National Republican., 1883-12-08


retained ON the active list, the rest being
placed on supcrnumcrary list, subject to be
ordered to service only in time of war The
immediate creation Of this supcrnumerAry
list is impcratvclv demanded if the naval
service is to bo properly conducted. While
the intelligence, correct principles and zeal
o, the great mass of the naval officers arc
freely admitted, yet n certain proportion are
not fitted for ur likely to be ordered to i'm.
uoraut duty. Their number is not large,
but they are an incubus upon the establish
mcnt.
The recommendations of one year ngo for
allowing all promotions to the grade of rear
admiral TO be made by selection from the
CummudOros or cuutains, and for abolishing
tho Grade of commodore by emitting to fill
vacancies, are renewed and u fixed amount
OF sea service in each grade is recommended
as 20 condition Of promotion.
Certain features of niustiCo in the arrange
mcnt of the navy list which bear hardly
upon particular groups Of officers should be
r,mcdicd. Advancement either in pay or
in rlnk should 20 on by regular stages and
ncver he uuduly delayed. 1t is therefore
recommended that the fOrty-fivo highest
lieutcnants, who have been nearly fourteen
years in that grade, bc Immediately pro-
motcd; that the pay of the passed assistant
engineers he increased, according to length Of
service in that grade, and that tho grade of
Junior onsigns be abolished all graduates Of
the Ucalcmy appointed to the limo receiving
commissions rs cnsigns 1t is further recon-
mCndCd that naval cadets after leaving the
academy be called midshipmcn, and that
legislation be adopted disseminating the ap-
lointmcut Of mates, hut applying the pro.
visions OF naval retirement TO those now in
the service.
Congress should be earnestly requested not
10 restore to the navy officers who have been
dismissed for drlinquencics or failures Mt eS
animation. Moro decentralization TO the SER
&C has resulted from such restoration than
f,nm all other causes.
In order that the proper control should be
maintained in the government of our mill
tary and naval establishments, tho secretary
recommends the appointment in the navy
department of nm assistant secretary and q
50 icitor, called directlyssrrom civil life, and
paid suitable salaries.
The general views of the navy yard com
mission are deserving of consideration, yet
they err in assuming that the United States
will maintain great and powerful navy and
will need expensive docks, dOckyards, and
CsSno shops. Such has not been our policy.
Moderate tquadronS, although they should
be composed OF the best modern ships, can be
built and maintained without fastening TO
make heavy expenditures for dockyards We
can afford to take iul! time to determine de-
liberatcly our policy rs TO the best method of
constructing aud repairing our ships II, in
the meantime, we close such shops rs are not
needed and check extravaganza ut those
which arc still used.
Much difficulty has been experienced in
oilecting navy yard reforms, owing to the
opposition Of persons interesting in the eX.
listing system not only TO closing shops but
also to concentration and economy in work.
The assistance and specific directions of con-
grcss should therefore DO sought and effect
lively accorded. The arguments and facts
which show that reforms should be instituted
are overwhelming. The change from wooden
10 steel ships of itself involves n revolution
in methods Of work. With but little more
than thirty vessels in commission, only five
or six have required repairs at ono time, and,
by distributing these among as many navy
yards, the cumbrous organization aud heavy
expenditures ut each yard have been hung
upon and charged TO the one ship then in
hand, with results that published records have
shown.
The government repair shops under tatl
present system ought not to ho intrustcd w.,
tho work of constructing ships and cngiu.sl
Ihey must first be thoroughly TcOrgamizct II
such way as TO exclude all political euu4 |
sdGratiOus from their management. We cai. !
rot afford to destroy tho spcod of our naval !
engines III order to make votes for political |
larty.
No charge Of flvoring private shipbuildinG |
Establishments should deter anyone ir)m as
orfing that. until tho navy-yard workshops
roI managed on business principles and with.
uti regard To politics, tho construction und |
erhir OF the now American navy should be |
'ommitted 10 those builders who einploy or .
discharge their ioremen and all their artisan, /
'ccording to their skill as mechanics and /
without caring Tor their political opinions or
,Otes.
In pursuance of the act of congress and of
'cports of the inspection boards, forty-six
vessels nave been stricken from the navy
register. Ofthese eight have been reserved for
purposes for which they can be made useful or
or iuturo sale; eight others will be taken to
'lccos Mt the navy yGrds, Us they cannot be
ldVantageously sold. The remaining twenty
seven vessels, excluding the Florida Pawnce
md Bcnicia for which no bids were made,
laye been sold to the highest bidders, in ac.
'ord nee with tho statute. Their appraised
aluc was $3.50, 100. and they sold for $3SI.-
49, an advance of SOL 6j3 over the appraiso.
mont sales at public auction of condemned
torres and supplies have also been made 40
ne naNy-yards, undor the provisions of law,
to sl35,O00.
Tnc court OF inquiry concerning the loss of
he Jcannette has concluded its labors, and
inds that therc is no occasion to impute CEN
ure to any member of the expedition
Iho reports Of tho chiefs of the bureaus at-
est the intelligence and zeal with which all
re !aboring for the good management of tho
apartment and the improvement of the
ervice. Criticisms have at times been freely
made OF tie bureau system, which upon con-
Iteration seem unfoundcd. Advisory boards
re onnobjectionablc so long as their functions
70 limited TO giving advice or negatiying
curious action. hut attempts to establish |
board OF admiralty to govern tho navy
ouiH destroy unity and vigor OF action.
Tho report Of the chief of tho bureau of
luipmcnL and recruiting advises an increase ,
1 tao number Of apprentices allowed by law
ON $50 to 1000; which is concurred in.
The chief of the bureau of navigation rec.
nnends the adoption of tho revised inter
ltional regulations for preventing collisions
sea, the existing differences being likely !
any time to cause heavy loss of life and ,
Opcrty. !
Its urged that congress should appropriate .
10 sum necessary for the erection of a uew
iservatory building, for which IL site has nj
ady been purchased and also a specific sum 2
n printing the annual observations. Itls
commented that board of visitors TO the \
.scrvatory should be appointed.
The naval war records, although not So :
1luminOus rs those of the army, are e0uaIlv II
lportant and valuable. IL is desirable that
ioyisions should bo made to continue tho Z,
ork of preparing them for publication, and
pecially otcollecting confederate documents. =
hioh are likely i'll "a short time to be lost or -
,strOyCd.
In order that the department may be,sup. e.
leu WIN the fullest and most accurate in =,
liuatlOh as 10 the progress of naval science II
other countries, aud the condition and re. =
urces of foreign nayies, an Office of naval =
tglliuguCe has bppn pgtohltgbnl 10, 81. "