Admiral HOLLYDAY. No, sir; I do not think you can reduce it a dollar. This amount will finish up everything, and we will be done with power plants after this year.

Mr. ROBERTS. That is the most important thing in the yard, from the standpoint of efficiency?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Yes, sir.

Mr. ROBERTS. I notice that there is no estimate for paving. Is the paving completed in that yard?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. No, sir; that is needed very badly. The Assistant Secretary and the Secretary cut the estimates, and there is not anything in the estimates that is not needed badly.

Mr. ROBERTS. I know from my own knowledge that paving is badly needed to make it efficient.

Admiral HOLLYDAY. It is needed very badly, but we had to cut the estimates—had to cut out everything that was not absolutely neces

sary.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Navy-yard, New York, New York: central power plant, one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars."

Mr. BUTLER. May we hope to hope that this will end the powerplant business?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. You could have gotten rid of it last year if you had given us the money I asked for.

Mr. BUTLER. We did not have the money.

Admiral HOLLYDAY. This estimate will complete it. It is first in importance.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Railroad equipment, additional, ten thousand dollars." Do you need all of that amount?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as ninth in importance of the items. An appropriation is required for the replacement of worn-out rolling stock. Another locomotive and another locomotive crane are also greatly needed.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Sewers and drains, five thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as fourth in importance. This item is requested for such extension work as may come up from time to time and for such renewals as are not in the nature of small repairs. I think the money should be appropriated at that yard. It is more than likely that we will need all of it.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Granite and concrete dry dock, to continue, three hundred thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. That work has been authorized.

The CHAIRMAN. Can you reduce the amount this year?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. No, sir. That is what the estimate is, and we will need it all.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Dredging, seventy-six thousand three hundred and thirty dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as second in importance.
Mr. BUTLER. Where is that dredging to be done?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. "Toward the improvement of the water front" would be a better name for that. Last year you reappropriated some $114,000 from the bascule bridge, and when that appropriation became available the commandant appointed a board to see how that money could be spent. They laid out a plan for the

improvement of the water-front facilities. The money available is not sufficient to complete the plan. The amount asked for will complete it and also increase the depth where it is insufficient to accommodate the larger vessels of the navy.

The CHAIRMAN. Will not this complete the work?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. This particular work but will not complete the improvements to the water front at this yard.

The CHAIRMAN. How much more is it going to take?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. It depends on how much you are going to authorize. We could probably spend advantageously $2,000,000 to to $3,000,000 at the New York yard on these improvements.

Mr. ROBERTS. Would that be partly for acquiring land?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. No, sir; all for dredging and water-front improvements.

The CHAIRMAN. That is carrying out the cob dock scheme. The next item is "Additional cells in naval prison, fifteen thousand dollars?"

Admiral HOLLYDAY. That prison is very crowded. The item is fifth in importance. When you authorized $60,000 for a prison I was the civil engineer at the yard and we put up the main building; put three tiers of cells inside the building and built it purposely so that two additional tiers of cells could be put in. We did not require more than three tiers at that time. Now, when the prison has filled up, they require the two additional tiers and that is what the estimate is for.

Mr. PADGETT. How many prisoners have you altogether?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. That would come under the Judge-AdvocateGeneral. I have no knowledge on that point. They are all shortterm prisoners at New York. They do not have any long-term prisoners there. They have a good many men serving out short sentences on account of the large number of ships that come there. This is an auxiliary prison; it is not the main prison.

Mr. HOBSON. Where is this building located in New York? Admiral HOLLYDAY. Away out on cob dock by itself. It does not occupy any space in the yard proper; it stands alone.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Improving compressed-air lines, fifteen thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. This is sixth in importance. The first were laid in the ground and they have gradually rusted out. The pipes that have been put down in the last two or three or four years have been laid in concrete conduits and it is understood that they will last indefinitely. We want to repair the lines that are wearing out and which have to be patched and put them in conduits, and that is the sum asked for.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Washhouse, building sixty, seven thousand five hundred dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as eleventh in importance. This building was formerly used for housing the pumping plant for dry docks 2 and 3, but was abandoned some time ago and the pumping machinery removed. The location of the building is such that it is especially adapted for use as a washhouse for the clothing of crews of vessels lying in dock, which is very greatly needed.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Roofing courtyard of building eleven, ten thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as tenth in importance. This building is the construction and repair smithery, which has recently been made the smithery shop for all the departments. The space in the center of the building can be much more effectively used if roofed over.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Improvements, building twentyeight, four thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as eighth in importance. The chimney in this building is in a dilapidated condition requiring extensive repairs; it also occupies much valuable space, and the bureau of steam engineering desires to arrange a new chimney outside of the building, removing the present chimney and connecting the flues leading to it with the new chimney. It is also proposed to make slight alterations necessitated by this change in chimney and to install new smokestack, hoods, and ducts.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Wagon shed, five thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as twelfth in importance Many of the yard vehicles now stand_uncovered and so subject to deterioration by weather conditions. It is proposed to erect a steelframed corrugated-steel covered shed, 120 feet long by 36 feet wide, to house these yard vehicles.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Fireproofing, building thirtythree, one hundred and thirty thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as seventh in importance. That is the general storekeeper's building. This work is very urgently recommended by the Paymaster-General of the Navy and is regarded by this bureau as being of much importance. There is at present in the building property valued at approximately $1,300,000, which is under considerable risk of damage by fire, as the building is not fireproof. There have been two small fires in the building, and the risk seems to the bureau to be greater than should be allowed. Two hundred and twenty thousand dollars worth of stores have already been destroyed in this building.

Mr. HOBSON. How do you propose to make that building fireproof? Can it be done?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Wherever there is a wooden column we will take that out and put in steel or reinforced concrete. Wherever there is any wood we will make it steel and cover it with fireproofing. Mr. HOBSON. How much would you value the strong part of the building without its contents?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Building 33, $143,000.

The CHAIRMAN. You value the building at that?

Mr. HOBSON. That is why I do not see why you should put more on the fireproofing. What would be the cost of a more suitable, up-to-date building?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I had that proposition up and went into it very carefully. It was to use as much of this building as they could, and add on and make a modern building, and my recollection is that it was $260,000.

Mr. HOBSON. Would that make a fireproof building when completed?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Fireproof and larger and better. My recollection is that the Paymaster-General and, I think, the Assistant

Secretary of the Navy-I think I talked to both of them about itdetermined on this other course. I think that one objection to putting up the new building was that the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts could not do without that building while a new one was being erected on the site. They would have to get out, and they would not have any place to go. They have these stores in there. I think they keep all of the clothing for the men, as well as stores, in this building. The Paymaster-General did not know where he would move while that work was going on, and so it was determined to make this recommendation.

Mr. PADGETT. You put the central power plant first, do you?
Admiral HOLLYDAY. Yes.

Mr. PADGETT. What do you put second?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Dredging.

Mr. PADGETT. And what do you put third?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Granite and concrete dry dock, to continue. Hr. HOBSON. Which is first, central power plant?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Yes.

Mr. PADGETT. And what was fourth?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Fourth, sewers and drains. Fifth, additional cells in naval prison.

Mr. PADGETT. And what was sixth?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Sixth, compressed air line. Seventh, fireproofing.

Mr. PADGETT. I have the others, but you have not given those in their order.

The CHAIRMAN. "Navy-yard, Washington, District of Columbia: Quay wall, to complete, eighty-six thousand dollars." We had last year, to complete, $25,000. Did that complete it?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. That completed what we intended to complete. The wall had gone out into the stream, and we rebuilt that. This I regard as third in importance. The present wall in front of this part of the yard, 1,287 feet in length, is in poor condition, crooked and bulging in many places, and there is quite a depth of mud in front thereof. This mud should be removed, but when dredged out to a proper depth the wall, not having a sheet pile stop water beneath it, will doubtless fail. Under present conditions vessels of medium draft can not lie at the wall. By building a new wall of proper design, 16 feet in front of the present wall, a space of 16,750 square feet may be gained. Dredging can then be accomplished without danger to the wall and ships can lie in front of it, as they properly should. The lack of proper wall at this point has for some time past obstructed the work of the War Department, which has not been able to carry out its project at this point in consequence.

The CHAIRMAN. You do not want to build it all in one year, do you? Admiral HOLLYDAY. We would like to take it along in sections. I suppose that we could do it in one year.

The CHAIRMAN. The next is "Improvements to storehouse for guns and mounts, seven thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as fifth in importance. The concrete and asphalt floor in the north end of this building has been constantly sinking since it was laid, until it has become necessary to have it raised. It is now carrying very heavy weights, which in the future will be increased, and it is therefore urgent and important that this floor be raised.

The CHAIRMAN. How do you regard that quay wall up there? What number do you assign to that?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. The quay wall is third.

The CHAIRMAN. "Concrete roof for foundry buildings, fifteen thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. Prior reports have noted the condition of this roof, which was so perforated as to be no longer a protection to the employees working below, and whose lives were endangered during rainy weather by the downpour coming in contact with the hot metal in the molds. Recently the north side of the roof of this building was replaced by corrugated iron. While strong and substantial for the present, it will doubtless in time yield to the action of fumes and vapor arising from the castings. It is not a proper roof for a foundry. It is therefore proposed to replace it with a concrete roof, which will necessitate the strengthening of the roof trusses, etc., to carry the additional load. I regard that as fourth in importance.

The CHAIRMAN. "Improvements to building one hundred and eighteen, three thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as seventh in importance.
The CHAIRMAN. What is that building?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. That portion is used for stores. This estimate is for the purpose of obtaining a satisfactory concrete floor for the basement of this building, and for fitting up the basement for a stock room for heavy parts, and the building of clothes lockers for the use of the men.

The CHAIRMAN. "Painting outside of yard buildings, five thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I regard that as ninth in importance. This appropriation is requested for the purpose of painting the outside walls of buildings that have heretofore been painted, but which are now in a bad condition.

The CHAIRMAN. "Purchase of land and change in railroad system, one hundred and eighty thousand dollars."

Admiral HOLLYDAY. This is first in importance. The department has sent an additional supplemental estimate up here on that. I do not know whether it has gotten to your committee yet or not. It was sent to the Speaker. Congress passed a bill last year for the railroad company to build in there. They declined to do it, and I have the correspondence here. Instead of the $180,000, it will take $303,683.33. I do not know that that supplemental estimate has reached you as yet.

The CHAIRMAN. No.

Admiral HOLLYDAY. I have here a duplicate of what was sent to the Speaker.

The CHAIRMAN. What was that for, purchase of land?

Admiral HOLLYDAY. No; it was that grade-crossing proposition we had. It is itemized as follows:

For the purchase of squares 955 and 979.............

Completing railroad yard in above squares to accommodate 80 cars..

Building spur to these squares (last estimate of the railroad company),

as approved by the District Commissioners..

Right of way, square 1067.

Right of way, square 1001..

Total...

$161, 872.00

17, 331. 33

93, 480.00 15,000.00 16,000.00

303, 683.33