The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-05-09
LETTER


ton OF the House of Representative of March
9th, directing the Secretary of tha NAVY to report
what provisions OF law are necessary To effect
the retrenchment recommended in his annual re
port, and without which his estimate for the nav
Oh Inc Navy may prove deficient; and also, what
provisions OF law are requisite to insure tho more
exact accountability of disbursing officers in that
branch OF the public service''
As the cost Of the United States N,vv 10 Al.
Proportionale 20 lis effective force reform in its
management is the most appropriate method of
providing for lis increase and is required in anv
contingency.
The acts OF Congress relating so the NAVY dis
close the intentions that have guided legisla tion
on that subject The evils that have fastened
themselves on the system were not originally
sanctioned by statutes; and though theylhave been
silently, or, IN some cases, explicitly recognised,
'hey may nave been rather tolerated than APP
proved.
1t is assumed that Congress is deliberately of
opinion that the Naval force to be kept in commits
sion In time OF peace is such as would employ
about seven thousand five hundred seamen. rather
less than more, and about thousand marines.
The expenses of such an establishment have
hitherto been estimated at more than six millions
OF dollars. series of reforms has been begun.
which, If vigorously maintained by necessary acts
OIL 'egs'a'ion VIII have affected saving of nearly
DER OF officers, or of men, of ships or of guns
employed at sea.
10 elect this, unity of purposes must per-
wade The entire administration of The Navy De-
partment. The service must he relieved from
the burden or supernumerary officers; appoint
ments and promotions must be made of none but
officers capable of fully doing the duties of their
s'atInns; the pay must be graduated according TO
iength OF service; the number of shore stations.
"a lod ~ r.
the complement and allowances of sbips a, sea
must be regulsted by the severest ECONOMY con-
slstent with efficiency; the number of the pavy-
yarus must be no further increased the employ-
ment OF labor at The aavy-yards must be directed
oy harmonious system, SO that preparations NAV
not be made for doing at each of our eight navy
yards what can be done only at one or two the
pressure for places to be filled by persons who
walt for work. instead of employing workmen
"hen Work is to be dune, must be resisted the
contingent expenses, especially those of travel
and incidental labor. must be reduced !. and tho
number and force of the squadrons to be main
tained must never exceed the limits reouired nv
the public exigencies.
Inc chiefs of the bureaus have powers of di.
reciion. Their act is esteemed as the act of The
Secretary. They have power to originate. au.
thoriZe, and sanction expenditures On their ar
tlvity, vigilance, scrupulous supervision of expen.
"t'iSo' anu hedity corporation, success in ad-
mlnlsterIDg the department must depend. If the
business of the department is to be conducted on
a system, the number of the bureaus should be as
small as possible
Inc purchase and inspection of medical and
hospital stores Tor the squadrons ara so fully Do
Vided tor by the act Of May "a, 1928, and the
provisions OF that act may so easily be extended
to the surgeons at hospitals and single ships. and
the surgeon or surgeons stationed at Washington
are so easily accessible to the head of the depart
ment Tor purposes OF consultation, tina, The Bureau
OF Medicine may be dispensed with. Its dis
bursements are about forty thousand dollars. and
should be less. Its estimates for it's OWN YEARLY
support are at least seven thousand four hundred
and seventy dollars.
But leaving aside the question of the reduction
of bureaus, experience teaches that their prssent
number need not be increased The Increase
would occasion expenses for bureau officers. clerks
and messengers Besides, new bureau, with
not sufficient occupation, would seek to enlarge
lis jurisdiction and find new objects for expense.
Each bureau, not absolutely necessary, makes
the whole system more complicated ard renSe,s
extrayagaDce in the remote parts of the service
less easy OF prompt detection and of remedy
III change IN the distribution of duties is
needed, photography might 90 to the Bureau of
Docks and Yards, so that all shore stations NAV
be under one head and Equipment to Tho Bureau
OF Ordnance, which forms indeed bu, branch Of
equipment.
There but two distinct modes of redue;no the
annual expenses for pay in the navy service of
the United States; the ono by diminishing the
compensation Of officers where i, is dispropoI,ion
ed to the service rendered the other by dimin-
ishing the number Of officers, or least Of officers
liable to active service.
1t is to the second of these modes that reference
was had in the annual report of this department :;
and, combining myself at this time TO this one
branch Of the subject, shall proceed to point out
some measures of Tetrenchment that NAV be ac-
complished without diminishing the emoIuments
Of one officer actively employed.
dispropoTtion exists between the number Of
officers Of the higher grades and the number of
seamen. AT the opening Of the present session Of
Congress there were sixty eight captains, ninety
seven commanders, and three hundred and TWEEN.
ty-six or three hundred and iwenty-seven lien
tenants. Of the captains but fourteen were at
sea; of the commanders but twenty-five; of the
lleutenants hut one hundred and twenty-six. OF
the captains sixteen had not been at sea since
their promotion of the commanders thirty eight
were in the same condition and in each of the
two highest grades the number is still larger Of
those who within that time have made NO foil
cruise.
The navv lapouisboe cxo,o a.