The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-08
Waste In Naval Expenditures.


In an article in the Worth Ameri-
can Rericto for February dealing
with naval expenditures eG-Secretary
GEORGE Won l.. MEYER says that "un.
III within a few years no naval ap-
preparation could pass the Senate
which did not meet the sanction OF
both a Northern and Southern Sen
atOr. each Of whom was a member OF
the Committee OH Naval Affairs" The
Northern Senator Is dead the south
ern Senator survives Mr. TuLMAN
OF South Carolina. These Senators
in obtaining appropriations 10 he eX-
pended in their States were respon-
slble for a good deal of waste. Take
the Frenchman's Bay coaling station
in Maine 1t Is now dismantled. hav-
ing been practically unused" It's
cost was SG2i,GjO. Of which $2i.65O.
far above the assessed valuation,
went for the site. and SGOO.OOO for
development and maintenance. A
good deal OF money has been sunk in
the Portsmouth Navy Yard, which
could long ago have been dispensed
with After a dock costing 81, l22, 800
was built, It was discovered that 10
use the dock for the larger ships OF
the navy S7J53OO must be spent to
blast away rock in the channel. In
fifteen years an outlay OF So 1903
was made upon the Portsmouth Navy
Yard-and the adequate Boston yard
was less than seventy miles away.
Senator THLMAN of South Carolina
is associated with the development Of
the naval station at Port Royal and
Charleston, both of which represent
considerable amount of money
thrown away. with the aid OF the
Maine Senator Mr.. TILLAfAN kept the
preparations So!nS. reciprocity Re
ing the rule between them. The site
q. the Port Royal station, which Is
a Joke in the navy. cost 5000, but
50 275.OOO was spent upon Port Royal
before It was abandoned. "EXtrava-
CANT waste" Mr.. MEYER calls IL. In
1901, with the sympathy OF the Maine
Senator, a naval station was estab-
lished at Charleston. Mr.. TrLLNAN
was reelected I'm 1901 With the val
liable Norfolk Navy Yard and base ar
Hampton Roads the Charleston sta
ton was obviously supertiuous. A dry
dock was built at Charleston, costing
81 100000; intended for hattleshlps II
Is iiJ only for gunboats and destroy
ers. No less than $5.OOOOO was sunk"
u; Charleston.
A Louisiana Representative now
deCea sed. who was member OF the
House Naval Committee was the
good angel" OF the New Orleans yard,
located 100 miles up the river and
with a floating dock of no service to
dreadnoughts.' That needless and
useless station" swallowed more than
$2.OOO6OO. Up to 1910 the Pensacola
yard cost the country Sl2,2OO,0OO,
with little return in the way Of out.
put" On the Pacitk coast the Mare
Island Navy Yard ut san Francisco
is famous for having absorbed $50.
OOO,OOO since 1880, although in the last
eight years, for lack Of water. no
capital ship could be berthed there
The Hon. GEORGE G. PERKINS, Senator
from California since 1893 ana q ve;-
eran Of the Naval Committee, has
been the good angel" OF the Mare
Island yard for many years
When Mr.. MEYER was Secretary OF
the Navy he took the responsibility
Of practically closing" the naval sta
lions nj New Orleans, Pensacola, San
Juan, Port Royal, Sackett's IIarbor,
Cuebra and Cayite. Secretary DAN
HIS has reopened Pensacola and New
Orleans. Pointing out that the United
States has more than twice as many
first class navy yards as Great Brit
ain, Mr.. MEYER urges a reduction OF
the number TO the actual strategic
needs of the service, and he also
makes these recommendations: a spe-
clal committee to investigate condi
| lions I'm the navy, general staff, n
national council of defence. and the
budget form for appropriations