Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-03

another appropriation for the exten
S on of the construction and repair
shops at the naval station AT CaVlte
Mr.. Butler OF Pennsylvania rose.
Mr.. Jones Of Virginia. l think
understand the situation. Mr.. Chair
man: and if when l get through
have not covered what the gentleman
is going TO ask. l shall be very saiG
to answer ariy question Which ne HAY
wish 10 PROFOUND.
But, Mr.. Chairman. there is still an
other and most serious objection 10
this paragraph. Before approprtatins
so large sum as is here proposed
to begin the establishment Of another
naval station IN the Philippine Is
lands. Congress should be furnished
with reliable information as to what
the ultimate cost is to be. The gen
,lcman in charge OF this bill has not
given us this information and no
member of the committee has under
taken to enligh,en the House upon
that important subject. Ii is entire
ly fair to assume that ii Will cost
many million dollars-how many not
even the experts of the Navy Depart
m nj are aOle 10 say.
The eight hundred and sixty-two
thousand and some odd dollars now
asked for exceed by $4,000 the
amount that Admiral Dewey said the
laval station at Olongapo ought to
cost, and yet it developed during the
course Of this debate on yesterday
that this proposed naval sta
ton is estimated to cost anywhere
from eight hundred thousand to thirty
million dollars. The Secretary of the
Navy himself stated before the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs that it would
cost something. Ike $l0.000,O00. in
round numbers, and the estimate
made bv the Navy Department Is even
larger than that. One estimate, | am
informed, places the cost at Twelve
and another at twenty million dol
lars.
Mr.. Chairman. l am opposed to en-
tering upon project of such vast pro-
portions as this. one that may. and
probably will. involve the expenditure
of 10000. 900, unless there is some
Limitation placed upon its final cost.
I protest against committing the GOV
eminent to the establishment of a
great naval station in the Philippine
Islands. within 60 miles Of Cavite
where there is now one, the ultimate
cost OF which has not been ascer-
tanned
This proposition simply involves an
illimitable and imr- Surable expendl-
ture. Some limit should be paced
upon the cost Of this proposed naval
station-some mark fixed beyond
which it is not the purpose Of Con-
gress to 60 Moreover, the character
and nature Of the Works constructed
in the Philippine Islands should de-
pend in a great degree upon the final
disposition which shall be made OF
them.
Mr.. Chairman. it Is impossible to
ascertain the amount appropriated at
any one session of Congress for any
one object by a mere examination or
the item or items relating to it in
one ,of the great appropriation bills
which originate in this House. sThere
are dozen or more appropriation
ILLS. each of which carry items ag-
gregating many million dollars. and 1t
is not unusual for several Of them TO
carry appropriations fer one and the
same object.
How maEy gentlemen upon this
floor have any idea what We are eA-
pending in the Philippine Islands Tor
naval stations and military posts
Those Of YOU who were in the last
Congress will recall that when the
measure es,ablishin g 9 military post
in the Philippine Islands was under
consideration in this Chamber it pro
voked an earnest and heated debate.
It's advocates would not admit that
that the 100000 appropriation then
made was to establish a military post.
The money was TO be expended In
providing, it was said. temporary
shelter for our soldiers in the Philip
pines The bill which contained that
item became a law on February IA.
1902. and Immediately following us
enactment there was placed in the
sundry civil bill OF that session an
appropriation Of s2.0O0.0OO. which II
was expressly provided should be ex-
pended upon that same military post
The sundry civil bill containing this
item Of appropriation was passed dur
ing the closing hours CT the first ses-
son of the Fifty-seventh Congress.
and the little 81 100000 item for the
military post in the Philippines seems
to have escaped notice. The army
appropriation bill OF the second SEES
SION Of the same Congress carried a
appropriation of s50".o0o for cont'nu-
ing the work upon that military post
That bill was approved on the I'd day
of March. 1908, and the general de-
ficiency bill which was approved OIL
the Sd day Of March. 1909. Only one
day afterwards. carried an add tiona'
appropriation for the identical pro
ject of $25O.6G0.
the surdry civil bill Of the second
session Of the last, or Fifty-scvenih.
Congress. which was approved on the
Sd day of March. 1909. the very day
that the general deficiency bill be-