Norwich bulletin., 1916-11-02
Bids for Four Scout
 Cruisers are High
CONGRESS TO BE ASKED FOR
 INCREASED APPROPRIATION
ONE DIRECT PROPOSAL
Electric Boat Company Submitted the
 Most Comprehensive Estimates on Submarines-Awards Will be Made Only After Detailed Study of Plans.

Washington. Nov. 1.-Authority from congress to raise the cost limit may have to be sought by the navy depart ment before it can award contracts scout cruisers in the 1917 building program Bids for the vessels were opened today, with the result that oniy one builder, the Seattle Construction and Drydock company, offered di- rect proposal This company bid within the limit of $5,000,0G0 for hull and machinery, but it proposed to construct only one boat
 Bids Based on Sliding Scale.
 Two other bidders, the United Iron works of San Francisco and the Fore River company of Quincy, Mass, sub mitted proposals based on a sliding scale arrangement which would take into account possible variations of material and labor prices. The New York Shfpbuilding company gave mo- tice that it could not give it's estimates within limit of costs.
 May Delay Awarding Contracts.
 It was indicated that the depart ment might delay awarding contracts until congress could be asked to in- crease the limit of cost 10 per cent. or more. To undertake construction of the cruisers in government yards, it was said, would mean even greater delay while tie yards were being equipped.
 Bids for 27 Submarines Received.
 Bids for 27 coast submarines and two 500 ton type fleet submersibles also will be received today, and it is virtually assured that all these yes sells can be built by private contract. Included among the offers was that of Schneider & company of Paris and New York, which presented three de- signs similar to those upon which submersibles for the French and other European governments have been built. The company proposed to au thoriZe the United States to construct at it's own yards as many boats on these designs as it might desire on royalty basis.
 Electric Boat Go. Offers Eight Pro- posals.
 The Electric Boat company submit ted the most comprehensive estimates on submarines, offering eight separate proposals for boats of the coast type would construct one or both the 800 i ton fleet submersib1es. The nominal | limit of cost for the coast type boats was set at $700,0O0 each. and the Electric company submitted four all formative designs within that figure, but requiring time limit of 22 months for constructing. The other four proposals were for the same de- signs, but based on a reduction of the time of construction to 15 months or whereabouts. These estimates ran above the S700,000 figure, but the de- partment has authority to increase the cost 20 per cent in the interest of speedy construction, and the four high bids are within the maximum limit Lake Co. Figures Within the Limit. The Lake Torpedo Boat company bid for from six to ten coast type sub 1 mersibles and for one 800 ton boat. i The figures are all within the limit of cost, but the designs are for a smaller i type of boat than those estimated for i ;n the Electric Boat company's pro- posals.
 Awards will be made only after a | detailed study of all the plans and i proposals.