acres of suitable land can be purchased for the estimated amount, either adjacent to or near the area on Greenboro Point, now operated as the dairy farm. The establishment of the present dairy has greatly improved the health of the midshipmen, and its continuance is believed to be a necessity to secure an adequate uncontaminated milk supply.

The CHAIRMAN. At this point I wish to say that Mr. Talbott, who is not present, has brought to the committee a chart or diagram showing the fluctuation of disease, etc., at the academy, which is very interesting. At one time it appears that typhoid fever ran very high. In November, 1910, there were sick 296 and excused 186, making a total of 480, and in November, 1911, there were sick 52 and excused 8, making a total of 60.

Mr. Foss. Is that typhoid?

The CHAIRMAN. No; the general condition of health at the academy.

The next item is, "Sea wall, complete around power house, $50,000." Please explain that item, Admiral.

Admiral STANFORD. The power house is located on a filled-in area surrounded by concrete quay wall founded on piles. On account of the unstable bottom this quay wall has settled and in many places moved outward. On account of this settlement and movement the wall has never been completed to finished grade. This item is to cover necessary work of reconstruction and to complete the wall, and will eliminate a condition that is very inharmonious with the general well-kept conditions of the property.

Mr. ROBERTS. Has the wall sunk or spread out?
Admiral STANFORD. It has settled and moved out.

Mr. ROBERTS. Is that caused by the weight of the power house or the faulty construction of the wall?

Admiral STANFORD. It is due to the soft character of the material beneath the wall. Piles in some cases were over 90 feet long. The power house is supported on independent foundations and has had nothing to do with the failure of the wall.

Mr. Foss. Is that the wall that was built at the time of the rebuilding of the academy?

Mr. ROBERTS. It has gone completely.

Mr. Foss. How many feet are to be rebuilt?

Admiral STANFORD. Approximately 1,000 feet will have to be repaired. None of it will require entire rebuilding.

Mr. ROBERTS. Will this $50,000 complete it?

Admiral STANFORD. It is estimated that it will.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Wharf and approach (to cost $125,000), $50,000." Please explain that item, Admiral.

Admiral STANFORD. The proposed wharf is of concrete construction and designed to take the place of an old timber structure which is in such a condition as to necessitate extensive temporary repairs to continue it in use. This wharf, together with a new creosoted pile and timber wharf built in 1911, will form a semi-inclosed basin, which is greatly needed for berthing barges and small craft. The proposed wharf and the new wharf already built will be used for berthing tugs, the station ship, and vessels of the reserve torpedo group. At present the berthing space is so limited that the vessels of the reserve torpedo group are now berthed across the river in a slip which forms a portion

of the engineering experiment station, over a mile from the Naval Academy proper.

Mr. ROBERTS. Is that the wharf where the Santee formerly was? Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATHRICK. Admiral Stanford has very kindly, pursuant to my request of the other day, handed me a copy of the expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, under the appropriation "Maintenance, Yards and Docks." I think that if any of the members will look over this summary they will see that it is considerably more illuminating than the four items outlined under the various heads in the bill before us.

The CHAIRMAN. I think it would be well to put that statement in the hearings.

Admiral STANFORD. The statement has been compiled from the annual report of the Paymaster General of the Navy, and it has required that certain items should be picked out from different tables and aggregated in order to obtain the figures shown on the sheet. Mr. BATHRICK. This is the estimate for the coming fiscal year? Admiral STANFORD. No, sir; the actual expenditures for the fiscal year 1912.

Mr. BATHRICK. This sort of a report would easily afford a basis for many more questions than we are able to ask respecting the expenditures by a perusal of the bill itself as presented to us, and, it seems to me, comes a little nearer to my idea of the information that we should have in order to determine our decision as to the propriety of these expenditures. However, it is not in detail. For instance, I refer to one item of $57,552.30 under the head "Removal of refuse.' I presume that was for the removal of refuse from the various yards and ships during the whole year.

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATHRICK. A proper question in that connection might be, Have you ever considered the possible saving in any of the large navy yards by the erection of a garbage plant; would it be large enough?

Admiral STANFORD. Most of the yards are provided with garbage crematories, and that item is in part at least to cover the cost of removing garbage from the ships or buildings to the crematory and for the burning of the refuse.

Mr. BATHRICK. Does the crematory have any appliance for saving the grease?

Admiral STANFORD. No, sir.

Mr. BATHRICK. Would it, in your opinion, be a saving to the Government?

Admiral STANFORD. I think the by-product would not warrant the expenditure.

The statement referred to by Mr. Bathrick follows:

Report of expenditures under appropriation "Maintenance, Yards and Docks," during the fiscal year 1912.

Thereupon the committee adjourned to meet to-morrow, Saturday, December 14, 1912, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.

THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

Saturday, December 14, 1912.

The committee this day met, Hon. Lemuel P. Padgett (chairman) presiding.

STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL H. R. STANFORD, CHIEF,

BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS-Continued.

The CHAIRMAN. The first item is, "Naval training station, Rhode Island, buildings: Repairs to barracks A, B, and C, $6,000." Did we appropriate for that same purpose last year?

Admiral STANFORD. That is a routine appropriation.

The CHAIRMAN. What are the repairs to those barracks that they have to be made

every year?

Admiral STANFORD. The average number of enlisted men under training at this station last year was about 1,500, maximum number about 2,000. This number of men subject the walls, floors, staircases, plumbing and other equipment to very hard usage, requiring extensive work in renewals, which can scarcely come under the head of ordinary repairs. For many years back there have been annually appropriated amounts for this purpose, varying from $5,000 to $10,000, which is necessary in addition to the regular appropriation for maintenance of the training station.

The CHAIRMAN. Why would that not be ordinary repairs?

Admiral STANFORD. It is more in the nature of maintenance work. The maintenance appropriation, it seems to me, should be increased to care for this work. Maintenance appropriation, Bureau of Navigation, provides for the maintenance of the training stations, and this item would logically come under that head; Bureau of Yards and Docks' appropriation "maintenance" is not used for this purpose.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there no way to prevent men from doing about $3,000 worth of damage to each building a year? Last year it was

$10,000 for three buildings, and now this year it is $6,000 for three buildings. Is that good discipline?

Admiral STANFORD. That is a matter under the cognizance of the commandant of the training station.

The CHAIRMAN. I understand that you are not responsible at all, but I am just talking about the management of affairs.

Admiral STANFORD. There is naturally a large amount of wear and tear in a building which is used by many hundred young men or boys, especially as these men or boys are not necessarily recruited from the class which have had the best quality of structures or facilities at their disposal, and they naturally do not take the care of such property that should be taken.

The CHAIRMAN. Do the commanding officers exercise any dicipline or punishment over men who commit depredations upon the buildings that necessitate such repairs?

Admiral STANFORD. I have no doubt they do.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you know whether or not they do and what deterrent effect it has?

Admiral STANFORD. I have no information on that subject. When the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation is before the committee he might throw some light on it.

Mr. ESTOPINAL. That includes the keeping up of the buildings, the painting and general repairs?

Admiral STANFORD. This is in addition to the appropriation "Maintenance" for the general operation of the station.

Mr. ESTOPINAL. There is a maintenance appropriation? Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir; to the Bureau of Navigation. The CHAIRMAN. The next item is "Power plant and distributing systems, extension, $10,000." What about that item, Admiral?

Admiral STANFORD. That item is for the purpose of extending the underground conduit and cable system; the purchase and installation of transformers; rearrangement of motors to adapt them to the use of alternating current, and in general for the purpose of enabling the alternating current equipment which has been purchased under previous appropriations to be put into efficient service.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Improvement to water front, to continue, and ferry slip, $10,000." Please explain that item, Admiral.

Admiral STANFORD. The item is desired for improvements to the sea wall on the east water front of the station, for the construction of a slip for the use of the station ferry, also for the extension of the sea wall on the south side of the coaling pier on the west side of the station, to permit of teams approaching near enough to the water front to permit of direct loading, thereby avoiding unnecessary handling. The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Naval training station, California, building: Water pipe, $10,000." Is that a part of the water system referred to under "Navy yard, Mare Island, Cal.," "salt-water flushing and fire protection," and then below "water system extension, to continue, $10,000"?

Admiral STANFORD. It is not. The items which you mention are desired for the Mare Island Navy Yard. That navy yard is about 30 miles distant from the naval training station, which is on Goat Island, in the harbor of San Francisco, a short distance from San Francisco The CHAIRMAN. They are entirely separate projects?

85873-13-14

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Have they any water system there now?

Admiral STANFORD. There is no water obtainable on the island. The present supply is obtained from the city of Oakland by means of a 3-inch pipe which connects the Oakland pier with the training station. This pipe was laid about 10 years ago and is beginning to show signs of failure. It is also subject to damage by anchors of vessels which may anchor over the line.

The CHAIRMAN. Has it ever been broken?

Admiral STANFORD. It has not been broken to my knowledge, but if it should be the water supply to the station would be absolutely shut off. There is no reserve capacity at the station.

The CHAIRMAN. What size pipe does this contemplate?

Admiral STANFORD. Four inches in diameter.

The CHAIRMAN. And what length?

Admiral STANFORD. About 5,000 feet. It is laid under the water of the harbor, which renders its placing a matter of considerable

expense.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there much rust and corrosion of the existing pipe?

Admiral STANFORD The pipe was galvanized, and there is no information to indicate that there is serious damage on account of corrosion.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the indication, then, that it is giving way? Admiral STANFORD. Leaks which would result from the strain on the joints due to expansion and contraction changes and to changes in the bottom of the bay causing a settling of the the pipe, which would still further increase the stress on the pipe line and tend to burst or open the joints.

The CHAIRMAN. Is it intended to leave the existing pipe line and have two?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir. The pipe line desired will be an auxiliary pipe line and would not be laid on the identical lines with the existing one, so that if damage should be suffered by one there would not probably be simultaneous damage to the other.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Naval Observatory: For cleaning, repair, and upkeep of grounds and roads, $16,000," instead of $5,000, appropriated last year. Please explain that item, Admiral.

Admiral STANFORD. This item includes an amount of $5,000 for the routine care of grounds in accordance with provision of Congress in the past and also $11,000 for grading and filling.

The CHAIRMAN. Why the increase?

Admiral STANFORD. As result of certain commercial and municipal improvements adjacent to the Observatory grounds there remains an unsightly mound or hill on the grounds which it is proposed to grade. It is also proposed to fill in a low, wet area which is a breeding place for mosquitoes in its present condition.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Naval proving ground, Indianhead, Md.: Addition to facilities, $29,000." What sort of facilities? Admiral STANFORD. This item contemplates the appropriation of a lump sum to effect a number of small additions and modifications throughout the powder factory, to provide proper and safe storage space for powder, inflammables, explosives, and raw material used in the manufacture of smokeless powder, to secure safety for the