NAVY ESTIMATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 219, 14 March 1912, Page 5

NAVY ESTIMATES.

REDUCTIONS NOT POSSIBLE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, March 12. _ The Times says it is understood that m the final settlement of the Navy Estimates it was found impossible to make the reductions which Ministerialists desired, owiDg to delays in shipbuilding unduly increasing the ensuing year's expenditure. THE NEW PROGRAMME. Received 13, 11.50 p.m. London, March 13. The naval estimates are £44,085,400, a decrease of £307,100., The ship-building vote has decreased £1,236,000, but the other votes have increased £928,900, owing to the growing cost, the number of the personnel, the rise in prices, and the greater quantities of fuel due to the increasing horse-power. New construction will cost £13,971,527, of which the ships in the old programme will cost £12,067,727., For commencing ships on the new programme £1,938,000 is set down. This includes four large armored cruisers, and 20 destroyers, together with a number of submarines. The personnel is increased by 2000. The total cost of the new programme is £12,474,400, compared with £13,200000 in 1911. The proportion of the new programme for the coming year is larger than usual, enabling the whole of the torpedo destroyers to be begun immediately. Mr. Winston Churchill states that the estimates have been framed on the assumption that the existing programmes of the Powers will not be increased; otherwise it may be necessary to present supplementary estimates.