Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-24
SENATE AMENDS NAVAL BILL
Seven Million Dollars Appropriated to
Begin Work on New Ships.
PILES FOR FOUR BATTIEsHIPs

Amendment Il OGered Late and
Debate Upon it f. Postponed UntiI
TOday-Price of Armor
Plate Discussed.
WASHINGTON, April zs.-As the senate
was about to conclude consideration OF the
naval appropriation bin today Senator
Piles OF Washington proposed an amend
ment increasing from two to four the mum
ber OF new battleships to be authorized. Az
several senators desired to speak on the
amendment the further consideration oi
the bill was postponed until tomorrow. All
amendment to the naval bill was adopted
| appropriating s7,0OOCO0 to begin construc-
tion on the two battleships authorized by
the bill as it was passed by the house.
A spirited debate occurred on the amend
ment for the restriction OF the purchase
of materials for the construction Of the
battleships. sbmarine boats. etc. to those
Of domestic manufacture.
Amendments to remove that restriction
from the bill were defeated. Mr.. Hale stat.
ing that since the investigation of the stee
trust some years ago the price of stee
armor had been reduced from $3.50 and 500
per ton to s4l6 per ton and Mr.. Beveridgs
| declared that the United States pays less
for its armor platae than any other ma
ton except Japan.
Senator Raynor OF Maryland spoke today
on the constitution rights of states and
executive encroachment. He insisted thai
the commerce act of the constitution had
been interpreted as applying to the indus
trial life of the country to a far greater
degree than was contemplated by the
! trainers OF the constitution. He regretted
the tendency of democrats to look upor
the president as their guide and declared
that the president could not be accepted az
his Messiah"
Debate on Naval Bill.
The house amendments to the naval ap-
preparation bill were offered in the senate
today by Senator Gore of Oklahoma to al
low the building of the new battleships
submarine boats, etc, authorized by the
bill at any shipyard in the world and TAX
ing away the restriction In favor OF domes-
tic steel Mr.. Gore had no support in his
first motion to permit the building of the
ships abroad and sixty-two votes were
registered against him.
His second motion was to strike out the
provision that all the parts Of these ships
and the steel material used in them shall
be OF domestic manufacture. On motion
Of Mr.. Hale that amendment was laid or
the table by a vote OF 4s to g. Mr.. Gors
secured the support Of Senator's Bacon
Culberson. Davis, Gary. McCreary. Milton
Money and simons, al democrats.
In offering these amendments, Mr. Gore
delivered a passionate appeal to the senate
to strike blow at the Steel trust
Mr.. Gore offered the amendments he
said. to rescue this country from the tolls
OF the steel trust" which he regarded as
the tapeworm Of the treasury"
Mr.. Bacon also spoke in favor OF elm
mating the provision requiring matelalu
Of domestic manufacture. as he said II
would by law force the government to buy
of the trust at extortionate prices. He
remembered. he said hearing the senator
from Maine CMr. Haie) on former occa.
sion, say the Steel trust had the oppor-
tunity to put the knife into us" He said
the armor plate could be made by only
two or three concerns in the United States
and the country by law would be at the
mercy OF the rust.
What I want" declared Mr. Gore, ''is
to iegislate so that we can get three in.
stead Of two battleships for the same
money"
Mr. Money offered an amendment pro.
viding that material for the new ships
shall be Of domestic manufacture. but per
mitting It TO be purchased abroad, explain
ing that 1t was well known that American
goods were sold cheaper abroad than in
this country. He wanted the government
to take advantage of that cheapness.
| Mr. Hale said that as worded. the bill
would permit Just what the Mississippl
senator contended for and the amendmen,
was withdrawn.
Mr.. sBeveridge insisted that he had re-
liable figures showing that the United
States pays less for fits steel plate for bat
tleships than any other nation Of the world
except Japan.
Bacon Amendment Rejected.
Mr.. Bacon offered an amendment pro-
vioins that the president or secretary OF
the navy shall be authorized to purchase
any part of the material used abroad IN
any case where the material of domestic
/ manufacture, In his judgment cannot be
purchased at a reasonable cost, having re-
gard to- the cost OF manufacture and q
! reasonable profit
Mr. Bacon said this amendment prscti-
cally was the same provision adopted after
extended debate relating TO purchases OF
materials for the Panama canal, and the
yeas and nays being called for 1t was re.
tected by a vote OF q 10 So
Replying 10 a question, Mr. Hale said
that the United States was paying S4ls peI
ton for its armOr. and that Germany paid
$3.50 France 500 and England s625 per ton
Mr. Hale insisted that the investigation
Of the Steel trust some years ago had
brought about a reduction OF the price ot
I the armor from $3.50 and $500 to Sf6.
On motion OF Mr.. Hale. the appropriation
made by the house OF 100000 toward the
construction of eight submarine torpede
boats was increased 10 100000. which may
be applied toward the completion OF sub
marine boats heretofore authorized. An
amendment appropriating $4,000 for a
new trunk-in. sa.tleship hoist" proposed
| by Mr.. Hale, was adopted.
seven Millions for BattIe.hips.
An amendment sppropriating 100000 TO.
ward the construction. machinery and
armament Of the vessels in this bill was
adopted
This action vast taken without comment
It having been stated yesterday that such
a provision would permit a prompt begin.
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