Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-04-18

Washington. a vote of 100 to
S3 the house of representatives de-
cided against the presidents program
for four battleships, and adhered to
the recommendation OF It's commit
tee on naval affairs for two vessels
Of that type, The result was reached
after a debate which lasted for hours,
and announcement of the vote was re-
ceived with applause.
An amendment by Mr.. Tawney to
reduce the number of new battleships
to one was voted down by an even
more decided majority than was Mr..
Hobson's proposition for an increase
to four.
A provision for two feet colliers of
16 knots and of 12,500 tons capacity,
costing $1,SO0000 each, was adopted.
Amendments were adopted that one
of the battleships and one Of the col
liers shall be built in a navy yard.
The bill as it stands authorizes ex-
penditures Of $107S37 900.
A number of New England votes
helped to swell the total of 1919 which
were cast against Representative Hob
sons amendment providing for the
construction of four battleships. OF
the SO votes in its favor were those of
Representatives O'Connell and Gard
ner of Massachusetts, Currier and Sui
loway of New Hampshire, Lilley ana
Hill of Connecticut.
New England members who voted
against the Hobson resolution were
Representatives Mccall, Ames, Rob-
erts, Lawrence, Washburn, Lowering,
Tirrell, Peters, Keliher and Gillett of
Massachusetts, Littlefield, Allen and
Burleigh of Maine, Granger and Ca
prom of Rhode Island, Higgins, Sperry
and Henry of Connecticut.
Chairman Tawney's amendment pro-
viding for only one battleship was
lost by vote of 60 to 255, Representa-
tives Mccall, Ames and Littlefield vot-
ing for It, On motion by Mr.. Hobson
to provide for three battleships Repre-
sentative O'Connell voted aye, while
the other Massachusetts members vot-
ed no.
BY vote of 1913 to 35 the house pro-
vided that one of the battleships auth
orized should be built in government
navy yard, and that the other might
be so built in the discretion Of the sec
retary of the navy. This will furnish
work that it needed to keep the mech
anics employed at navy yards. Repre-
sentatives Mccall, Gillett, Washburn
and Littlefeld voted against this
amendment.
The entire session was devoted to a
consideration of the navy increase pro-
vision of the naval appropriation bill.
As this increase was provided for in
the last section of the bill the measure
was practically concluded with the dis
| position of the provision. The commit
tee of the whole concluded its work
and will report 1t to the house immedi-
ately for final vote on its passage.
The provision for battleships was
the chief subject of interest, the COM
mittee's recommendation for two ships
OF that type prevailing by decisive
vote after hard fought effort to in
crease the number to four.
The Increase was opposed by Mr..
| Tawney. chairman of the committee
ON appropriations Mr.. Foss, chairman
of the committee on naval affairs; Mr.,
Williams. minority leader, and many
others. 1t was advocated by Repre-
sentative Hobson of Alabama, who de-
clared that in relation to the increase
of other nations, four battleships
would only keep the American navy
abreast of other great navies.
Mr.. Longworth of Ohio in a vigor-
GUS speech told the house that the
president was more interested in this
increase than in any other question
before congress, and as practically all
of them had in the last election de-
clared that they would support him,
this was good opportunity to live up
to that declaration.