NAVAL ECONOMIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16488, 2 March 1914, Page 6

NAVAL ECONOMIES.

When Mr Lloyd George was lamenting the growth of the naval estimates a month or two ago he hinted that it might be possible to reduce the expenditure on the construction and maintenance of warships without decreasing the fighting power of the fleet. He was touching a delicate subject in suggesting economy to a brother Minister and naturally he did not pursue the topic. Possibly he had no dearidea of how savings could he effected. But since then some startling facts have been mentioned by the London newspapers in connection with naval expenditure. The battle-cruiser Invincible, completed in 1908 at a total cost of £1,769,000, was fitted with electric gear in all tho gun turrets, although similar appliances had not been tested in any smaller and less costly ship. The experiment was not a success, and after making many costly changes in the hope of getting the electrical gear to work, the Admiralty has decided now to have hydraulic machinery of the usual type installed in the Invincible. The cost of the alterations is expected to exceed £200,000, and yet a naval writer in tho London “ Times ” calls tho whole affair “ a minor incident, indicating either that one department of the Admiralty has temporarily gained its will over another, or that the machines installed in this case were not the best; that could be designed.” Then the last report of the Comptroller of the Navy says that a year or two ago the Admiralty “ gave orders for the manufacture by the ordnance factories of 1411 temperature and air density correctors for the sights of certain 6-inch gun mountings without waiting for a trial 6et.” Whon eight of the instruments had been delivered they were found to be useless and work on the others was stopped, expenditure to tho amount of £18,696 being rendered useless. Lord Charles Beresford has drawn attention lately to the high cost of building and maintaining H.M.S. Enchantress, a luxuriously equipped vessel of some 3470 tons used as a yacht by the members of the Board of Admiralty when they are making their official inspections. There is an appearance of reason about his suggestion that these important persons could travel in an ordinary cruiser without any loss of dignity. The British taxpayer may be getting good value for the greater part of the money he spends upon the fleet, but the illustrations we have quoted suggest that he has a right to study the Admiralty’s “little bills,” with some special care.