Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-16
SUBMARINES GO OUT OF BILL
HOUSE CONSIDERING NAVAL
= APPROPRIATIONS.
Attempt to Make Eight-Hour Law
Applicable in Warships Con-
struction Fails.

Before consideration of the naval ap-
preparation bill could be resumed in the
House today it first was necessary to
obtain Il quorum and this proceeding oc-
casioned considerable delay. When the
bill was finally under way Mr. Madden
of Illinois made point of order against
the provision relating to the method of
contracting for the ten torpedo boat de-
stroyers The chair sustained the point
and the words went out OF the bill.
A proposed amendment by Mr.. Hughes
Of New Jersey, making the eight-hour
law applicable to laborers or mechanics
doing any part of the work Of new con-
struction authorized by the bill except
in cases Of national emergency, was lost
on Il point of order by Mr.. Foss. Mr.
Williams appealed from the decision, but
the chair was sustained, 10 TO o.
\ number o. members were on their feet
seeking recognition when the section re-
lating to the eight submarine torpedo
boats was reached. Mr.. Hill. Connecti-
cut however. got the chairman's eye and
at once made a point of order against
the provso restricting the Secretary of
the Navy TO the selection of all such
boats heretofore determined to be super
ior as the result of competitive tests.
Mr.. 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 mas
much as he was unable to do that, he
would seek to partly strike II out.
His contention was vigorously opposed
by Mr.. Roberts, Massachusetts.
The chair ruled against Mr.. Hill. main
tanning that inasnuch as these boats were
appropriated for. II was legitimate TO
describe the boats.
Mr.. Hill thereupon made a point of
order against the entire paragraph
Submarines Dropped
4 long wrangle enSued over the point
raised by Mr.. Hill, but the chair ruled In
his favor. and the authorization for sub
marines went out of the bill.
The paragraph having gone out. several
amendments were offered, among these be-
ing one by Mr. Olcott of New York
slightly changing the phraseology of the
submarine provision, and another by Mr..
Bonynge of Colorado authorizing the Sec
retary Ito contract for or purchase the
eight slbma rines, but that before doing
so he shall determine the comparative
efficiency of the different types of boat.
DESPITE vigorous objection by Mr.. Hill
the chair overru!ed a point of order made
bv him and the amendment was discuss
ed at length.
Assails Bonynge Amendment.
Mr. Roberts bitterly opposed the
| Bonynge amendment, declaring that the
limitation on the Secretary Of the Navy
in the original submarine amendment was
practically identical with the battleship
provision requiring him to build those
two ships along the lines of the Delaware.
The only people" said Mr.. Roberts.
who have got any encourage ement out
Of this matter of favoritism are the
mem bers of the Lake Company. whose
boat was discredited in the trial last
| spring The Lake boat, he declared.
was found to he radically defective.
And yet" he said. Notwithstanding
| that fact, that company came up
and got contract for $4,000 for
| one OF those discredited boats and in
| that contract the Secretary of the Navy
| encourages that company to the extent
| of $3.50, 900. being for interest on the
money it is going to put into IT."
And the only encouragement the COM
mittee got was from the Holland peo-
pie" hotly injected Mr.. Lands of In
diana
| There is where the gentleman from
| Indiana is following the lead of the gem
tleman from Connecticut This refer
ence was to Mr.. LiIley, and that gentle
man jumped up to reply but Mr. Roberts
declined to yield.
| Mr. Roberts maintained that the rec
| ords of the committee on naval affairs
! showed that 1t had provided for com
petition Here is the defeated man" he
| exclaimed. coming up now whining tha t
| he has not had fair play when he agreed
| in writing that he would abide the, results
| of the tests and accept them AS final
| Mr. Bonynge inquired If the naval COM
mittee had examined into the Denver