National Republican., 1883-06-12
Commissioned plstrlct Colum.
THE NAVY YARD FORCE.
No Probability OF Great Change I'm
Case Il is Converted into mn Arsenal.

No Probability OF Great Change I'm
Case IL is Converted into nh Arsenal.
The recommendation of the navy yard com
mission, and its approval by Secretary Chand-
Ter, that the Washington navy yard be
dropped from the list, and bo designated as
naval arsenal, has caused something of a stir
among those who are supposed to hold
soft places at the yard. If tho advice
of the commission is carried out there
will be score Of employees,
who in these piping times of peace, en-
Joy the luxury of good salaries and nomi-
nal work, thrown upon the tender mercies of
pitiless world. The specific looping off
urged by the navy commission does not in
volve more than dozen or SO bosses, foremen,
shipwrights, &C., but If the plan for convert
ing the navy yard into an arsenal is strictly
fulfilled, the detructive sweep will be much
broader, and will NOV down many clerks
who have good places, and various bosses of
bureaus whose rolls OF workmen are not large
The plan of the commission is to convert
the navy yard into an arsenal for the manu-
facture of war materials under the bureaus
of equipment and ordnance, the production
of sheet copper in the construction depart
ment, and, in certain contingencies, the
manufacture Of standard articles in
the steam engineering department. 1t is
proposed to do way with the following en-
ployes: Master shipwright, quarterman car
pointer, quarterman painter, quarterman
joiner, quarterman calker, master laborer,
master iron platter, engineer in charge, quar-
terman smith, foreman machinist, and second
class foreman sailmaker. The daily pay roll
at the yards will be thus reduced from $l0O.55
to $6726.
A reporter of THE REPUBLICAN, who rode
out TO the navy yard yesterday, was cour-
teously received by Capt. Greer, gho said that
none of the naval officers would be surprised
by the report of the commission. However
anxious the people of Washington might be
to continue the navy yard here, it was q fact
agreed to by all informed on the sub
jcct that tho location is in every
way unfavorablo for the building Of war
vessels. Materials have to be transported
from too great distance and the freight
cost Is enormous. Tho water here is also toe
shallow, though in time this drawback might
be remedied. Capt. Greer said he did not
think there was any necessity for scare
among the men now employed ut the yard, rs
there would be plenty Of work, and even more
than there is now when the present establish
lnent is converted into an arsenal. The pay
roll this time numbers about 150 men. The
ordnance department is probably the best or,
ganized and the best equipped among all the
various bureaus" The employees number
123, and Capt. Greer says that most of them
have grown up In the business right in the
shops. Fortunately politics have never in
vadcd this department, mono of the men evel
having been employed ON account of Their
party convictions. OF course whether thC
navy yard is converted into an arsenal or moi
the ordnance feature will not be disturbed
1t is probable that there will be a slaughte
Of the clerks and writers" " in the severa
bureaus. The clerical force as now arranged
is as follows: Paymaster' department, clerl
and 2 writers; navigation department,
clerk provision and cloth department.,
clerk ordinance department., clerk aud
writer; yards and docks, 2 clerks specia
hand, and / writer; steam engineering do
partment, l clerk and 9 writers equipmen
bureau, clerk and 9 writer's; construction
department, clerk and writer's
While many of these gentlemen are invalu
able accountants, it was limited to the re
porter that others complain of ennui. Tn,
clerks are little agitated over the prospeG
of abolishing the navy yard, as they fear tina
the various bureaus that now exist may b.
SO merged that large reduction Of the cleri
cal force will become necessary.
Everything about the yard appeared to th
reportorial eye to be in trim and tiptop style
The copper rolling mill was running unde
full blast. Everybody was busy in the stean
engineering department, and in the ordnanc
shops enormous blocks of solid steel wer
being drilled into cannons, The copper mad
at the Washington navy yard is of the fines
quality, and large quantities of thinly rolle
sheets are now being boxed and stored in tn
mill. A large force is also at work in the iro
shops, where immense heaps of scrap iron
being converted into bars and then int
broad sheets.