Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-16
Fortifications Bill Reported to
the House.
CUT DOWN 100000 900
Japan's Possible View a Factor in
the Examinations.
UNITED STATES GETS LITTLE
Appropriations Apply Mostly to the
Hawaiian and the Philip
pine Islands.

The fertilization bill, carrying a total
appropriation Of $S.21O.61l instead of
SIS, 443, e45 asked for by the War Depart
ment, was reported today to the House
committee on appropriations by Chairman
Smith of the subcommittee on fortifica-
tons. The subcommittee felt, aside from
other considera TONS that to recommend
an appropriation of $4,000. 900 for fortifi-
cations at this time would be an action
which might be very reasonably con-
strued by Japan as an Official declaration
that the United States was preparing
against a war with that nation. The
amount recommended by the committee is
larger than any. which has been annually
appropriated since the Spanish American
war. The cutting down of the depart
ments estimates by $50, 233. 334 means,
among other things. that the committee
has recommended practically nothing for
continental United States and has appro-
priated mainly for the Hawaiian and the
Philippine Islands The committee has
turned down entirely the department
proposal for the fertilization OF Manila
harbor by the construction and fortihca-
ton of an artificial island, and nothing is
carried for Subig bay.
The only points in continental United
States appropriated for in the bill as re-
vised by the committee are Deception
pass in Puget sound; at Charleston, y. C.;
at Pensacola, Fla: Mobile, Ala, and va
rious points where expenditures are re-
quired for the installation of range-1nding
apparatus
For Insular Possessions.
For the Hawaiian Islands practically
everything Is allowed that was recon-
mended by the Taft board except the for
tification of Pearl harbor.
Provision is made for the fertilization of
Carabao Island in Manila bay.
While the Notifications bill never desig-
mates the particular points where expendl-
lures under its appropriations are TO pc
made, 1t is known that this years Dill, as
revised by the committee, Is intended to
cover among various projects the follow
me Eor range finding t"fre control, in con-
tinental United States. $4,000; for guns
$573.0OO; repairing storm damage at
Charleston, s. c.. $4,000: at Pensacola,
$50 600 and at Mobile. $3.50, COO; for fortifi-
cations at Honolulu. including placing In
few additional mortars at Pearl Harbor,
81, 100, 900: for Notifications in the Philip
pines, $1.949O00.
Cut in the Estimates.
The following brief and incomplete COM
Departments estimates were pruned in
the committee: For the Philippine Islands
SO 4ss.cOO was asked. This included
100000 for the construction and fortifi-
cation of an artificial island in Manila
bay, which was entirely disaIlowed. and
$4,000 for fire control, which was cut to
800, 900. The department wanted 5000. :
possessions and is given 100000.
For empla cements in continental United
States. 4,247, $50 was asked and only
$500 900 allowed: for fire control, 81 ,6S5 900.
electric current for batterly and other
uses, 100000. cut to 100000.
The department estimated $3.47s.500 to
be necessary for the purchase of new sites
for batteries in the United States. The
committee decided that 100000 would be
lights, 81 100000 was asked. The bill as
revised allows only $4,000. For the lin
ing OF easements in torpedo plants the
sum of $484.96i was estimated This was
trimmed down to &115. COO Eight hundred
thousand dollars was designated as neces-
and siege guns. The committee allowed
only $500. 900. For seacoast guns in con-
tinental United States the department
wanted $2,8S0.OOO and got S273OO0; for
reserve ammunition for seacoast guns
81 10000, which was cut to $32J.OO0. Two
hundred thousand dollars was considered
by the department a necessary appropra-
ton for purchase and experiment with
flying machines This estimate was thrown,
out entirely. the committee deciding thai
the $4,000 balance on hand for that pur-
pose. plus the $4,000 regular allowance,
should be more than necessary to meet
all department demands in this line for
the present.
The bill was at once reported to the
House by the appropriations committee,
with a recommendation that it pass.