Show DAILY Y HASKIN LETTER SPENDING UNCLE SAMS SAM'S MONEY VIII Buying Buying Big Things By FREDERIC FREDERIO J. J HASKIN The government is Ia more mora given giron von to buildIng building building build build- ing big thing than to buying them fo forthe for tor the acquisition of battleships hips Is 15 not pos pos- elbl through a single Bingle contract nor can cana a a. great building necessary for tho housIng housing hous- hous ing ins of an important branch of ot the pub cub He lie bu business bulnes be obtained by simple pur pur- chase chao The greatest government work fork yet d un un- un- un the Panama canal is under the charge o of or the engineer corps COtTIS of ot th the army and the tho largest Individual purchases made madl madlIn in connection therewith have tave ave been steamships steamships steam steam- ships co costing coMing in tho the n nEighborhood 1 of a million dollars When Uncle Sam Sara wants a a. battleship he buys bus it from many different nt p persons First of oC all tho the g general hoard board of oC the nav navy which la Is char charged ed with o outlining plans for tor the national defense deliberate upon tha the necessities J for tor Increase of ot the fleet With VIlh tho the marvelous marvelous' jd advances in ordnance armor and propulsive machinery machin j ery cry battle battleships hl become obsolete or obsolescent Certain v vessels therefore thore there fore toro are arc theoretically struck from the list of or efficient fighting craft even thou though h they thy may bo be still un retained in com corn ml mission slon The Tho general board d decides Idel what wha new flow construction is necessary to take up the waste and maintain the tho navys navy's strength unimpaired Then It surveys thi the tho foreign field to discover what in increases In j creases of ot naval armor other nations ha have hare 0 made or are contemplating I Authorize But One Battleship Admiral who preside over these meetings 8 of ot the board keeps one ono eye cye on the diplomatic diploma tic horizon and the tho boards board's recommendation Is bas based baaed d upon t a condensation of It all visible military and diplomatic considerations For sovera years tho the board ha hM has held th th opinion that thai the adequate defense of or th the tho coast an and commerce of tho the United States required b by 1920 the establishment of ot an efficient fleet not less than lorty-cl lorty forty eight hl battleships with cruisers torpedo destroyers le lesser fighting lighting craft and auxiliaries in duo pro pro- portion To Attain this tho the hoard board x ard usually recommends the authorization tion of four tout battleships a year lar but congress con con- gress grees has been unwilling to go JO o so 60 fast last and for tor the tho last Jast two years cars only one has been annually authorized After Arter the tho necessary legislation lation for the construction of ot a a. now battleship has beer been enacted tho the bureau of construction nn Or and repair repair prepares prepares designs for tor the hull after consultation between the officers of or the bureau of ot construction and repair steam engineering and ordnance as well as members of the general Jeneral board and the secretary's aids for material personnel operations and Inspections Tho chief clet characteristics of the ship shin j are jre re finally determined d upon and prepared for the contract To the thc great ship building companies companes the department depart depart- ment merit sends end an invitation for bids upon the construction of tho the hull and machin cry ery Q Three steel companies which main tam am armor plan plants are asked to submit Ids for lor the armor and tile the building of most of ot the tho guns Juns Is left to the government government govern govern- ment naval na gun Jull factory at the thA Washing Washing- ton on navy nay yard ard tho the gun pun forging being obtained by contract with the tho great steel companies A A. time limit Is sot set In all these he e contracts contract and ancl payment made pen peri as an certain stages of or tn worK orK are completed under the supervision of naval officers For several years the tho bids on armor have bocu eu identical which caused he the present secretary of th the tho na navy Josephus Jo- Jo sephus Daniels to n propose II l U. establishment establish establish- m ment nt of ot a t government o arno lant i-lant- lant Separate Contracts Aro Are Made Sometimes the government decides to build a battleship Itself Itself- The old Texas Wa was vas constructed at the tho Norfolk navy y Iud rard ard tho Connecticut of the tho I bai battleship fleet Hi Its crul i ar around und the I world orl wa wu built at the Brooklyn n navy yard vard as all was wu aJ aJ also o tho the new naW battleship New few York When this system Is 18 resorted I to o the government o emmen makes separate contracts con con- tracts for tho the structural material for the hull for machinery and equipment nt con I as aswell well veil as for armor and of cou course the guns uns come from tho J government nt gun factory unless It Is so JO crowded that the smaller call calibers must necessarily l be bo purchased I front rom private ato arms factories Tho The item of pa pay for fol tho the navy nary Is one lne of the largest expenditures In tho the government gov gov- o for tho the American fighting man mana a afloat oat is la the b best t f paid sailor fallor in ht th the tho world orld Tho The personnel active c and ro- ro tired ired tired draws about 00 a year for tor forts It its ts services About Is being pent sTent this year for tor ordnance anI and anil 1 ordnance ord ord- nanc nance stores including tho manufacture and purchase of smokeless powder while ho tho bill for Increase of the nav navy will come como to to Tho expenses of oft t ho the o United States marinA marine corps corp as aggregate aggregate regato re- re gate gato about covering Its ItIS ac ac- U Jn in all parts of or the tho world orld The provision pro lon bill for tor the thc navy na nathis this year ea r is Contracts for fuel include not only the thc supply of ot tho the thos s vessels els of ot the navy lavy but coal cod dealers all over o the tho world are a risked asked to give he the figures a at t which any am time during the ensuing year ear year they ther will supply coal to tho the vessels of the Unit United d States navy nl In three seventy different dif dlf- ferent ports as widely separated as Wel Wel- Ington lington Zanzibar Hong and Lota On a II smaller scale tho the revenue re cutter service is making similar purchases In iti its protection of oC tho the customs revenue rC I Since the republic of Panama tc and entered Into the treaty treat with th the United States which permitted a be beginning beginning be- be ginning of ot canal construction in 1901 congress congre s has baa appropriated for tho the period pe pe- pe- pe nod up to Juno 20 0 io 1914 a little more than han chargeable against the totEd total authorized Panama canal bond Issue of ot Ditch Equipment Costly The purchase of equipment for the gr great at task of cutting a ditch across tho the isthmus has taken a lar large e part of this urn sum So closely h has s the steam shovel sho been con identified with t the tho o herculean labor that hat most Amerl Americans ans will be surprised to o learn that only American steam shovels shovel have been heEn used In tho tIm work ork On One of or tho peculiarities of ot the pr hiem was that In the tho Culebra cut only u. u comparatively com corn ly limited number of these al almost almost almost al- al most human machines could be u used ed at atone atone atone one time A part of 01 the excavating and construction equipment brought to Panama Panama Panama Pan Pan- ama b bv by the French was utilize utilized but most mot of ot the Frond locomotives es and ex excavators cx- cx a cavatora aa a torR remained untouched In t the 1 Jungle where the they wore ere deposited after arrival al from tram Europe Europa The other equip equip- ment mont purchased Included sixty one cranes seventeen pile drivers an arid and ten track addition to drills Innumerable in In- In numerable and all 1 th the le lewder er equipment as lR well as all a large number g of dredges utilized zoo at the entrances of or the thc canal and since Ince the water has been heen turned turne-d In in tho the Culebra cut In clearing H way away tho the earth depo deposited ltd In the b by the troublesome troubles As A. ih the work of lock construction Will was In 1909 one contrAct contract con con- tract for tor barrels harrell of Portland cement was WAft let to a single firm Since Americans Amer talk blk more a about out the th wr weather ther t than an an any one other oilier subject ct It Is Interesting to tn kno know that the th weather weather- bureau III ill cost cot this year O. O The Inspection ot of meat including the work for lor th the eradication of ot diseases es of m meat t animals is costing and tho the protection pro pro- lo of or our food from adulteration costs to which should be added enough more moore of salaries In Jn the tho bureau of chemistry to approach the million f mark r For the the- single Item of Preventing preventIng Prevent Prevent- ing Ins the spread of moths was va-s ap ape ap- ap The Te activities of tho the department o or of agriculture are held b by its officials to come l. cm Peculiarly close cloe to the interests of or orall all tho the people It has Increased e In size sizo mor more rapidly than an any other department or ot tho the government go and the tIre appropriations ha e have grown from in 1900 to for tor 1914 Retired officers of tho ho arm army receive and re retired re- re tired men The federal government gov gov- ov- ov pays pays' half of the expenses of the tho District of or Columbia amounting to ap ap- proximately tel a year car The gov gov- s six ninety senators draw S OOOO a year and ancl tho the members of or the house of representatives in addition ad ad- ad to mileage for tires tives and S for senators The Tho police po po- lice of ot the capitol cost while hilA the stationer stationery bill for tor the house and senate I is n nearly arly Salaries and aid Expenses Small The Thc library of ot con congress rc will cost this year ar of which only Is IR available a for tho purchase e of ot books The Thc salary alary and official expenses eA of or the president pres pres- ident lent and vice Ice pre president of th the United States find and their employees Is only The he rivers and harbors act ad for the current fiscal year ear authorizes s projects ann and work ork to tho the extent of but hut of this will not riot be he expended until years year to come For education in Alaska ka Is expended and tho the government govern govern- ment nent hospital for tho the Insane costs Tho The maintenance of United States courts comes to 16 To keep tho the beacons burping burning brightly for the benefit of ot mariners the cost of th the lI lighthouse service Is more moro than five fl million dollars while the protection and propagation a of oC fisheries co costs more moro than thana a million The Tho Immigration service will re require 2 and tie the preservation of ot good re relations with Canada through the in instrumentality In- In of the international Joint commission Thc The government go printing office expends expend nearly In printing and binding tho the proceedings and debates debate of or congress and doing the printing of the various departments Tho fh largest appropriation bill with the exception exception ex ex- of ot that for tho thc postal service Ice Is 19 tho the shortest In twenty five lines the pen pension lon appropriation act votes out of th treasury To the special delivery letter carriers tho the government makes a c carfare and bi bicycle bicycle bicycle bi- bi cycle allowance of oC a year ear For suggestions which will improve c the postal service the postmaster general is au authorised au- au to pa pay rewards not exceeding 1000 In an any single Instance or ten in I number Letter carriers receive nearly forty million dollars dollar exclusive o of the tho rural ruml fr free e delivery er service ser which costs Railroads are p paid ld OW for carrying the mall and ami the government gov JOV- spends 2301 mol mor-e for lor the thc force that handles handie 1 th th mall mail II In transit transit- The transportation of foreign n malls mal co costs coats ts a cIr yer In Inspectors pc torf ar are ara employed l In considerable numbers t to detect crimes o against the service nd the cost of this thia protection exceeds a million dollars a year Tomorrow SPENDING UNCLE SAMS SAM'S MONEY DL Buying IX-Buying Buying Little Things |