The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-29 00:00:00

NO. RV.-MODE OF PAYMENT.

My Lords lire pleased to direct that the. mode of pay-
ment in all the dockyards shall be assimilated, the pay-
went by distribators being discontinued, and the factory
system of individual payments adopted.
H. G. WARD.
NO. XVI. —MAN UFACT [MING . ESTABLISHMENTS —FACTO-

RIES, METAL MILLS, ROPERIES, &C

My Lords have alrea, ly sanctioned and circulated in-
structions for the factories at Woolwich and Portsmouth,
which will place them, in all essential particulars, as re•
girds book keeping, accounts, and the periodical taking
of stock, upon the same footing as the best conducted
private establishments.
The same principles were also applied by their Lord-
ships' minute of the 20th of October last, to the metal
mill at Chatham, where the whole of the copper used in
her Majesty's navy is now " received," refined,and rolled
into sheets; and were ordered to be extended, on the Ist
of January, 1849, to the other manufacturing establish-
ments in that yard, which comprise a ropery, a lead mill,
a pa:tit mill, a metal and iron foundry, and a sheathing-
nail shop. At Deptford Victualling-yard, where raw
materials to the amount of 87,000/. a year aro worked
up, the accounts are kept with en aecuraey that admits of
no improvement, with the single exception of the
cooperage, which is now to be brought under the same
system; and my Lords are pleased to direct that the
books and forms used at Chatham and Dlot,ord be
adopted, on the lit of April next, in all the other dock-
yards and victualling yards where any mauulaiitures are
carried on, stock being taken, and bioks kept, after Vie
custom of private establishments, so as to show a per •
feet debtor and creditor account at the close of the finan-
cial year.
With this view, all raw materials issued by the store-
keeper are to be charged by him at the contract price,
which is to be stated in writing, to the establishments to
which they are supplied, and the heads of those esta-
bliihments are to debit themselves with hat amount, and
to add to it the whole cost of manufacture, with ten per
cent. for the wear and tear of machinery, and with in-
terest upon the plant and buildings, when these have been
constructed within the last ten years.
The manufactured articles are to he received back by
the store.keeper at the increased value, and so charged
by him when re-issued for use.
My Lords desire to impri ss upon the minds of all
connected with these great national establishments the
necessity of the most scrupulous economy in their ma-
nagement. Public attention has b3en fixed upon 'hem
by the inquiries of last year, and the counnry is keenly
alive to the disadvantages under which all manufacturing
establishments must labour which are not c••ndocte4
under the eye of a master, and cnecked in their expendi-
ture by the necessity of thawing upon funds at his sole
disposal.
My Lords are aware that it is difficult to combine a
rigid economy with that unlimited command of capital
which Government establishments are supposed to pos-
sess, or to impress those who administer them, by any
written rules, with the same frugal ideas which teelings
of self-interest naturally and necessarily inculcate. But
they have selected as the chief engineers of the three
principal dockyards men favourably distinguished in
private trade; and, having placed at their disposal the
means of commanding success, and secured to the
couetry, by the publicity of their annual accounts, the
fullest knowledge of the issue, my Lords mils', leave it
to time and their exertions to show that an adequate re-
turn is made in new work and repairs, for th,: vast
outlay which Parliament has already sianetbinea in
connexion with the steam navy. IL G. WARD.