62D CONGRESS, 3d Session.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. No. 1557.

REPORT

NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.

FEBRUARY 20, 1913.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. PADGETT, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 28812.]

The Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom was referred so much of the President's annual message as relates to the Naval Establishment, together with the annual estimates of the Navy Department, and the annual report of the Secretary of the Navy, submit herewith H. R. making appropriations for the Naval Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914, with the following statement:

The amount carried in this bill is $146,618,364.53. The naval appropriation act of last year amounted to $123,151,538.76.

The estimates of the Navy Department including the building program recommended by the Secretary of the Navy, and the supplemental estimates, the report of the Secretary of the Navy, and communications from the department recommending appropriations to be carried in this bill, and the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy in his hearing before the committee for 12 destroyers with their tenders, 2 transports, 1 ammunition ship, 5 submarines with their tender, 2 gunboats, and 1 supply vessel, in addition to the 3 battleships estimated for in the Book of Estimates, amounted for the next fiscal year to $168,946,179.

The committee after careful consideration made deductions to the amount of $22,327,814.47.

The appropriation for the maintenance of the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Naval Academy, exclusive of the increase of the Navy, this year amounts to $105,387,948.53, while the cost for the same items last year amounted to $102,655,634.28. These figures show an increase of $2,732,314.25 exclusive of any new construction heretofore or herein authorized. After a careful examination of all the estimates the committee is of the opinion that this increase can not be reduced and is to be accounted for by the following increases which must be provided for in the maintenance of the present Navy: Pay of the Navy is increased $1,983,690.75. Equipment of vessels is increased $756,700. Cost of target practice is increased $300,000. Experiments, ordnance, increased $100,000. Increased wage scale at Washington Navy Yard and proving ground $100,000. The bal

ance of $140,000 for pay mechanics is provided for in "Armor and armament, increase of the Navy.' the Navy." Coal increased $1,000,000. Bureau of Supplies and Accounts provisions, etc., $321,113.50. Pay of the Marine Corps increased $116,175. These increases are deemed to be absolutely necessary and total $4,677,679.25. The committee made reductions in the working appropriations of the Navy as follows: Bureau of Construction and Repair, $229,144; steam machinery, $250,000; clothing, Marine Corps, $66,000; outfits, first enlistment, $100,000; gunnery prizes, $67,000; public works, $189,355. This makes a total of $901,499, and there are many minor reductions in other appropriations throughout the bill.

Owing to the fact that the Navy bill did not become a law until August 22 last year, and preparation of design for new battleship being necessary, it was not necessary to appropriate a full year's appropriation for new construction for the first fiscal year, and the appropriation under "Increase of the Navy" in last year's bill was therefore reduced. In the present bill a great deal of the construction will be duplicated and a full year's appropriation will have to be made not only for construction heretofore authorized, but herein authorized as well. An appropriation of $22,284,091 is necessary to provide for the next fiscal year for work heretofore authorized. A building program of 2 battleships, 6 destroyers, 4 submarines, 1 transport, and 1 supply ship is recommended in this bill, which necessitates an appropriation of $18,946,325 for the next fiscal year. The total appropriation for new construction heretofore and herein authorized for the next fiscal year amounts to $41,230,416. The total cost of the building program recommended by the committee amounts to $41,710,611. The following table is a comparative statement of the appropriations for 1913, estimates for 1914, and the amount recommended in this bill:

The estimates in above table do not include supplemental estimates or estimates for 6 destroyers, 4 submarines, 1 transport, 1 supply ship, but does include estimates for 3 battleships instead of 2. If estimates for the auxiliary vessels recommended by the Secretary of the Navy were included, the total estimates would amount to $168,946,179.

The first paragraph of the bill relates to "Pay of the Navy."

The above table shows that there has been an increase in the appropriation "Pay of the Navy" over last year of $1,983,690.75. This appropriation pays the salaries of all the officers and men in the strictly military service, both on the active and retired lists. The increase is due to an increased number of officers which have been authorized by law and to the increased pay of officers and men for length of service. Another part of the increase is due to the fact that the pay for the full enlisted force is estimated for, as it is believed the Navy will be recruited to its full strength during the next fiscal year, while only part of the pay for the increase in the enlisted force was appropriated for last year, as it was not believed that the Navy would be recruited to its full strength during the present fiscal year. The appropriations "Pay, miscellaneous," "Contingent, Navy," "Care of lepers, etc., island of Guam," remain the same as last year.

The committee inserted a provision for a 50 per cent increase in the pay of officers of the Navy and Marine Corps who are hereafter detailed on aviation duty as actual flyers of heavier-than-air craft, limiting the number of officers to be so detailed to 30 and of rank not greater than a lieutenant commander in the Navy or a major in the Marine Corps. The total number of officers is not increased by this provision.

The committee also included a provision directing the accounting officer of the Treasury to allow in the accounts of the disbursing officers of the Navy heretofore made by them in accordance with the regulations of the Seretary of the Navy for commutation of subsistence to members of the Nurse Corps at the rate of 75 cents a day and providing for the same rate in the future.

The committee also inserted a provision requiring that the same construction shall be made of the law applying to leave of absence of all per diem employees of the classified service of the clerical, drafting, inspection, messenger, and watch force paid from appropriations made in the bill, and provided further that all employees while taking their leaves of absence shall not receive compensation for services rendered during the period of such leave of absence in addition to leave pay.