National Republican., 1883-06-25
CLOSING NAVY YARDS.
The Recommendation OF the Late Conn
mission 10 be Carried Into Effect nt
Onoe-secretary ChRndIcr's Letter.

The Recommendations OF the Late COM
mission 10 he Carried Into Effect MT
Onoe-secrstary ChnndIor's Letter.
The following letter has been addressed by
the secretary Of the navy to the chiefof each of
the bureaus in the navy department and the
oommandants of the yards have been fur
nished with copy of it and requested to
make such suggestions TO the bureaus as they
deem appropriate for carrying out the pur-
pose expressed therein. The memoranda re-
ferred to was published some days ago:
NAVY DEPARTMENT, WARRINGTON, June
%, 1ss3--Sir: Your attention is called to the
memoranda on the reorganization of the
navy yards, and the disposition proposed to
be made of each yard" submitted to the de-
partment by the navy yard commission in adj
vance of their formal report to congress.
You will Immediately give such orders and
make such recommendations TO the depart
ment as are necessary to carry into effect, un-
der your bureau, the recommendations of the
commission.
Tho act of Aug. 8, 1882, required tho secre-
tary of the navy, in certain contingencies, to
suspend work at those yards whore he finds
IL can best be dispensed WITH" and directed
that "at the yards so closed only such officers
and employees shall be retained as are neces-
slry to preserve and take care of the property
of the government, and all other persons shall
be transferred or discharged"
The sundry civil appropriation act of
March 3, 1888, appropriated for navy yards
and stations $150,000, aud $4,000 additional,
which shall DO used only in the care and
preservation of such yards and stations as
may be closed"
The department understands that this last
appropriation of $4,000 will be applicable to
the care and preservation of yards and sta
t,x4 uNr rNt nd
repair of naval vessels may be suspended in
the manner specified in the act of August 8,
1882 although they may continue to be used
as naval depots as well as organized to pre-
servo and take care of the property of the
government therein
In accordance with these views, work is or
dered to be suspended as soon as practicable
at the Pensacola, League Island, New London,
and Boston yards. At Boston, however, work
in the ropewalk and tho sailmakers' depart
ment will continue. At Portsmouth repairs
of wooden vessels may continue for the pres
ent. At Washington work upon repairs of
vessels or for any purpose not mentioned in
tho memoranda of the commission will be
discontinued.
You will cause to be made the changes in
the organization at each yard recommended
by the commission and required by these in
structions. You will also carefully consider
whether a reduction Of foremen beyond that
recommended by the commission can ju-
diciously be made in the interest of economy.
If SO, you will proceed to mako such reduc-
tion.
You will further examine the Statistics Of
navy yards" in appendix No. 20, to the re-
port Of the department to the President OF
November 20, 1882 (page 177(, and endeavor
to discover additional reductions which may
be made in tho list of civil employees at each
navy yard, whether in your own or any other
bureau, and either make or recommend such
reductions.
Your attention is specially called to the
large number of persons engaged in cleric
duties, either as clerks or writers, and you
will endeavor to direct or recommend the
discharge of some of these
The statistics referred to show an enormous
daily expenditure on the sixteenth of Novem-
ber 1882, namely: For 657 foremen, clerks,
and employees, other than ordinary mechanics
and workingmen 81, 179, and for 3,s05 other
employees S9,139, making 4,462 total en-
ployes at o daily compensation of $11, ,319, OF
at the rate of over 100000 year, when the
| only work in progress on ships-of-war at all
the yards was repairing the Omaha, Shenan-
doah Trenton, Osspee, Mohican, and Alert
| This enormous expenditure for such feeble re-
suits is inconsistent with faithful administra
tion, and the department stands pledged that
all unnecessarywor shall be discontinued ant
| all employees not needed dismissed. 1t will
| be impossible that this pledge shall be carried
out, unless with the cordial and vigorous CO
operation and action of the heads of tn,
bureaus. You are confidently relied upon II
do your part in this work of economy.
Very respectfully,
| WILLIAM +. CHANDLER,
l Ia. ..Hs Sapratarv nf tha Nnuy