The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-08-02


OF the bureau of construction and repair:
[Private.]
Boston, MASS, Oct. %, 1S74.-My Dear
Commodore:-I wish you would approve
the acquisitions for men to be employed
as they may be needed until the 1st Of
November, Some fifty additional men
have been allowed for the Chelsea district
and l suppose more will be required from
| Gooch's district. The administration de-
sire the success OF Gooch and Frost. Yours
respectfully, l. HANsCoM.
Com. E. T. Nichols, U. s. N, Com.
And here is telegrsm from the same
officers:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 81, 1s73.-To
Commodore J. G. Howell, Commandment
Navy the Monongahela Is
wsnIed, you may employ forty men on
her 10 addition to the present force. Give
II. II q large share. /. HANsCoM.
Chief of Bureau OF Constr'tion and Repairs.
Evidence OF this class is very vnIum.-
| nous and fully maintains all that the
COMMITTEES claims in the above summary.
Net many persons are acquainted with
what are supposed to be the peculiar
wants of the navy. 1t has apparently
been managed
AS CLOSE CORPORATION,
and while IL has had large sums of money
to disburse but few persons seem to have
been recipients of its favor. For years
past il has been somewhat notorious that
contractors have corruptly fattened upon
these fsvors. During the recent war Con-
gress found il necessary to make its coz
tractors tor their frauds subject 10 trial by
court martial, yet even go rigorous law
seemed 10 have been without effect. Upon
page 81 the committee summaries the
following items of fraud and abuse in the
administration Of the navy department.:
a disregard of the law in failing to sdver-
tise for supplies, materials, etc., required
by the department.; in the failure
TO require proper bonds and
sureties from those who make contracts
and agreements with the department,
none being required in msjOriiy of cases,
agreements TO deliver materials, supplies,
ETC., undef what are known as bureau
orders; In the failure to prose cute and en-
force the law against defaulting contrsc-
tors, no such instance being known; in
making payments in advance of work and
complete delivery, bare-taced instance OF
which exists in the case of the contractor
for the Hero and PisiOtoque at Washing
ton navy yard, toe contractor in this case
dropping the Do when il ceased to be
profitable 10 bin, leaving the government
without any adequate protection against
his default save pretended reservation
which will not paw for the work remaining
to be done; in permitting contractors To
be relieved from the fulnllment OF their
contract when IL is apparent that their TAIL
ure to do so originates from fraudulent
purpose.
VERY GREAT ABUSE,
almost, if not altogether, criminal in its
character, exists in the fact that contract
ors rule and govern to a very large extent
the assignment of officers to different posts
of duty, and the appointment of clerks and
employees to places where they may be USE
ful to them. This is evident from the fact
that the Csttells are found recommending
Bradford, and that Csttell recommended
the appointment of Hall, principal clerk to
the paymsster at Philadelphia. Mathews
recommends Cutter for psymas.er at New
York, and also upon his (MathewsD re-
| common alton. Biooj, one of the princi-
pal clerks TO that officer is Endorsed Dy the
secretary of the navy Again the designation
/ of Boa swain Briscoe Tor duty under the
contractor st Philadelphia is TO be noted
10 connection with the tact that he is very
kindly treated to presents of liquor by
| Contractor Nat MCKAY. On using govern
ment material for private Turp OseS, the re-
port says; The chief offender In this regard
Is the secretary OF the navy, who procur ed
| 3 subordinate employs at the Washington
navy yard to make certain household fur
niture. consisting of a sideboard, dining
room table, DedsCesd, ETC., and also osp-
tbs NAL iont for some church in New Jer-
| sey. RobesOn's purchase OF vessels is thus
| described: There have been purchased by
the present secretary OF the navy two YES
ssls, and o1e by his chief OF the bureau OF
construction, Hsnscom. These purchases
have been made
WITHOUT AUTHORITY OF LAW
and without any specific appropriation
made for that purpose. The Dispatch.
formerly America and the Rio Bravo, form
erly Planter, were bought by the secretary
a cost for the Dispatch of sos, 500, and
for the Rio Bravo OF Sl4 600. Both, how
ever, have since been repaired at q large
cost. The Sea Weed was bought by the
chief of the bureau of construction a. a
cost OF $500, without the knowledge OF
the secretary, but inasmuch as that chief
is not rebukeS by the secretary, IL is INFER
able that this purchase Is approved by
him. The committee do not fail to see an
opportunity OF fraud in practices like
these, but are content now to
to the contempt of the law
manifested in tots regard by these officers
of the government. Repairing old vesse s
in the navy and building new ones under
the name OF repairs, is the subject of q
very interesting chapter, in which it is
shown how millions have been sunk with
out any return. One of the most mark ed
evidences of the navy departments bare
faced plunderipg is shown In RobesoD's
allowance of old claims rejected by former
secretaries. The report SHOWS that claims
aegregatiDg nearly 81 DOC, 600 were allowed
by MIN, nearly ali OF which were iraudu-
lent, and had been so passed upon by bis
predecessors. Among them are the Secor
and Cstte1 claims, so often explained In
the Times, and 50 well known as utterly
baseless.
/ THE WARD GUN JOB
Il al m in obor ,fH r,<,fo