Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-15
Ihe SIRE Aress.
NATIONAL NAVY YARDS.
Against Serious Attack boston
Yard should be Improved = New
London should be Dropped,

LONDON SnOuIu De DrOppeus
CONCORD, N. H., June 1O.-Secretary
Chandler has to-day, received and considered
the memoranda furnished him by the navy
yard commission, of which Commodore Luce
is president, concerning their proposed report
to Congress, and approves their recommends
tions for closing certain yards and concentra-
tion of organization and reduction of expenses
in the remainder, and they will be ordered TO
take effect about July 10. The recon-
mcndations are as follows. That there
shall be reorganization and concentration
of the mechanical department of every navy
yard, so that there shall be one shop in each
for the performance of the same kind of
work. This involves the following changes:
abolition of all shops doing the usual work
of machine shops, except those of steam en-
gineering all joiner shops, except those of
construction ell coppcrsmths and plumb
crs' shops, except those of steam engineer
ing all painters shops, except those of con-
struction all foundres, except those of
steam engineering and all boiler and plate
iron shops, except those of steam engineer
ing. They also recommend the further con-
Centra,ion of work so that each of the sever
al articles that form part of the outfit of each
ship shall be made in single shop, to be es-
tablishcd in such yard as may now have the
best facilities and convenicnces.
The commission consider il of absolute
importance that Mare Island navy yard be
retained in full operation, us it is the only
workshop of the government on the West
coast. In accordance with the suggestions
made for the concentration of work they sub
init table showing the present foremcp,
etc, and number required if the propositions
are adopted. The total daily pay at pres
ent is sl70; the removals proposed reduce it
to SljG.
They advise that the Pensacola yard be
closed. The present force being in their
opinion no more than necessary for the pres
ervalion Of the yard and the property there
in, they recommend no change.
The commission advise that the Norfolk
yard bc retained in frst-class working con-
dition, aud suggest in accordance with the
proposition for the concentration of work
certain changes which reduce the daily pay
roll from Sl26 to Sl09
1t is advised with regard to the Washing
ton yard that it be dropped from the list of
navy yards and he designated as a naval ar
senal, retaining it in full working condition
for the manufacture of certain specified arli-
cles only under the bureaus of equipment
present is ; 100 total proposed SG7.
1t is recommended that League Island navy
yard be closed, both as yard anv as a naval
station, until places have been prepared aud
Approved fer such yard as the department
requested authority to construct and Con-
gress authorized The present plans con-
template the construction Of exactly what
the department declared it did not want, viz
another similar yard to those it then posses
sed, whereas the department demanded a
great iron manufacturing yard only. This
change of plan necessarily involves the ex-
penditure CT al enormous sum of money for
purposes that do not require it, as the facili.
ties exist in other yards, and the expenditure
would therefore be unjuslifabe The COM
missioners consider the site too valuable and
desirable TO be abandoned.
The commissioners recommend that the
New York yard be retained us II first class
yard, but no money shall be spent in the way
of Improvements either in the yard or on cob
dock until the plans fog lis full development
shall have beea prepared and approved.
These plans should include the improvement
Of the wall about the chanuel and the uiliz-
ing of the cob dock for purposes of wet
basin. A table showing th" present and
proposed list Of foremcn is submitted, which
would reduce the daily pay from S13G to
sl01.
New London should be dropped forthwith
from the list Of navy yards and house sta.
tons. Ii is recommended that PLANS I've pre-.
pared at once looking 10 the transfer of thu
naval asylam 10 the vacated site on thu
Thames.
Some difference of opinion exists in thu
commission in regard to the disposition Of
the Boston aud Portsmouth, yards. Al
agree that the yard at Portsmouth is indie
feasible against serious attack from IA fleet o
ironclads armed with modern Tiled ordnance
unless new and extensive Notifications b.
erected for that purpose, the cost of which
would b. 50 enormous as TO preclude the pos
sibity of such an cypodiVnt. AS conse
quencc i Is recommended that no far
tier expenditures he made thereon fo
Improvements of any kind. All agre
that it would he difficult to over
estimate the Importance of the Boslo
yard in time OF war and that II should b
80 improved as to utilize the water ir0ntag
to the utmost extent and at the earliest mt
mcnt. Boston yard will require changes II
ducing the daily pay from Sl54 to 800. Til
aggregate daily pay of foremen ut all til
yards is at present $3.50; with the navy yarc
at Portsmouth, Boston and League Islam
closed and the organization Of other yards n
duced as proposed it would be $3.50, wit
the Portsmouth and League Island yart
closed $3.50 with the Boston and League