Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-12-12

o
while they are improved by service. The expense OF
manning and sailing these SHIPS, oil course, greater
than when laid up. Bat We can have Competent anu
skul officers good and efficient ofs, only by long
course OF active ssa-:erv'ce hit Is ths s-hool y.
which they are laugh, AID in which they acquire
know ledge OF llir duties To build Navy without
the cxperence skill and force necessary u SAL and ei-
icien l. mango H. ~ the event oil var win me
RHINE rover would be cffrct hui aiding to the iurer
of the enemy nj the n.t cost and u Tie na"hti
disurace have, therefore, no hesitation IN recoh'-
mstinr The pioy nen Of sufficient number OF YES
sells require The services OF every oheer that can DC
SPAR from shore duty and capable OF ga service.
.aht increase OF Ulcers IN the Subordinate graoes
will br needed To keep this force anout. would re-
C lmmard, that the number Of m dshipmen be keP'
as high as il at the beginning OF TINS yeor ADou'
ten more pu:sers could he benecialy employed st
yera Of The sailing masters beng from age or Intrly
unfit for sea SERVICE small increase ct the number IS
de s!.ahie | would recommend that the pfoviso NIL
ing The number of officers OF the Navy, which was
passed the 4th OF August, lol2 be repealed 50 lar
as regards the warrant officers executing mics p
men, the present number being insufficient Tor lie
wants of the service.
The annroprat,on for increase repairs, DC for the
wear ls43-4 having been heavily drawn upon in pay
ment Of made, and in The execution OF plans
and the completion of works IN progress anterior 10 Inc
commencement Of the present fiscal year, was GEN.
cd necessary in October las, discharge large por
ton Of the persons employed under this head leaving,
ho viewer it is believed, enough funds nne1pended TO
meet most of the outstanding demands against the de-
psrment, chargeabe 10 this appropriation The act OF
Congress of lie 3lst August, ls42 which orbts The
transfer of from one TO another branch oil
expenditure in this he's operated injurious
w. Were these transfers permitted, II is believed,
that sufficient means might be found among The various
unexpended balances Of appropriations, to pay most II
not ALL dlu OUTLAWS in the fitting, completing, and
repairing of vessels and for payments on uncompeted
contracts and am fully persuaded, that the public
Interests would be promoted, were Congress TO author
ize these transfers early in the ensuing session.
| There were several contracts made, some oil them
years SINCE for the supply OF timber and various mae
ria Is for the Navy which lave expired without having
been completed Heretofore the Department has been
in the practice of extending the tune Tor completing
these contracts, where the interests OF the u States
have not suffered by such extension Inc law oil the
81 March, 1913, requiring all contracts 10 bs gwen by
advertisement to the loves, bidder, TO prohibit
their further extension. There are many contractors
who would have large sums due them on the compe-
ton Of their for previous deliveries, being
the ten per reserved on the amount OF those deli
veres; hut in consequence CT the non'exension and
non .fulf!ment of these contracts, these amounts re-
ma n unpaid AS the United States have suffered no
loss by these delays and these parties expected an
extension according 10 former usage 1t appears 10 be
proper for the nerpostlon OF Congress tor their
relief Congress provided for analogous cases by an
act dated February l0h, 1892 aud The passage oil ST.
m,lar act at this time would enable the Department TO
effect IN equitable set lemcnt of these cases.
1t is not proposed To make any contracts the ensuing
year for live oak for any other timber except abso-
lutey required Tor immediate nse, the Department IN
tending build only four small timber vessels during
that time, and the timber for which being mostly on
! hand.
! The docking of timber for long periods, large por-
ton of the time but partly covered with water, seems
Of very questionable utility, and there are some posi-.
tive injuries arising from the practice. The timber is
taken from the water, and before allowing it time to
dry is bewn and put up for the frame OF the ship
The planks sawed from II II cover the ifnme.-
The consequence IS great shrinking and Liability 10
WARP; requiring additional expense Tor cauking from
the shrnkage of the ranks, and greater liability TO
leakage 1t tends also to generate the dry rot which
disease, If may term it. appears to be fungus,
parositicsl plant Ike mould, terminating in the wood,
and destroying the tenac'y OF MS hsre, winch fungus
would be less liable 10 germnat. in dry than in moist
wood 1t is indeed doubted If II could geImnate at all
in perfectly dry wood.
A deficiency IS apprehended in the appropriation Tor
prov ions and clothing for the current year. The sum
granted by Congress for this purpose was less than
that asked for by the Department and NOT sufficient, to
provide for the persons actually IN service at the pas
sage Of the law. Efforts making u bring The ca
pendure within The proper limits; but owing 10 the
recent establishment Of The Bureau of Provisions and
Clothing and the state Of It's accounts with The shloN
on Instant stations The Department has not yet been
able to learn The precise cond Of lis expenditures
About 800 worth Of provisions, clothing and small
the wreck of the Grampus and the wreck of freight
vessel al Port Praya.
The estimate from the Bureau of Ordnance and lly
biography, five hundred and twenty Thousand
dollars than the sum asked for last year oil In
about one hundred and sixty thousand dollars arc to
pay for outstanding contracts made by The Board OF
| Navy Commissioners some years since, and yet un-
completed II includes also estimate for a sufficient
number of powder tanks for all the ships and brgs ot
the Navy, launched or launched, thai not nov
| d.d tri,L hem II kpu iSp ncludrs estimate
| for two hundred cannon "f a large SIZE.
In the Bureau Of Yards and Docks the estimate for
the improvement Of yards is about one hundred and
eighty Thousand dollars that OF last year. The
estimate for coal the supposton that each steam
er Will employ steam power fur months in the year
and the asked for very liberal allowance even
| for this length Of service.
In the plo, Of ground which the Navy Hospital
at Chelsea, VI issachnse;L1 stands, there many
acres more than of any for the purpose OF tina.
establishment and producing income If this were
sold, handsome sum might be added 10 the Hospital
fund, and income he received from l. therefore
spec fully recommend that Congress authorize the sale
OF much of this land wilt not be needed for the
Hospital purposes; ard would further suggest, that
the Navy Department be clothed with authority TO IN
vest the Naval flospltl fund, amounting t, over
two hundred thousand dollars, and yielding income
in safe and productive securities.
! resolve passed by The late Congress, apprc-
prat,ng four thousand dollars toward establishing
agency in the State of Kentucky and in the State
ol Missouri, for the purchase of American hemp for the
use of the Navy An agent appointed The Isl
Of July last for the Stale OF Kentucky and in obed
ence 10 drections he visited the U. Sites ropewak
1T the Cha;lestown Navy Yad for the purrosa of gain
ng information to the KIND and quality of watsr
rated hemp used in the Navy and the mode Of testing
s strength The appropriation for this branch Of the
Naval service Increase and Repair-h1ving been
mainly expanding on ether contracts, the Department
his recently directed the agent 10 make purchases
and in this stte Of the appropriation, i, has not been
thought expedient to appoint any agent for the Sat.
of Missouri.
Mr.. Won Schmidt an intelligent gentleman, wei
acquainted with The culture OF hemp Russia and in
this country, has heen employed by the direction of the
Department the Inst the culture and prepa
ration OF hemp IN this Vicn iy. flo 10 engaged
in constructing machine for breaking II and para
ting the 5res from the ST ks whou! rotng. Should
he succeed OF which there fair promise, great
vIng Of labor wl be made and the hemp thus PREPARED
will be much superior in quality ard strength 10 hemp
prepared by the old method oi ro,lIng NJ. Won
Schmdts report Is appended lie has also been en-
ployed 10 translate the pamphe, the culture and
preparation OF hemp, published al ODESSA in Russia
and to which the att ntlon of Congress invited by
n mi from his der date LEI n