New Britain herald., 1916-08-26

l larger appropriations by the 64th con- 1 gress will insure a large expansion. | Under Taft $618SS.06 was provided i for aviation. Under Wilson $5,217,- 27S.57.
 Mines Increase FOur-EOid.
 When the Wilson administration 1 undertook the regeneration ot the navy, it was found that there was no mining division and that there were few mines. Contracts were made at once to purchase mines abroad (none could be had in this country), but the European war made it impossible for the contra actors to fill the orders. Fortunately, the navy department had, in it's contract, obtained the right to manufacture mines in this country and it is doing so in it's own plant. A mining division has been organized completely. Now, for the first time in the history of the American navy, it's position with regard to mines and mining is satisfactory. Moreover, the mines manufa ctured in this country have been produced at a cost of be- tween $175 and $2OO less than price contracted for their purchase abroad, and large saving has been effected. For every 100 mines the navy had when the Wilson administration came into office, there are now 400, i. G., four times as many, and the number is being multiplied daily.
 TorpedocS Increased and Plant lFEn-
 Iarged 433 Per Cent.
 A like shortage in tOrpedoes has been remedied and for every hundred torpedoes we had on hand in 1913 we l partment is constructing torpedoes in it's own plant at a saving of over $1,OOO on each torpedo. It has also increased the capacity of the torpedo works 433 per cent. Not only are more torpedOes provided for less money, but the navy department has won it's suit to prevent a private com pany from selling it's torpedoes to foreign nations, thereby disclosing navy secrets. In rendering his de- cision Judge Cox made the following wise declaration, which endorses the policy of the navy department under this administration: This case illus trates the importance of the United States having a manufactory of it's own for the manufa acture of tOrpe- does and other implements of war.
 
 from time to time by the addition of ingenious mechanism, which should clearly be kept secret unless our ene- mics are to profit equally with our selves in every improvement which the ingenuity of our army and navy officers may suggest Increased Production of Powder at
 Decreased Cost.
 As the navy department increased it's production of powder, the private manufa acturers decreased the prices 1 from 80 cents to 53 cents a pound, by direction of congress, after an inves- | tigation into it's cost. The navy man. 1 ufactures powder for 34 cents a pound ! including all overhead charges, and | this administration has increased the l capacity of the powder factory from l 3,000,0O0 to 6,000,O00 pounds per annum, insuring an adequate supply 1 at minimum cost. ArmOr Plant Will Make Armor Plate 1
 Cheaper.
 For years the manufacturers of ar- 1 nor plate had been charging Amer 1 lcan people excessive prices for arnor | plate. All three cOn1pa nies manu- 1 featuring armor plate offered bids of i identically the same price. Such bids 1 were not accepted, and more than $1,- l 100000 was saved on three ships by ] insisting upon competition But this ! large saving still left the price far above a reasonable sum. The Sixty | fourth congress has appropriated $11,- 100000 to build an armor plate plant. where armOr plate can be manufac- | tured at a price of $23O ton, as i against $454, the price which was be- i ing paid when the Wilson adninistra 1 t1on was inaugurated. Tn addition to 1 cheapening the cost of production. an additional advantage of a government | armor plate plant would be to en- courage and give opportunity to it's experts to steadily improve the duality 1 or the armor to be used on naval | craft. No process is perfect. and | study and experiment will produce | superior armor. Secrets of produc- l ton discovered by government ex- |