The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-03

amazed at the loss or prestige which
President Roosevelt seems to be suffer
Ing so fur as the voters of the Buck
ego State liz concerned when came
20 Washington the LIST OF December, h,
Said. II knew many of the leaders o
tho petty In the State were not III
Sympathy with him, but this feeling hut
not reached down TO the masses OF TIL,
voters now find n great deal of dis
content among the latter think thu
Panama Canal disclosures are RESPONSE
tyle for the change in sentiment towards
the President. The people think he mas
4 gene along in rather highhanded man.
rer. paying enormous salaries to meocrc
men to do work which could have beer
done far more cheaply than the President
proposes to have ii done. The appoint-
nlent OF Bishop MS press agent OF the
canal, without the sanction OF Congress
and mt the big salary of ten Thousand
a year, has hurt the President, especially
as he was n warm personal frlenu me
appointment of Bishop to commission
orship after the Senate had raised such
row about him did not heip the TIES
ident any"
Secretary Taft is sitting UP nights
prepsrng his report on the work being
done I'm Panama. He has obtained the
Assistance of Secretary Root in the
preparation OF tho report. and the two
OF them will try to make the best show
ing possible. one that VIII quiet the
senate and House, especially the latter.
The simple fact that not shovel or
pick Is working on the 1sthmus, and that
hardly any dirt has been moved. re-
mains, which, taken in connection with
that other fact that millions of dollars
have been expended by the government
down there and thta eleven millions have
just been voted for the use of the Pres
ident and the Canal Commission. makes
1t hard 10 exhibit showing which VIII
relieve the Secretary of War and the
commission of severe criticism.
Work on the Battleships.
The annual report of the Bureau of Con-
structon and Repair of the Navy De-
partment says that the work on the
battleship Connecticut Is progressing sat
isfactorly. and that, but for delays In
the delivery of armor, 1t is more than
probable that this vessel would have been
completed in contract time. in which case
it would have been the first vessel so
constructed since the reconstruction of
the navy began in 1883. Continuing, the
report says:
ut was anticipated that the cost of con-
struction of the Connecticut in n navy
yard would exceed the contract price
of the Louisiana, her sister vessel, under
construction at Newport News. Every
effort however. is being made to keep
the cost within the limit fixed by Con.
gress, and 1t is hoped that it will not
be necessary to recommend an extension
OF the limit OF cost in this case. The
state of progress of work on the Con- !
necticut Is slightly in advance of that on
the Louisiana, but for many months their
rate of progress has been almost identi-
cal, and 1t is safe to assume that the
dates of completion of the two vessels |
will not differ TO any considerable ex-
tent"
The report then recites a reference to |
its annual report of last year, In which
II was said:
although every possible precaution is
being taken 10 reduce the cost of tho |
Connecticut to the most economical basis. |
II can hardly be hoped that the work will |
be done as cheapy as when performed in |
private shipbnlding yards. whose rates |
,f pay for nine hours work are In many |
cases less than those being paid for eight |
hours work at the navy yard at New |
York. It may also be noted that private !
yards do not pay their per diem employees |
for holiday or when on leave. whereas a |
very large proportion of the per diem |
employees on the Connecticut receive pay |
for fifteen days leave and seven public |
holidays during the calendar year. with
out any work being done ;n return |
therefor.
zone of the principal objects to be at. |
tanned in building vessels in government
yards Is the maintenance of the organi- |
2ittion of the yard and the provision of |
suitable work for experienced mechanics |
during the, absence
From the above 1t will be seen that If |
The navy yard at I3>ooklyn is able to |
complete the Connecticut in the same
length of time and al the same cost as
the Louisiana is completed, the Navy De-
partment Will be inclined to recommend
that wherever possible new battleships
shall be built by the government.
The Texas was built at the Norfolk
navy yard.
II seems that the Connecticut has got. |
ten very much the advantage OF the
louisiana in the matter of armor al |
though the Navy Department complains
that the non-arrival of the armor for the
connecticut is delaying the worl, on that
vessel The report shows that there has
peen Lsapsa4 pounds of armor delivered
ior the Connecticut and only 1o57.S2S for
Inc Louisiana.
Norfolk Navy Yard.
In Its recommendations for the Nor
folk navy yard the report says that It
must be Improved. and that at present
Il is In rather neglected condition
n ItaI