Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-02
A Modern Naval Cou.true,or

We really think il will be worth the while
OF Secretary Thompson, In the interests of
civil service, and all other reforms, TO look
into the matter OF Naval Constructor Steele's
operations at the Washington navy yard.
Attention has already been callei TO this
matter, and especially 10 the manner in
which, il is alleged, Steele has been dis
charging numbers of capable and faithful
Washington mechanics and employees, of
long experience in their duties, to give place
to persons brought here from the north, or
selected here. Among those ne has thus dis
placed are the following, and we name
them, that the public eau see the class of
worthy and capable men-mostly men with
families TO suppOrt-who have been thrown
cut of employment at a time OF unprece-
dented distress in Washington: Geo. Hen
burn, Edw'd Burt, EnOch Moran VIM Gum
berlsnd, Allen Dozier, X. c. Langley, Chas.
Harris, Phil. Hutchinson, John Boyd, Pst'k
COnrOy. James Bean, +. r. Cook. Samuel
PERI inns, F. Jenkins, Thos. G.. Robertson, ".
Waters, r. Il. Gates, Tnos. Luxson, Joseph
Thomas, Lemuel Lusbey, WIN. Cannon.
Thos. Harrison, Taylor McKenney, John III.
Smith. VIM. Howard, VIM. Reddy, George
Conner, Geo. Jacobs, /. Schultz.
That Constructor Steele is working solely
Tor the public good in making these changes
is matter OF considerable dou Of, in view OF
his record at the Philadelphia navy yard, as
developed I'm the report of the House Com
mittee OF Investigation OF the Navy Depart
ment, 4ith Congress. II is there set forth
that the successful bidder for the plumbing
work to be done on the Quinnebaug, then
being rebuilt at Philadelphia, twas one w.
r. steele. who evidently through the agency
and influence of his father, Constructor r.
w. Steele, procured it," Under this peculiar
contract, obtained by young Steele, as the
Investigating Committee say, "through the
agency and influence of his father" the
"successful bidder" was allowed, for the
consideration of $1,000 deducted from
The contract payments, an enormous
quantity OF old plumbing material, CON
sisting OF brass, lead, iron, putty glass,
and gum attached, amounting in all TO
102,9 i9 pounds; which material was ACQUIRED
from the breaking up of various monitors
and torpedo boats The value OF this mate
1ial, according TO the admission of young
steele In his testimony, was fixed by his
Joher Constructor Steele, Constructor HART
and himself. Further, under the terms of
This notable contract, another lot of old
plumbing material was sold TO young Steele
without even the formality of weighing it,
but, in the words OF the Investigating Com
mittee, ''the board of survey, or pretended
board OF survey, took no weight of
Constructor HART, just Jumped it,"
Young Steele, by the terms of this same pre-
cious contract, obtained Through the agency
and influence" OF old Steele, was allowed to
"reworkS this old material in his plumbing
job on the Quinnebaug. The satisfactory
manner in which il was "reworked" must
have delighted the thrifty souls OF both big
Steele and little Steele. The Investigating
Committee on summing u the testimony on
this Steele transaction say: at will DC seen
that this same Steele young Steele) sells the
material so obtalned, for the sum of 81, SII IL;
and this sum is exclusive of the material he
worked in under his contract, and also ex-
elusive OF iron sold 10 other parties. H takes
comfort TO himself In speaking of part OF
this transaction in saying that lit is poor
government that cannot afford q few dollars
In plain words, in this transaction the gov
eminent was robbed OF several THOUSAND
dollars, and your committee cannot sec how
1t was done without the connivance OF Con-
structors Steele aud HART. If the testimony
OF young Steele and Assistant Constructor
Hoover is to be relied upon, these officers of
the government should be brought to trial for
this matter and punished" So far from
being punished, one of these parties has been
brought TO the Washington navy yard, to the
grief OF the worthy and capable employees
above designated. Secretary Thompson has
shown very decided disposition to over
haul abuses in his department. We suggest
10 him that he will be earning the thanks OF
fnis community and the good opinion of the
general public by making an inquiry into
The modes and methods of Constructor
Steele, and especially the cause that prompts
the changes he Is making in the class OF en-
pioyes surrounding him.