Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-16
BUDGET BIGGEST
EVER PRESENTED
Bill Carries Total of $3,3oO,946,-
900 to Be Spent in Prose
cution of War.
READY FOR SENATE ACTION
For Upbuilding of Merchant
Fleet, $75o.ooo.ooo Is Added
by Committee.
READY FOR SENATE ACTION
lBv Asaocla,ndpr l

WASH fNGTON. MAY 1.-THE largest
war budget in tho nations history,
aGsresatins s3.S?o.et6.ooO. will he
taken up tomorrow by tho Senate and
given tho right Of way until passed.
The bill. already passed bI the
House. provides for war expenditures
of the navy and army. and. also. as
Increased by the Senate Appropriations
Committee to-day. would appropriate
sI50.000. 600. OF which $4,000 900
would be Immediately available. for the
Shipping Boards merchant fleet pro-
gram.
AS the measure came from the House
1T carried s2.sa7 100000, virtually all
for military needs OF the war.
The shipbuiidinE provisions added by
the Senate committee contain drastic
provisions for Federal communicating
Of shipyards. factories and other
facilities.
For tho new American merchant ficet.
they direct Immediate appropriation of
{400. 100000, and authorize $3.50. 900 900
more for use later as an emergency
shipping fund"
MAY COMMANDER SHIPYARDS.
FACTORIES Or THEIR PRODUCTS
The bill authorizes the government
TO commander shipyards, factories or
the products OF such factories and to
take over existing shipbuilding con-
tracts OF private individuals or foreign
governments. Construction facilities
taken over arc TO be paid for at n rca-
sonablc price. Refusal Of persons TO
deliver rcquisitionod factories or cstab-
lishmcnts would he penalizcd.
The principal communicating section
reads:
The President is authorized
a nd fal
operation by tho United States any
factory. or any part thereof. without
taking possession of TIM entire factory.
whether the United States has or has
not any contract or agreement with
tho owner or occupier of such factory"
Some OF the provisions arc:
For army conscriptiop. s..G5s 900;
army subsistence. s5o.sa6.ooo; army
transportation. sS1.a60.o0c: Panama
Canal Qualifications. &l.1s6.o0o; schools
for naval recruits. s2.5O0,0oo; naval
ordnance stores. s2.ooo.OoQ: naval re-
serve ordnance. 10.oeo.ego; Hampton.
hospital construction. sS.5o0,ooo. and
construction and repair IF naval YES
sells. s3.coo.ooo: Eastern Marine Corps
post, S2.500.0oO
SENATE: PASSES MEASURE
INCREASING NAVY PERSONNEL.
The Senate to-day passed the House
bill increasing tho enlisted strength
OF the navy TO 10000 men, that OF the
Marine Corps TO 10000 men, and grant
ing increases in pay to the nary's en-
listed personnel equal to those pro-
vidcd for the army forces.
The measure will go TO conference
for consideration OF amendments. in
Guiding one adopted by the Senate
changing the schedule OF pay increases
so AS TO conform with the increases
provided for enlisted men in the army.
Under the amendment there would be
graduated scale Of navy pay increases
ranging downward from $40 a month
for the lowest grade The House
measure would have provided an in
crease of SIS for this grade
The Senate also wrote into the bill
an authorization for appointment of
six feet commanders and a clause en-
abling members OF Congress not over
sixty years OF age to enlist in the navy
as privates An amendment by Senator
McCumber proposing reward of
100000 for discovery OF a practical
means of protecting merchantmen from
submarines was voted down, q 10 SIS.
FOOD CONSERVATION
TAKEN UT IN SENATE
Consideration OF the first Of the ad-
ministration food conservation bills.
that appropriating sl.50o.ooo for ma
tional food survey, and comforting au-
thority upon the Secretary OF Agri-
culture to regulate storage manufac-
ture and distribution of foodstuffs and
fuels. began to-day in the Senate
The measure will be lid aside ow-
ever until the war army and navy
budget bill is disposed Of In making
IL the Senate's unfinished business.
Senator Gore, chairman Of the Agri-
culture Committee. announced that. be-
cause OF the Importance Of the food
situation. he would insist upon con-
tinuous consideration Of the measure.
except for appropriation bills anG con-
ference report, until passed
AS the war budget measure is ex-
pected to take week or more. the
food legislation. to which will be of
fered amendments regarding foodstuff
speculation and limiting manufacture
of foodstufs into liquor. will be de-
layed to that extent.
A bill to prohibit speculation in food
products was introduced by Represen-
tative SABBATH. of Illinois. 1t provides
that all sales or purchases OF futures
shall! be unlawful under penalty OF
n . So