Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-07

"What have been the results thus far If the In
veStigati0nS Of your committee" asked STAR re-
porter of senator Blair who is in the city for few
days prior to making further Investigations On the
labor question.
.'Well," was the reply. 1--WE have obtained a
great deal of information upon the subjects in
Quired into, which can be made of great value
What the practical results will be can't say; II
VIII depend altogether upon what disposition Is
made OF lt by the people. About a0 witnesses
testimony was of an intelligent and sound CharaC-
ter. The men were in the main, representative
upon the subjects on which they testified. Their
testimony differed in many respects, of course be
cause people do not all think alike. Occasionally a
man came along and desired to express his views
TO the committee who might be considered cranky
but then nearly every body Is little enthusiastic
wild in certain particulars. About two-thirds of
the people consider the other third little cranky
In something or the other. You see, man might
be very intelllgent as to facts for instance, and
he begins TO theoriZe he appears wild, and offers an
opportunity to be set down crank We gained.
S the m iaGr S MH nave gone very clear insight into
use Will be made Of the information remains to be
seen"
"Then you are well satisfied with the work 2"
''Yes, might say am very well satisfied II
had to start out again, could not hope for better
class or witnesses, nor more accurate and intelli
gent testimony"
What Will be the future movements of the COM
'We will leave here in few days for Birming-
ham, Ala, and will take considerable testimony
there We Will then go to other places in the south,
but just where we do not yet know ourselves,
returning to Washington by the time Congress
meets"
''Wi that conclude the Investigations" asked
''Oh, no; we will doubtless continue to take tes-
tlmony here, probably for two or three months"
From what sections do you expect witnesses
here?"
"From all sections. We will be unable to get
away and 1t viii be much better and more econOIn-
lcal TO examine the witnesses in Washington. We
remained in New York. you know. a good while,
and examined there witnesses from half of the
states of the country. While there We're enabled
TO secure valuable witnesses from other parts of
the country at comparatively no expense, by being
on on the look out to catch them when in New
l0rk on other business l have In mind
one particular instance. man from san
Francisc9, f, very prominent business man,
presence before the committee, and his testimony
gave us as clear an insight into the condition OF
affairs on the Pacific slope as if we had gone there
Either for the committee to have gone California
or TO have brought the witness from there. would
have involved no incOnSiderable expense. We will
New York.
'Have you received many replies to the circulars
"nlch were sent out recently by the committee
asking for an expression Of viewS?" asked the re-
porter.
eyes, we have received quite a number of replies.
considering the short time since the circulars were
Issued. The communications were in the form OF
personal opinions and essays. Scarcely enough
tlne has elapsed yet, however, to give those deSr-
olS OF expressing their views opportunity to pre-
pare their papers. l think that we have obtained
the expression OF opinion Of about three hundred
persons. including The witnesses who were exam
lned by the committee and those who forwarded
communications"
Again expressing his satisfaction with the pro-
greSS Ol Tie work OF the committee, Senator Blair
oaue 'he reporter good day:
Naval Bureau of Steam Engineering.
ANNUAL REPoRT-coNDITIoN OF THE BOILER SHOPS
The annual report of the bureau OF steam engi-
neerng is signed this year by Chief Clerk William
IT, ii. Smith, there having been no chief OF bureau
since the retirement OF Commodore Shock In June
last
The report shows total expenditure for labor in
constructing and repairing engines boilers, ma
chnery, &c, for purchase Of materials, Stores &C.
OF s1.142, ,O3539.
From the appropriation OF 100000 for preparing
the monitors for launching s57 S4I 81 was expended
by the bureau OF steam engineering and S9t 9to by
the bureau OF construction and repair, leaving a
Dalance or f24I S6.i6, which will be required for
expenditures under bureau of construction and re-
pair for building and fitting the turret and pilot
mouse or the MlantonomOh. OF the S1.O0O.O0O ap-
propriated for machinery for the monitors S156 81
has been expended. The balance will be required
10 pay for the completion OF the engines. &c, for
monitors Puritan Terror and Amphitrte, now under
contract and for MOnadnOck, yet to be contracted
for.
RETRENCHMENT RECOMMENDED
The bureau favOrS the suggestions contained In
the memorandum of the navy yard commission,
winch looks toward the reduction in expenditures of
yards and recommends that assistant engineer Off
GERS be more generally utilized in navy yards as
heads of the several shops for which their profess
sion hts them and thus avoid the expense OF sal
aries for master wOrkmen or fOremen.
The bureau reports the various shops under its
cognlZance to be in good working order, and equal
10 any present requirement. for repair OF engines,
boilers &c, or for the rapid ana economical con,
Strtlctcn OF modern machinery of frSt-class design
and workmanship.
THE BOILER SHOPS
at Washington, New York, Norfolk and Mare
Island have been greatly improved by the addition
OF modern machine tools, and are now producing
firstclass buiers from very large and heavy steel
plates at a less cost per pound than
has ever been done before in any yard
or obtainable under contract In this con-
nection attention is called TO the superiority OF
mild steel to iron in boiler construction During
the last four years the bureau has been making
steel boilers at an average cost OF 206S cents per
pound and it is expected that the cost Will be fur
ther reduced by the use of the improved appliances
for handling and working this material. which have
been put up in several of the navy yards.
THE FIFTY PER CENT REDUCTION.
With reference to the personnel of the engineer
corps the acting chief quotes at length from the
last annual report of Commodore Shock with re-
gard to the act of August s, 1882, making re1uc-
ton of so per cent of the working force of the en-
gineer corps and changing the manner of appoint
ment OF cadet engineers. IN this connection the
acting chief says feel that his views and opinion
derived from his long and wide practical experience
extending over the 40 years of his active service as
an engineer OF the navy, should command the most
careful attention and thoughtful consideration
from every one who may be called upon TO pass
judgment upon the subject.
TRAINED OFFICERS NECESSARY.
The difficulty OF securing engineer officers for
each ship in service has already made itself ser-
ously felt. With the number Of assistant engineers
fixed by the act approved August 5th, 1882, it is
impossible to properly officer ships in the eng-
neering department. |
To ntrust the watches to the young naval cadets |
except they may have had special training there
for to the present niSherS is but to invite dis
aSter, and the occurrence of some great calamity
can only be question OF time. II the lives of the
officers and men OF the navy are OF less conse- |
Quence, If the of the machinery OF our YES
sells of war is Of small Importance, then such q |
system needs no criticism. |
In conclusion, the report calls attention to the
TACT that our government was the first to discover
the advantages OF special technical educa-
ton for its naval engineer officers and the estab
llShment OF the assistant engineer system at An
napOliS, and that England, with its existence |
upon the efficiency OF its navy, speedily
followed, and its training school for naval engineers
has been foStered and encouraged by all public |
means.
virginia a Democratic State.
GEN. HUNTON ON YESTERDAYS ELECTION.
Gen. HuntOn, OF Virginia, speaking of yesterdays