The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
$1OO,OOO,OOO FOR THE NAVY.
COMMITTEE PROVIDES FOR 4
GREAT BATTLESHIF.
Over $50 900 900 for the Increase Of the
Navy-No increase I'm Enlisted Force
Three Torpedo Boat Destroyers Pro.
vided For 81 900 900 for Submarines.

WASHINGTON, April 2s.-The Naval Appro-
priation bill was reported to the Houss
to-day by Chairman Foss Of the Committee
on Naval Affairs. 1t will be taken up for
consideration next week. The measure
carries a total Of 500, 1874 ,215, against es-
Inmates by the Department aggregating
1921 ,585 us, The largest single item In
the bill is that of $40, 900, 900 for pay Of the
navy. Under increase Of the navy there
Is appropriated $17,s3O,s29 for construction
and machinery and SIS, las, 900 for m
and armament.
Aside from these items the Bureau OF
Ordnance gets s., 4OS, 900: the Bureau OF
Equipment, S6,s ops; construction n re.
pair, 1882, 1884,; for public works, under
yards and docks, So 43, $50, OF which amount
sos, $50 is to be expended at the Boston
yard, S12s, 500 at the New York yard, $3.50 800
at Charleston, $2O7,0 600 at O~longapo, $1oo,ooo
for a floating steel drydock and $500 900 for
preservation and repairs at navy yards.
The Departments request for an increase
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 "a, 500 men. and apprentices to the
number Of 500, is short Of being filed by
about $500.
An appropriation OF $3.50 900 is recon-
mended for undermining the batteries OF
the Massachusetts and Oregon and for new
guns on the New York. An increase or
81 ,OO0, 900 is made in the appropriation for
coal and transportation. due to the increase
of the fleet, and the requirement is made
that coal he shipped in American bottoms.
Under increase of the navy the bill con-
taius the following provision: One 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 aT1nor, not exceeding SO 900, 900, pro-
vided that before approving any plans or
specifications for the construction of such
battleship the Secretary of the Navy shall
afford by advertisement or otherwise, in
his discretion, a reasonable opportunity
to any competent constructor who may
desire so to do to submit plans and speci-
fications for his consideration, for which
said plans, should the same be used by the
Department and be not submitted by or
on behalf of n successful bidder for the
contract. such compensation shall be paid
as the Secretary of the Navy shall deem
just and reliable out of the amount herein
appropriated under the head contingent,
navy"
Three torpedo boat destroyers, to have
the highest practicable speed and to cost
exclusive Of armament not to excel
$3.50, 900 each, are provided for.
The Secretary of the Navy is "authorize1
in his discretion to contract for or purchase
subsurface or submarine torpedo boats
to an amount not exceeding 81 ,0o0, 900.
after such competitive tests as he shall
see fit to prescribe to determine the COM
parative efficiency of the different boats
for which bids may be submitted; provided
hat such competitive tests shall take
place within six months from the date Of
the passage Of this act"
The cost of such a programme, it Is esti-
mated, will be SIC, oOO, 900 for the battleship,
So, 25o,O 900 for the three torpedo boat de-
stroyers and 81 900 900 for the submarines.
or a total of Sl3, 25o,o 900. Regarding the
big battleship the report says;
The great naval powers OF the world
| are building battleships of large tonnage.
England has recently launched the Dread
nought, a ship of nearly $4,000 tons; Japan
is building one Of even larger tonnage
and Germany has recently increased the
tonnage Of some Of her ships heretofore
authorized to $1,000 tons. The Secretary
Of the Navy recommended that II Congress
should authorize but one battleship this
year it shall be the largest and strongest
battleship that is known to be a6oat."
The committee recommends that the
limit OF cost Of the Connecticut be increased
to 5 1900 900. an increase Of $3.50, 900, made
necessary by the increased cost OF con-
struction in navy yards"
The bill carries an appropriation Of
100000 to repair, equip and restore the
old Constitution and put her as far as