Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-07

Loresent system to be e%Xtravag:llt
Ind. wasteful by millions of dollars,
makes several recommendations:
Would Cut Out Million.
First. We recommend that the
ITEM Of $500, 900 toward extension Of
,oWdei' factory at Indian Head
should be stricken from the bill. This
extension will cost 100000 and is i'm
necessary, because We a already
manufacture 900, 900 pounds more
than we need.
Second. We recommend that the
item Of $3.50 900 extending the limit
If cost for a crane at Norfolk should
be stricken out, and the law author
ling the crane be repealed. because
we have more cranes now than we
eed.
"Third. We recommend that the
tenn authorizing an annual bonus of
$4,000 to the constructors Of a dry
lock at Hunters Point be stricken
out, because We have more dry docks
10Y than we need or can use. !.
Fourth. There are doubtless
many other extravagant items in the
bill, but we are certain that whether
other items are e~xtrayagant or econo.
'mical we have abundant evidence that
III system Of naval administration
is essentially extravagant and waste.
sul. This is apparent in two res.
jects: s .... ~.
> Useless Number Of Navy Yards.
First. We have a useless number
Of navy yards, lecessitating a fool
ish duplication of buildings, over.
head charges, power plants, machin-
cry, dry docks, cranes and of every
hing needful at each navy gard. If
Ill our work were done at two navy
Yards and the other yards and sta
tons sold and, abandoned, it would
reduce the amount of our naval en-
Denditures enormously.
Second. We place at the head of
our navy yards, naval officers who
have had no experience as managers
# industrial plants, and hence are
unable to conduct them in an econo.
mical way; We should have men of
great experience at the head of every
olant which constructs or repairs III
ships and guns and makes our pow
der.
"These two defects in our system
S the explanation of the fact that
we are spending so many million dol
lars more than other nations for the
maintenance IF tho navy "i
Position Of Democratic Party.
The minority report says that the
democratic party will be in a posi-
ton of the grossest inconsistency if
it votes to increase the present ma
y. and says:
1.-THE secretary OF the navy tells
vou committee that We already have
I powerful navy. and he agrees at
once with President Taft. who said
at the close of his presidential term
that u navy is magnificent. If
the navy is magnificent, it viii be
hard to grove to the people why we
should spend $50, 10000 in one year
20 increase it.
Another reasOn given for not in.
creasing the floating f%ortresses Of the
navy is that the country is from 700
to 5000 officers short:
AT the hearings of your commit
tee" says the minority report. "Ad-
'miral Vreeland, the representative Of
the general board, told the commit
Zee that We are now short of officers,
and in the face of the fact that within
the next two years there will be six
more battieships and fifty-one more
ships Of other kinds to supply with
officers it seems to us that the deter
mination to build more .battleships
must be traced either to ignorance OF
the facts Or a desire to waste the pub
lie funds" Z :