The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-30
100000 FOR THE NAVY
Committee Provides Tor a Great
United States ~Battleship.
Over $50, 900, 900 For the Increase Of thu
F~orce-Topedo Boat Destroyers nnd
Submarines Provided For.

Washington, D. C.--The Naval APP
preparation bill was reported to the
House by Chairman Foss, of the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs. The measure
carries a total of 500, 1925, against
estimates by the department aggregat'
ing S121, 500, rs. The largest single
item in the bill is that of $2O,OOO,OO
for Day of the navy. Under increase
Of the navy there is appropriated ST.
S30,S29 for construction and machinery
and SIS, 145,0 900 for armor and arma-
ment.
Aside from these items the Bureau
of Ordnance gets $S,40S, 900; the Blu
reau Of Equipment. $~6,S74.02S; con-
struction and repair, $~7,TS2,S24; for
| public works, under yards and docks,
| Sc, S43, $50. of which amount $4,000 is
to be expended at the Boston yard,
S12S,5 500 at the New York yard. S459,-
| 500 at Charleston, 100000 at Dion.
| sapo, 100000 for a floating steel dry
dock and 100000 for preservation and
repairs at navy yards.
The departments request for an in
| crease of 5000 in the number Of petty
officers and men is refused because Of
the fact, as stated in the report, that
the present quota Of $4,000 men, and
| apprentices to the number of $500, is
short of being filled by about $500.
An appropriation of S466,0OO is rec
commended for undermining the batter.
les of the Massachusetts, and Oregon
and for new guns on the New York.
An increase Of $1,OOO,O00 is made in
the appropriation for coal and trans
portation. due to the increase Of the
fleet. and the requirement is made that
coal be shipped in American bottoms.
Under increase of the navy the bill
contains the following provision: Zone
first class battleship, carrying as heavy
armor and as powerful armament as
any known Of its class, to have the
highest practicable speed and greatest
practicable radius Of action, and to
cost, exclusive of armament and armor,
not exceeding $6,O00,000."
Three torpedo boat d%estroyers, to
have the highest practicable speed and
to cost exclusive Of armament not to
exceed S750,0W each, are provided for.
The Secretary of the Navy is "au-
thorized in his discretion to contract
for or purchase subsurface or subma-
rine torpedo boats to an amount not
exceeding $1,000, 900"
The cost of such a program, it Is es-
timated, will be $10,000,000 for the bat
tleship, S2,25O,O00 for the three torpedo
boat destroyers, and 100000 for the
submarines, or a total of $~13,250,O0O.
Regarding the big battleship, the re-
port says:
"The great naval powers of the
world are building battleships Of large
tonnage. England has recently
launched the Dreadnought, a ship Of
nearly 10000 tons; Japan is building
one Of even larger tonnage, and Ger
many has recently increased the ton
mage Of some Of her ships heretofore
authorized to $4,000 tons. The Secre-
tary of the Navy recommended that'if
Congress shall authorize but one bat
tleship this year it shall be the largest
and strongest battleship that is known
to be a~f1oat.'"
The committee recommends that the
limit of the cost of the Connecticut be
increased to $4,000, 900, an increase Of
S3S0,OOO, made necessary "by the in
creased cost of construction in navy
yards"
The bill carries an appropriation Of
500, 900 to repair, equip and restore
the old Constitution and put her as far
as practicable in her original condition,
but not for active service.