National Republican., 1885-05-22
NAVY YARD ABUSES.
Secretary whitney starts II Great wori
OF Reform ut Mare Island,


Of RcfDrm ut Mare Island.
Secretary whitney has sent the follow
ing letter to Commodore John II. Russell,
commandant of tho Marc Island navy
yard, relative to the expenditure Of
100000 FOR tho reconstruction Of the Mo-
hican, wooden vessel Of the navy
In tho line of the suggestions contained
in my lcttDr to you Of April 10, | have
made such Investigations as my limited
time would permit into tho expenditures
made at the Mare Island navy yard of late
years, for tho purpose Of satisfying myself
rs to its condition as n place for the eiii-
Client performance Of public work. Taking
certain lines of inquiry as tests, am COM
PEELED TO express the greatest astonish-
meut at the results indicated.
The steamship Mohcau was taken out
Of commission In the year 1872. Since
that time she has remained in the Marc
Island yard undergoing recon ustruction,
including the substitution OF now ma
chinery for the old. Sho ia now substan-
| TALLY ready for sea, and within the next
| sixty days will ro.cutcr the service.
| From the accounts Of this department IL
appears that there has been spent ON hor
| in tho Mare Island yard sSij,OO0, which,
/ NlIn luIhlltE tlllONulh ltltNAlbI llhtl9 w
/ come in, will raise her total expenditure
| TO about 100000 and this upon a wooden
vossel of about 1000 tons displacement.
| More than two.thirds Of this has been
spOnt in the last three years. For tho
| fact that she is Of a class now obsolete rs
an effective weapon Of war aud substau-
| italy worthless, the yard cannot DO held
responsible; but that the expense of this
rocOnstruction in the Mare Island yard
| has cost the government at least three
| times what new ship of the same char
aCtcr and class could have boon built for
! docs certainly indicate the most extraordi-
nary mismanagement and wAstoiuluess.
/ Similar indications appear TO mo in tho
case of partial repairs and replacemonts
made upon other vessels, not necessary
to comment upon in detail. II may bo
said that the economy or lack Of economy
with which repairs are conducted is in
general thing difficult to prove. But
circumstances like those exhibited in tho
case of the Mohican are entirely incapable
OF explanation, except upon the ground
that. either through fault of system or
for some other reason, the public money
spent in the Mare Island yard is in the
main thrown away.
| have decided to constitute board of
investigation for the purpose of conduct
ing an inquiry upon the spot into tho
system and methods prevalent in the
yard and the orders constituting tho
board aud covering their authority will
accompany this communication. l have
heretofore directed certain foromen of the
yard to be dismissed. The naval regula-
tions provide that whenever n vacancy
shall occur in tho position of foreman q
board shall be convened at the navy yard,
under the direction of the Secretary Of
the Navy to make Il selection from quali-
fed candidates, who shall have passed
satisfactory examination, irrespective
of localty--no district or state being on
titled to preference for these positions.
Tho board to be constituted will, until
further orders, conduct these eNamina-
tiOns. call your attention, and, through
you that of the board to be constituted,
to tho number of men carried upon the
rolls as fOremen, quartermen, and lead
ingmen, &c. (porsons engaged in the work
of supervisory, and desire suggestions
as to u more simple and effective form
Of organization, which shall combine
classes OF work similar in general charac-
ter under the same supervision, whether
conducted by different bureaus of this de.
partment. or otherwise, for the purpose
OF giving a greater simplicity and prob
able effectiveness to the organization"
In accordance with the statement made
in tho letter tho Secretary appointed the
following board which was ordered to
, convene at Mare Island the goth instanti
Capt. John Irwin, senior member; Chic
Engineer G. Il. Kutz, Commander L.
Rodgers, Commander G. Kempf, and
Assistant Naval Constructor j. Feaster
| Second Lieut.. J. j. McWhorter, of tn,
3 marine corps, has been appointed re
| corder. Secretary Whitney also intend
to investigate tho expenditures for tn
repair of the Omaha. The Omaha ha
t been undergoing repair and reconstruc
> tion since 1881 at the Portsmouth nav
I yard. The bills, as appear from the book
$ of the department., amount to $545 POS
d The Omaha is wooden vessel. She lei
a tho Portsmouth navy yard to be inspecte
$ at Newport the 10Th instant, and is nov
!. ready for sea, The Secretary has ordere
= her to proceed to New York. He has ais
Q ordered the naval constructor who ha
d charge Of the repairs to go to the sam
IS place,