The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-26
SHARP CUT IN NAVY BILL.
ELEVEN MILLIONS TAKEN FROM
DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES.
Total Appropriation Likely TO Bc About
sIO3, OOC. OO0--House Committee
Favors Only Battleships- Allow
5000 More sailors and l2O Marines.

WASHINGTON, Jan. ?5-The Naval APP
preparation bill, to be reported to the House
at the end Of this weok, will bear more evil
dencs Of the work Of the pruning knife
than any OF the great supply bills yet re-
ported.
Tentative agreements have been made on
nearly every item. the total Of which Is
about slo3, 900, GOO, or a reduction OF more
than s1l 900, 900 from the estimates sent to
the committee by the Navy Department.
One of the first things agreed upon by the
committee was that there should not be a
dollar for the continuance of tho public
works going on in the various navy yards
other than absolutely needed for the preser-
walton of the work already done That
cuts out the proposed extension OF the
New York Navy Yard. Not cent is given
for the Subg Bay yard, or in fact any other
new project Work on the dry docks
will be stopped. Another conclusion
reached at about the same time was that
the new construction programme should
be freed Of the recommendations made
by the general board for scout cruisers,
torpedo boats and submarines.
The use of torpedo boats by the japanese
conveys no lessons to the committeeman
In all the discussions at the meetings OF the
committee. the conclusion Is strengthened
that vigilance on the part of the commanders
of big ships will save them from the attacks
OF torpedo craft.
Tho committee is firmly committed to
the belief that battleships Of the first rate
are the only type of craft that are really
worth while. The General Board recon-
mended three of them. 1t is not improba-
BILE that three will be authorized in the forth
coming bill. but at present the preponder-
ance of talk Ia in favor Of cutting the num-
Der to two, so that IL the treasury Is still
in depleted condition the call for money
to continue the work will not be 80 heavy
The committee has decided to grant the
request Of the Department for an allow
apce Of 5000 more sailors and 100 marines.
These men are absolutely necessary to put
the new first rate ships into commission.
After that number has been enlisted the
Department will still he hard put to assemble
as large crews as it would like to send to
sea in the new armored cruisers, of which
four will soon be put into commission
Some Of the older ships will probably be
laid up to provide the men required to
complete the compliments.
Secretary Morton will appear before the
committee tomorrow for the purpose OF
saying the last wori for the Department
against the proposed reductions
There will be outs in the allowances for
continuing the work on the ships under
way. The committee has been inquinng
into the capacity of the armor plate plants
with view TO nscertaining their capacity
20 turn out armor. The commit ee has
heard that the factories cannot trrn out as
much armor as the Department has asked
appropriations for, and IL that is 80 the
committee wishes to cut down the allow
anCe Of 5000 900 for armor and arma-
ment asked for by the Department.