NAVAL BUDGET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 155, 4 July 1903, Page 3

NAVAL BUDGET.

PEE press association. Receive l 4,0.1 a.m. London, July 3. In ComtLi'tee of Supply on the vote for .£9,571,500, contract work, Mr Arnold Forster surprised and delighted his critics by anncuccing the Admiralty would not renew subsidies to merchant cruisers. He gives, on April Ist, a year's notice of termination of the ar jrang-ment. He siid that th re | were ohr pup ses which migb' bo servedjby subsiiies wh:-re something ' was obtained which it was impossib'e |to ob'ain o horwise, but any subsidies | voted by Parliament to be administered by a me central auth ri'y. It might be expeiient to piy a subsidy for very high speed aLd other qualifi- , cations. | Mr Robertson emphasiz d the fact : thai the naval budget totalled 39| j mil-ions, including four millions for naval works. The bill for new c.n etruction tho wed a million increase. Mr Forster, replying to general criticisms, jus'ified the mention in the ' estimates of the Colonial contributions 'promised. It would be d'scourteous not to mention them, but confirmation of the Colonial Premiers promises was , required before the contribunions were paid. He added that the Admiral y was fcliminatirg from the iist mm) dtfectve thips, snl vas pskirg tht> every ship re dined should be effective for war. At ths end of 1903 they would have a larger cumber of effective vesst Is than ever b f jre. Received 4, 1 3 a.m. London, July 3. The Admiralty's sup|.res->icn of the 1 ing fee to mercantilM vessels saves £77,813 per annum iu 1905. ■ Mr Arnold Foret r declined to explain how far the Cuna>d Company is aff cted, but it is unde; stood tha*. anj subsidy in future will be exclusively to the fss'eet thips, which, otherwise, would not be bu 1