The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-17
NAVAL BILL IS PASSED Measure Carries a Big
 Appropriation. MANY AMENDMENTS MADE Secretary of Navy to Select Types
 of Boats. Mr. Liiiey is Charged with Making Palpabiy False snd Misieading Statements Resardins werth-
 less Navy Yards.

Washington, April 1s.-Before con- sideration of the naval appropriation bill could be resumed in the House e@to- day, 1t first was necessary to obtain q quorum and this proceeding occasioned considerable delay.
 When the bill was finally gotten un- der way, Mir. Madden (Ill.) made a point of order against the provision relating to the method of contracting for the ten torpedo boat destroyers. The chair sustained the point and the words went out of the bill. A pro- posed amendment by Mir. Hughes (N. J0 makiing the eight-hour law appii4 cable to laborers or mechanics doing any part of the work of new construc- tion authorized by the bill, except In cases of national emergency. was lost on point of order by Mir. Foss. Mir. Williams appealed from the decision but the chair was sustained. Ills to s2.
 number of members were on their feet seeking recognition when the sec tion relating to the eight submarine torpedo boats was reported. Mir. Hlll (Conn.), however. got the chairman's eye and at once made point of order against the provision restricting the Secretary of the Navy to the selection of "aiI such boats heretofore deter mined to be superior as the result of competitive tests"
 Mir. Hill vehemently declared that the proviso was a change of existing law. If he could have his way, he said, he would strike out the whole section, but inasrnuch as he was unable to do that. he would seek toepartly strike 1t out
 His contention was vigorously op- posed by Mir. Roberts (Mass) The chair ruled against Mir. Hill, maintain ing that inasmuch as these boats were applied for. 1t was legitimate to de- scriho the boats. Mfr. Hiil, thereupon, made a point of order against the en- tlre paragraph. 4 long wrapgle en- sued over the point raised by Mir. Hill. but the chair ruled in his favor and the authorization for submarines was ruled out of the bill
 { Several Amepdnaeafs.
 s The paragraph having gone out. seV- eral amendments were offered, among these being one by MT. Oleott (N. Y.1 .sllgfitiy changing the phraseoiogy, of the submarine provision. and another by Mir Henyinge (ccil authorizing the Secretary ''to scontrActs for or Spur- chase" the eight sabfnarIRes but that shefore do1n& sos he shah deterlnine the comparHtige efficiency of the different types of boats Despite vigorous 0b- Jeetion by Mr. Hill the ehalr overruisd d point of order made by him sud the amendment was discussed at length.
 MT. E0DGfIS DlLLSLly OpRVoC0s SttO Bouyinge amendment, declaring that the limitation on the Secretary of the Navy in the original submarine amend rnent was practically identical with the battleship provision requiring him to build those two ships along the lines of the Delaware.
 "The only people," said Mir. Roberts, "who have got any encouragement out of this matter of favoritlsn, Is the Lake Company, whose boat was dis cfedited in the trial last spring." The Lake boat, he declared, was found to he radically defective "and yet" nc aaidJ notwithstanding that fact that company came up and got contract for s46O 900 for one of those oiscreait- ed boats and in that contract. the sec retary of the Navy encourages that comoanv to the extent of $25,00O be- ing the interest on the money they are going to put into It.. A..
 And inc only encouragement the Committee got was from the hollAno people" hotly interjected MT, Lands (Ind.) ., 1.4,.
 There is where the gentleman from Indtana is following the lead from the ~anfIsman from Connecticut" retorted Mr. Roberts. This reference was 10 MT T.illey and that gentlemen Jumped up to reply but MT. Roberts declined 10 Mr Roberts maintained that the rec orSa of the Committee on Naval An4Irs showed that 1t had provided TOT com petition. . h. ax. cI,ined. looming up now. whining that he has not had fair play when creed in writing that he would SssnP bY the results of the tests and accept them as final" .a,,aI
 MT. Bonyinge inquired 1T tne ne eof.mittee has examined into the s,er host hut MT. Roberts declared ne Std rot know what that had to do wlsh the whining of the Lake people: ne s eserted that the language or the RnnyInRe amendment was In the iah- oya9e of simon Lake but MT. bonylhse sh . rnlv retorted that the words were from the acts of 1SoS5.
 Unaerwood's Amendment.
 Mr Underwood, of Alabama. pre- scented an amendment striking out the proyiso of the original provision leaV- ing it discretionary with the Secretary of the Navy as to the type he shall select.
 Tine need of submarines was empha- | sized by Mir. Gregg. of Texas, and he | exDressed himself against paper and | model" boats and the Lake boats In | favor of the boats of the Holland type | which the committee recommended. A l still Mir. Humphrey, of Washington, provid- | ing for the construction of some of | the submarines on the Pacific coast.
 The restoration of the original para graph was strongly urged by Mfr. Lou denslager. of New Jersey, whereupon debate on that proposition closed.
 The Olcott and Underwood amend ments were adopted, 1OS to i04: the | Humphrey amendment was lost on a point of order. as was also the Bon yinEe amendment. As finally amended the bill auth prizes the eight subma- rines but strips the Secretary of the Navy of the limitation to contract only | for boats of the Holland type.
 One a point of order by MT. Stafford. | of wisconsin, there was stricken from the bill the provision authorizing a | sub surface destroyer of torpedo boat. |
 There was a brief discussion over | the old question of armor plate and its l cost. Mir. Hitchcock. of Nebraska. con | tended that there really was no compe- | tItion and he offered amendment fixing | the prices at $575 a ton of 2.24O | pounds.
 Mr. Tawney insisted that there was