Why navies kept buying slow battleships

Why did navies continue building slow battleships after fast capital ships proved useful?

Because speed was extremely expensive, and treasuries often prioritized the immediate construction bill over long-term operational flexibility.

After Hood and the first carriers, slow battleships could appear operationally shortsighted. Higher speed nevertheless required more machinery power, larger engineering spaces, and greater expense. A treasury making a present-year decision might prefer the cheaper ship even when naval planners saw the long-term limitation. Lifecycle military value and immediate procurement cost could point toward different choices.