Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-11
|LILLEY'S SPEECH Connecticut Congressman AL lacks Navy Yards and
 Naval Appropriations GREGG'S OPPOSITION

SOue navy uidu, WuCu d SohoiuCi dtioH of the naval appropriation bill was resumed in the house to-day, MI Gregg of Texas opposed a great naval programme He charged that Presi- dent Roosevelt had many unsettled naval policies and that he was trying to force the mupon congress. MI Robson of Alabama made vigorous speech in support of the appropria' tions
 Representative Lilley of Connecti- cut delivered the following address in support of his attitude on the sub' marine question:
 The investigation of the navy yards at Charleston, Port Royal, Mare ls- land. Portsmouth, x. H., New Or leans and Key West by commission appointed by the president, with q view of their abandonment, was urged by Representative Lilley or Connecticut before the house to-day. Mr Lilley offered joint resolution providing for the appointment Of this commission and for improvements i'll other yards so as to eliminate the waste of public moneys in the main- tenance of the same.'
 Mir Lilley quoted from reports made by boards of officers and former sec retaries of the navy as far back as 1885 to show that the condition or the navy yard then was open to se- were criticism and in fact that the re- organization of the navy department itself was desirable if not absolutely necessary.
 The navy yards mentioned in his resolution were taken up separately and discussed by MT Lilley. The Mare Island yeard he said has cost the people $17.OO0,OO0. It has magniti- cent stone dry dock which cost SLID GOO, but the secretary of the navy states that the dry dock will not per- init the docking of battleship. And not only is this true but q battleship cannot get to the yard
 Although Rear Admiral Endicott, then chief of the bureau of yards and docks. ten years ago practically re- commended the abandonment of this yard, since that time $72S,s66 have been spent In dredging alone and S5. 5.124,712 have been appropriated and spent on the yard.
 Key West is place" said Mir Lil- ley, that has cost us S1 ,32S,02S. It is six miles from the straits and the low water depth in its channel is 26 feet and S10l ,000 has been spent there for dredging. At this yard in the fis- cal year ending in 1907 $9i,31S was expended for labor and the value of their product was but $1.126."
 Portsmouth, N. H., or Kittery. Me-. is a plant that has cost Us over S1OO0O.OO0." Continuing Mir Lilley said that last summer when he visited the Portsmouth navy yard with the other members of the house committee on naval affairs aboard the Dolphin the captain of the vessel told him it was not safe to take even so small q craft as the Dolphin up to the yard, because of the dangers of the swift current and narrow channel. The ex- pensive dock has never docked first class battleship. he added. and yet S244, 900 more was appropriated for this place the last session of congress.
 Concerning the. navy yard at New Orleans. Mir Lilley said that in 1907. ST5,2T4 was spent by the government for labor and the total product was S1. .046.
 But the point that a business mSn would fail to comprehend" he contin- ued. lis that S1O.OO0 was appropriated both sessions of last congress for new construction at New orleans. for what advantage to the Tilted States navy God only knows"
 Charleston. he said, has but twenty five feet of water in its channel. Yet congress has appropriated Sl.S.lS. .9S4 to build there q magnificent dEydOck. Not only is the channel too shallow hut is no berthing room for vessels and no ship of any description has ever been docked there. The total es- tablishment has cost $3.39I .3O0 and the dredging S10S.0OO. At the last ses- sion of congress S2s1. .OOO more was ap- propriated for this yard at Charles ton"
 "The naval station at Port ROyal' continued Mir I.illey. was removed to Charleston fin 1gDo-Ia03 but as late as 1907. s14.724 was spent here for labor and although abandoned these expend- itrres will go on to the end of time unless the property is sold, given away or blown up
 Mir Lilley criticized congress for not establishing a naval training sta ton at Annapolis and moving the academy seventy miles below An napOlis. thus saving the sI0.000. .00O that is going to the Great Lakes. An napolis. he said, for which congress has seen it to appropriate sums that will reach a total of sI0.000.0o0 is sunk in the mud
 "Battleships cannot reach the academy and the United States coast and geodetic survey reports show that the upper Chesapeake is fast filling up"
 Mr LiIIeyIs resolution reads as follows.
 Whereas. There has been gross ex- travaEance and 1amentable misapprO- priation Of public funds to the extent of more than sIo0. .00G. .00s in ex- pendituTes on or in navy yards and naval stations in excess Of what bust ness men would have expended to produce the same results. and.
 ~Whereas. great economics may bs effected by the federal government by the ahandonnsnt and sale of cer- I1sfn m.mvv yarf=@zrd- naval stations