Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-05-30

WASHINGTON, May Il. secretary
Whitney is stirring up other barnacles
beside John Roach in his overhauling
of the rotten navy. He has written
the following letter to Commodore
Russell, commandant of the Mare
Island Navy Yard, San Francisco:
NAVY DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, May IL, 1885.
SIR:-In the line of the suggestions
contained in my letter to you of April
Is, | have made such Investigations as
my limited time would permit into the
expenditures made at the Mare Island
NAVY Yard of late years, for the pur-
pose of satisfying myself as to its con-
dition as a place for the efficient per-
torrance of public work. Taking GER
tain lines of inquiry as tests, l am COM
PEELED to express the greatest astonish-
ment at the results indicated.
The steamship Mohican was taken
out of commission in the year 1872.
Since that time she has remained in the
Mare Island yard undergoing recon-
struction, including the substitution of
new machinery for the old. She is now
substantially ready for sea, and within
the next sixty days will re-enter the
service.
From the accounts of this depart
ment il appears that there has been
spent on her in the Mare Island yard
$S45, 900, which, with further amounts
hereafter likely to come in, will raise
her total expenditures to about $780,
OO0-and this upon a wooden vessel of
about 1900 tons displacement. More
thar two-thirds of this has been spent
within the last three years.
For the fact that she is of a class now
obsolete as an effective weapon of war
and substantially worthless, the yard
cannot be held responsible. But that
the expense of this reconstruction in
the Mare Island yard has cost the gov
eminent at least three times what a
new ship Of the same character and
class could have been built for, does
certainly indicate the most extraordi-
nary mismanageInent and wastefulness.
Similar indications appear to me in the
case of partial repairs and requirements
made upon other vessels not necessary
to comment upon in detail.
1t maybe said that the economy, or
lack of economy, with which repairs
are conducted is in general a thing diff
ficult to prove. But circumstances like
those exhibited in the case of the
Mohican are entirely Incapable of ex-
PLANTATION, except upon the ground that
either through a 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 a board
of investigation for the purpose of con-
Quoting an inquiry upon the spot into
the system and methods prevalent in
the yard, and the orders constituting
the board and covering their authority
will accompany this communication.
[ have heI etofore directed certain
foremen of the yard to be dismissed.
The naval regulations provide: That
whenever a vacancy shall occur i'm the
position of foreman a board shall be
convened at the navy yard, under the
direction of the secretary of the navy,
to make a selection from qualified cam
didates who shall have passed a salts
factory examination, irrespective of
locality-no district or state being en-
titled to preference for these positions.
The board to be constituted will, until
further orders, conduct these examina-
tons.
l call your attention and, through
you, that of the board to be constituted,
to the number of men carried upon the
rolls as fOremen, quartermen, leading
men, 81, (persons engaged in the work
of supervisory, and desire sugges-
tons as to a more simple and effective
form of organization, which shall com
bine classes of work similar in general
character under the same supervision.
whether conducted by different bureaus
of this department or otherwise, fol
the purpose of giving a greater sim
plicity and probably effectiveness to
the organization. Very respectfully.
WILLIAM e. WHITNEY,
Secretary of the Navy.
Commodore John H. Russell, u. S
N, Commandant Navy Yard, Mare
Island, California.
Mr.. Whitney has named the follow.
ing persons as members of the board
Capt. John Irwin, senior member
Chief Engineer G. Il. Kuntz, Comman.
der f. Rodgers, Commander G. Kumpf
and Assistant Naval Constructor j
Feasler,
Secretary Whitney also intends to in
vestigate the expenditures for the re.
pair of the Omaha. The Omaha ha
been undergoing repair and recon
struction since 1881 at the Portsmouth
Navy Yard. The bills, as appear from
the books of the department., amour
to S546, POS. The Omaha is a woodel
vessel. She left the Portsmouth Nav,
Yard to be inspected at Newport oil
May 10, and is now ready for sea. TIL,
secretary has ordered her to proceed t,
New York. He has also ordered tn
Naval Constructor who had charge O
the repairs of the hull and the enginee
who had charge of the repairs of ma
chinery to 60 to the same place. 1t i
his purpose to ascertain on Saturda,
next why the repairs and reconstruc
finn of tho n,noba ,aef oSt5 DnS