People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1896 — MONEY FOR WARSHIPS. [ARTICLE]

MONEY FOR WARSHIPS.

Great Britain’* Nazal Program Involve* Large Expenditures. London, March 3. —Mr. Goschen, the first lord of the admiralty, presented the naval program in the house of commons Monday. In so doing he said that the estimates of the admiralty were not proposed with any feeling of alarm, although he hoped he might be relieved from the necessity of dwelling upon the critical nature of the times, Mr. Goschen said it was not necessary to look far ahead nowadays, as ships could be built as rapidly as guns, officers and men could be prepared to handle them. He then said that the ad-j miralty proposed to increase the navy by 4,900 seamen, etc., and by 500 extra marines. The total estimates for this year are £21,822,000, of which sum for new construction there was £7,385,000, as compared with £5,393,000. The present estimates and the cost of the naval defense act were £21,000,000, while the Spencer program was £29,000,000. Therefore from 1889 to 1899 the expenditures for new construction and armament totaled £55,000,000. The government proposed that the estimates this year should amount to £22,000,000. Object* to Pay for the Prayer*. Des Moines, lowa, March 3.—The Ministerial association of Des Moines on Monday discussed the propriety of ministers accepting pay for the prayer* with which the daily sessions of the bouses of the general assembly are tpened. The assembly fixed the price to be paid ministers for the opening prayer at $5. The Rev. Alexander Irvine, pastor of Calvary mission and recently from Omaha, was the first lo refuse to accept the money, and he brought the matter before the Ministerial association. An acrimonious discussion followed, but no action was taken. The house passed a law fixing the age of consent at 16 years, without conditions, raising it from 13 years. No debate was permitted on the bill and It was passed by a vote of 72 to 9. Nineteen members absent or-not voting.