef trust and the
 shipbuilding trust. The largest item in l the army bill out of total of s15.000.O00
 was $40. GOO. 0OO for transportation; in the naval bill there was an item of s12,O00,O0 which was to go to the armor plate trust. l There were only three armor plate fac l tories at the most, to receive this money. | and two of them, the Carnegie and Beth | lehem plants he declared were controlled | by the same men who united and conspir- | ed every time they made a contract with the government to make the same price l for aror.
 1 Wants Armor Plate Factory. l Mr4 Hitchcock said at the proper time | he would offer an amendment making in l mandatory on the secretary of the navy | to build a government armor plate fac l tory, although he had no hope that this | ar,andrnent woiAd prevail.