New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-17
WASHINGTON.
MAYNARD INIOUITIES.


WHAT THE HOUSE COMMITTEE FOUND IN NoHfoi"
THE NAyY-YARDs POLITICAL NURNEkihs
rossvs ny BuYING SUPPLIES IN OPEN MAhhhi
GREAT DISCREPANCIES IN ACCOUNTS.
Try TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
x,,,,,,,,,, Eab 16-Messrs. Whitthorne ana
Danford, the subcommittee OF 'he iio"' -
Committee. sent to Norfolk to investigate 'he i''
o,,o,,or+ &c the Navy-yard i'll that city, returned
-. a.. and will submit their report next
,voeL In every yard in the country JuSV
hoforo election time large number OF hanos aio
,,nloved not because there is work 10 no. p''' io
the purpose of increasing the Repuoheah No'o'
was found that the Republican Executive Ooui','
fee in this city had the principal patronage lor 'no
Norfolk yard and that all the men recommends" y
tbot organization were employed. After election
,ho srrertluous hands were discharged Republl-
oo, member of the Naval Committee said to-day
that there was not a yard in the country IN wlnch
the vork,nen were not largely increased Just before
oIec,on il order to increase the Republican VOTE
The subcommittee also found that the law had
hoon violated in the matter of letting contracts
Tho law reouires that all purchases shall be by con-
troct after advertising for bds. 1t was found 'hat
,ho oren contract system namely, the buying OF
or,ic,es in omen market without advertising at
,nuch HIGHER rate than ought to have been pao hau
b.en uracticed to a considerable extent lhe chalge
made however, that timber had been removed from
te ward and used for private purposes was found to
he untrue.
,ba Committee learned that of the vessels
constructed under the nominal policy of repairs Is
Grill unfinished and in such condition as to be de-
terorating rapidly. Work upon this vessel has been
done by spasms whenever it has seemed necessary
for polilcal purposes to give employment to large
number of wOrkmen.
The Committee also found much looseness III the
method of keeping accounts. and many discrepen-
cies between various reports on the same SUBJECT
For instance, by the annual report of the Chief OF
the Bureau of Naval Construction, the Alliance one
of the new vessels now nearly completed, was said
10 be a ship of $50 tons Mr.. Robesons recent re-
mort in answer to a resolution introduced by Mr..
Goode of Virginia cites the tonnage of the vessel at
615; while the testimony by the Committee says
that its tonnage is greater than this The annual
report represents that the cost OF the NesSel
when completed will be $3s9,0O The testimony
taken by the Committee shows that up TO the ISL
of January 1852, 900 had been spent upon the YES
sell and that il could not be completed for the sum
originally named. Subsequently, on close exam
ination of these accounts, the Collector announced
that his clerk had discovered important mistakes
and that he could not give the exact amount spent
upon the vessel until his books were carefully ex-
alnned and verified
II now seems probable that the Naval Committee
will endeavor to pass some measures through the
House to prevent the navyyards being used as pol
tca nurseries and hospitals and also to prevent. by
imposing penalties the purchase of supplies in open
market al a higher rate than they could be bought
for under contract.