CONGRESS

FORTIFICATIONS APPROPRIATION BILL.

JANUARY 25, 1909.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. SMITH, of Iowa, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 27054.]

The Committee on Appropriations, in presenting the accompanying bill making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defense, and for the armament thereof, for the procurement of heavy ordnance for trial and service, and for other purposes, submit the following in explanation thereof:

The estimates on which the bill is based will be found in the Book of Estimates for the fiscal year 1910, pages 328-334, inclusive, and aggregate $17,263,251, of which sum there is recommended in the accompanying bill appropriations amounting to $7,920,111, which sum is $1,396,634 less than was appropriated for the same purposes at the last session of Congress, and $9,343,140 less than the estimates submitted.

During the Forty-ninth Congress (fiscal years 1887 and 1888) no appropriations were made on account of fortifications, their maintenance and armament, and for the twelve fiscal years 1875 to 1886, inclusive, the appropriation by Congress on this account averaged only $540,750 per annum, and only $463,500 per annum for the fourteen years, including 1887 and 1888, for which latter two fiscal years no specific appropriations were made, as stated.

The bill reported herewith contains appropriations in continuance of the policy adopted by the Fiftieth Congress in the passage of the acts approved September 22, 1888, and March 2, 1889, and by the Fiftyfirst, Fifty-second, Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, and Sixtieth Congresses, in acts approved August 18, 1890, February 24, 1891, July 23, 1892, February 18, 1893, August 1, 1894, March 2, 1895, June 6, 1896, March 3, 1897, May 7, 1898, March 3, 1899, May 25, 1900, March 1, 1901, June 6, 1902, March 3, 1903, April 21, 1904, March 3, 1905, June 25, 1906, March 2, 1907, and May 27, 1908.

The appropriations by said acts for the twenty-one fiscal years 18891909 aggregate $118,441,493.72, of which sum $109,753,513.72 was appropriated for the United States and $8,687,980 for the insular possessions, an average of $5,640,071.13 per annum.

Of the whole sum, $118,441,493.72, appropriated by the fortification acts covering the twenty-one fiscal years 1889-1909, the sum of $95,952,269.72 was appropriated in the thirteen fortification acts enacted by this and the last six Congresses, of which sum $87,264,289.72 was appropriated for the United States and $8,687,980 for the insular possessions, an average of $7,380,943.82 per annum.

The fortification appropriation acts enacted during the Fifty-fifth Congress appropriated $14,287,396, in addition to which amount sums aggregating $8,674,898 were provided in deficiency appropriation acts for fortifications and the armament thereof, and the further sum of $12,865,840.60 was allotted for the same objects from the general appropriation of $50,000,000 made for the national defense in the act of March 9, 1898, making in all $35,828,134.60 available for fortifications and the armament thereof under appropriations made during the Fifty-fifth Congress. In addition to the above, the sum of $389,000 was appropriated for fortifications in the United States by the act making appropriations for the support of the army, dated March 2,

1903.

The total appropriations made for fortifications and other works of defense since 1888, and since the recommendations of the Endicott Board of 1885, including the appropriations made in deficiency acts, the army bill dated March 2, 1903, and allotments made from the national defense fund, amount to $140,371,232.32, of which sum $131,683,252.32 was for the United States and $8,687,980 for the insular possessions.

The scheme of seacoast fortifications for the United States, contemplated by the Endicott Board, will, as modified by the National Coast Defense Board (see S. Doc. No. 248, 59th Cong., 1st sess., for report), cost in the aggregate $123,629,922.98, of which sum $81,793,942.24 is for the purchase of seacoast guns and mortars with their carriages, and the erection of gun and mortar batteries.

Of the $81,793,942.24 referred to above, the sum of $64,973,042.24 has already been provided, the Engineer Department having received $28,993,434.02 for the construction of gun and mortar batteries, and the Ordnance Department $35,979,608.22 for guns and mortars, with their carriages.

The scheme of fortifications for the insular possessions contemplated by the National Coast Defense Board, it is estimated will cost in the aggregate $22,716,360, of which sum $13,991,905 is for the construction of gun and mortar batteries and the procurement of the armament therefor.

Of the $13,991,905 referred to above, the sum of $5,876,920 has already been provided, the Engineer Department having received $3,714,000 for the construction of gun and mortar batteries, and the Ordnance Department $2,162,920 for guns and mortars with their carriages.

The difference between the $70,849,962.24 ($64,973,042.24 for the United States and $5,876,920 for the insular possessions) already provided toward the scheme of the Endicott Board, modified by the National Coast Defense Board, and the sum total of appropriations

$140,371,232.32 ($131,683,252.32 for the United States and $8,687,980 for the insular possessions) for fortifications since 1888, is represented in expenditures for erecting and equipping the gun factory at Watervliet, the gun-carriage factory at Watertown, the Ordnance and Fortification Board, purchase of land for fortification sites, torpedoes for harbor defense, providing ammunition for service and for tests, manufacture of mountain, field, and siege guns, fire-control installation, maintenance of armament, modernizing guns and mortars with their carriages, and modernizing the older gun and mortar emplacements, and for sundry other objects incident to providing and maintaining a system of seacoast defenses.

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT.

The following shows, by items, the appropriations made in the last fortification act, the amounts submitted at this session in the annual estimates, and the amounts recommended in the accompanying bill.

H R-60-2-Vol 1-21

Armament of fortifications:

Machine and automatic guns and equipment..
Mountain, field, and siege cannon, equipment, etc..

Ammunition for mountain, field, and siege cannon.

160, 000. 00

300,000.00

160,000.00

Ammunition, subcaliber guns, etc., for mountain, field, and siege artillery practice..........

90,000.00

120,000.00

120,000. 00

Alteration and maintenance of seacoast artillery

475,000.00

800,000.00

475,000.00

Alteration of three and two-tenths inch batteries, including sights, etc.

60,000.00

200,000.00

200,000.00

Total armament and fortifications..

2,223,000.00

4,450,000.00

2,390,000.00