National Republican., 1885-12-08

consideration of Congress and
the country
While decidedly non-concurrlng in some
of the Secretary's conclusions and sug-
gestions, the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN can
but regard the document as the ablest of all
the departmental reports. 1t shows very
careful study of intricate subjects and ex-
cites surprise that, in the short space Of nine
months, an official taken from civil life,
having had no special preparation for the
duties Of the Office, should have made such
progress in penetrating the mysteries Of the
most complicated portion Of all our govern
mental mechanism.
II has been the duty OF the NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN TO condemn much that Secre-
tary Whitney has done in the past, and he Is
not at all unlikely to require censure in the
future. He certainly will require and re-
ceive the severest censure, not only from the
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, but from fair
minded men Of all parties, II he shall on any
future occasion get SO far from the right as
he did in his relentless persecution Of John
Roach.
But It is always more pleasant to COM
mend than to condemn, and we are,
therefore, glad to find in Secretary Whit
ncy's report many indications that he
is coming to understand the general char
acter Of the Navy Department, to appre-
ciate its defects and to have clear concep-
ton Of what is needed to render 1t econom-
ical and efficient.
We do not understand that questions re-
lating to the improvement Of departmental
organization are partisan questions. The
naval establishment, like the regular army,
is supposed to be non-partisan. 1t would,
therefore, seem entirely feasible and emf
nently fitting to discuss such questions
without political feeling or blas-aud that is
precisely what we propose to do.
The Navy Department consists of eight
bureaus, each of which is, to all intents
ard purposes, separate and Independent
department, holding about the same re-
lations to each other that the department
proper holds to the Department of War, or
the Interior Department. But each of
these bureaus covers ground that Is COM
men TO several Of them-an arrangement
that adds largely TO the cost Of maintenance,
furnishes facilities for and temptations to
extravaganza and fraud, and needlessly
compllcates the business Of the establish
ment as q whole.
The Secretary discovers-as writers for
the press did long ago-that tho purchase
of supplies is managed in most unbusi-
ness-like way. eight bureaus" he says,
"supply stationery to ships; three bureaus
supply ships with lamps and lanterns. To
the same ship one bureau supplies electric
lights and the light for general illuminat-
ing purposes; another supplies electric
search lights, and u third oil and light for
the engine and fire rooms.n The law re-
quires all purchases to be made by contract
after advertisement, except in emergencies.
But the Secretary says: "The open pur-
chascs of the Navy Department for the year
ending June 80, 1885, amounted to $751;
2s5.S4, while the purchases by contract
amounted to only little over million. A
large proportion Of the open purchases con-
sisted of articles Of either comparatively
small value or more or less difficult of
classification, but Sl3S,0OO Of the amount
was spent by the seven bureaus, each act
ing independently Of the other, for coal
bought, not In one lot but at 1866 several
open purchases (this does not include coal
bought by ships on foreign stations); 300
different open purchases Of stationery were
made by eight different bureaus; $l2l,-
3l5,G6 was spent for lumber and hardware
by six bureaus in 400 separate open pur-
chases; seven bureaus spent $iG,0O0 for oils
and paints in 200 separate purchases; III
different open purchases OF iron and steel
were made at an expense OF S4l ,524.4s;
S6s,ssl,59 was spent for hemp and cordage
in forty-iive different open purchases"
1t is not an unusual thing in navy yard
for one department to buy quantities of
stores Of which there is large supply on
hand, in the same yard, but belonging to
another department. Unless recently dis.
posed OF there are vast quantities of stores
in some OF the yards that were bought dur
ing the war. These would have been con-
sumed long ago had not fresh purchases
of the same kind Of goods been frequently
made. In this respect each department
treats the others rs an alien, utterly unmind
full Of the fact that 'all are but parts of one
stupendous whole - that the entire depart.
ment is but one Of the peoples agencies
for supporting and defending the govern.
ment.
The Secretary proposes as a remedy fol-
those abuses that all purchases shall be made
by single bureau, whose head shall be tlI,
rectly and fully responsible to the Secretary
Thisisa sound business proposition, system
long in use by business firms and corpora,
tlons. 1t furnishes a protection against
overstock aud high prices, and facilitates
the employment of experience and ability in
the purchasing department, while it gives
to the head of the purchasing bureau the
benefit of all the technical knowledge
possessed by the heads of other branches OF
the naval service.
The present system Is a remnant OF fogy-
ism, which multiplles Officials and store
houses, and costs for handling in some cases,
as much as the first cost Of the goods.
And yet we are not very hopeful that
any change will he made, for there are ex-
trcmely potential influences which will be
found arrayed against It. Mr.. Whitnoy'a
immediate predecessor cut of some Of the
worst of bureau abuses, but every step he
took in that direction was stubbOrnly re-
sisted. Ills efforts In the way Of needed
reform undoubtedly prompted much of the
unjust criticism Of his administration for
acts which should have insured him the
thanks of the press and the people
Therearo other portions OF this interest.
ing rcportwhich will require attention Ntan,
other time. The NATIONAL RErUBMoAN will
eIdc0yor to assist the Secretary in making
| known to Congress and the country some
/ thing Of the peculiar and unexamplel foa-
tures and customs'of the Navy Department.
II Is regretted fact that scarcely a dozen
congressman know enough about this sub