NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 156, 6 July 1903, Page 3

NAVAL ESTIMATES.

A COSTLY PROGRAMME, -I PXK PBESS ASSOCIATION. Received 5, 4.58 p.m. London, July 4. The resolution for forming bases and the Naval Works Bill for two yeais providing for 6f millions of expenditure on old it em s, and 1-j-million on new have been agreed to. Mr Pretymar, Civil Loid of the Admiralty, stated the Admiralty decided that itenn now included in this series of Bills were final, although the estimates, which altogether amounted to 31f millions, were not final, the 13| millions already voted making, with the present bill, 21 millions. Tbe cew items, he added, would include: -Electric light at all naval establishments in the Empire, a new gunnery fchool at Devonporfc, the transformation of SLeerness dockyard idto a depot for large repairs of all torpedo boat destroyers; increased dock accommodation at Chatham, and the initial expenditure on the naval station at St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney. This base is to be called " Rosyth " Mr Pretyman also said that supposing the total expenditure under the series cf bills be 40 millions, that sum wou'd'be spread over. 20 yearn, and would not exceed two millions annually, or,adding maintenance generally, three, millions. The statement was well restivel, (