HEARING BEFORE SUBCOMMITTEE OF HOUSE COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF MESSRS. BURTON L. FRENCH (CHAIRMAN), 561 697 NAVY DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL, 1927 HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. BURTON L. FRENCH (CHAIRMAN), GUY U. HARDY, JOHN TABER, WILLIAM A. AYRÈS, AND WILLIAM B. OLIVER, ́ OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1927, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1925. STATEMENTS OF HON. CURTIS D. WILBUR, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY; HON. THEODORE D. ROBINSON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY; ADMIRAL E. W. EBERLE, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; CAPT. W. R. GHERARDI, AID TO THE SECRETARY; LIEUT. COMMANDER CHARLES A. POWNALL, AID TO THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY; COMMANDER G. C. PEGRAM, AID TO THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; REAR ADMIRAL CHARLES B. M'VAY, JR., BUDGET OFFICER; CAPT. W. T. CLUVERIUS, ASSISTANT FOR MATERIAL, OPERATIONS Mr. FRENCH. We have assembled this morning to begin the hearings on the naval appropriation bill for 1927. One of the statements of the President in his message of yesterday could be taken as a sort of text, it seems, by every appropriating committee and it is this: Economy is the method by which we prepare to-day to afford the improvements to-morrow. The President in his message called attention to the expenditures of the Government and pointed out that for the present fiscal year the expenditures, exclusive of the Postal Service, will run at approximately $3,100,000,000, of which amount approximately $1,920,000,000 may be regarded as representing disbursements on account of past wars, including, of course, pensions, compensations, interest, and such items as that, leaving a balance of approximately $1,180,000,000 as the cost of the Government for ordinary purposes. The President then pointed out that the War and the Navy Departments call for $642,000,000 for the current fiscal year, of which the Navy's share is $303,000,000. The Budget we have before us proposes an outlay on account of the Navy for 1927 of $322,869,430. The current year Navy figure that I have given, of course, represents only cash or money appropriations, and excludes the money value of supplies that are being used that are on hand as a result of purchases during the World War. Mr. OLIVER. In view of the general statement just made by Mr. French, I would like for you to insert the amounts not included in the estimate submitted by the Budget, if there be any, or the reductions that the Budget Bureau recommends in appropriations made for 1926, and also let it appear what amounts have been used by the Navy which were not directly appropriated by Congress in money. M533117 1 |