The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-12-19
ARMY AND NAVY REPORTS,
ANIMAL STATEMENTS or MESShs
rEDIrOTT AND WHITNEY.


! slDenartulenEs.
The first half Of the first annual report Q
William c. Whitney, secretary Of the navy
comprises briefly the usual routine OF tn
department bureaus for the fiscal year end
ing June 3D. 1885. After describing the looa
ton of the different squadrons, he draws 1
dolsful picture of our navy yards. 1t appear
that this property, 'aggregatinB in Vatu'
some fifty million dollars, II is falling rapidly
into q condition of extreme decay The re
ports from the yards make frequent com
plant Of buildings falling or about TO fali
roofs leaking to such an extent as to involve
the destrur ion ef property stored unesef'
meath: VIII lr'rss so rotten that persons cannot
walk over hem in safety stone dry docks
which are reJuireI t. be shored up with tim
Der bad roadway, defective water pipes,
and in general such all extent OF decay
and diiapidltiOn as 30 imply a genera
destruction. The report says of it is
the policy Of Congress to maintain the navy
yards a. shr varls, workshops, or depots OF
( slppiY, it manifest that the work OF put
! ting tn br;nlinTs wharvss and othsr ap
| puT vsnGL.sS in proper repair should be un-
ierGaksn al once, ami should be kept up
/ from wear ; year, as the only alternative
must be tn abandonment of all this property
to waste and ruin
In behalf of the Bureau Of Navigation he
recommend increased appropriations to Sc
cure better system Of coast surveys, which
are urgently needed.
He conC1rs in the view of Constructor
Wilson that it should be the policy of the
government to maintain one large navy
yard combining in itself the advantages and
facilities OF all the others, and advocates
League Island as the most advantageous site
tor this purpose. He believes that in this
case at lea It one-half our steel ships could be
built in our navy yards i'll competition with
outside esta UlishmentS.
Mention made of the successful opening
OF the Naval War college at Annapolis I'm
der direction OF Rear Admiral Luce. The
instruction consists OF lectures on military
sclence the art o. naval warfare and marine
information Il law This meats a serious want
The net amount drawn by the department
on warrants during the last fiscal year was
SIS, S3i :, S6l. -, leaving balance OF 81 ,OS6,-
07d. %, which with the amount unexpended
in the hands of pay officers, leaves an aggre-
gate uneXpended balance Of s., 3jS, 645. 70. The
money spent this year is 1897 I55. d less than
the net amount drawn in the fiscal year end
ing June 81 1884.
The navy estimates to be presented to Con
gress for the next fiscal year amount to
SS5. I0I ,G9J Il, in which sum are embraced es-
Inmates for new objects, not those ordinarily
for the service. amounting to SlGO69, 950.24,
leaving for the customary purposes Of the
service Sly 034, 7449I. They embrace For
increase OF the navy SIC, sos, 77U; for the com
pletion and armament Of the double .turreted
monitors, 81 Do, $50, and for public works
and improvements at the yards and stations
81, 26S, S5l4l.
Mr. Whitney devotes considerable space to
a history Of his controversy with John Roach
already familiar to the public. The secretary
favors changing the whole system so long i'll
vogue and compelling the department here
after to mature all plans and specifications
thoroughly before advertising for contracts
He has adopted this plan already in prepar-
ing for the construction Of the two additional
cruisers and two gunbOats, at cost Of nearly
$3,OO0,OOJ, authorized by the last session Of
Cou-rass
Attention is drawn to the Importance
other countries attach TO the toTpedO-boat
as branch of naval warfare by tabular
statement Of those possessed and in process of
construction The United States have none:
England mas 129, and s. more ordered;
Russia has I3l, and IA ordered; France has
g., and 81 ordered Germany has II, and 81
ordered, and even China has 3, and 10 more
ordered.
The last half Of Mr.. Whitney's report is de-
voted to u review of what he calls long
standing abuses in the navy, and to suggest
ing remedies He reviews the history OF our
naval construction Since the war. From
1865 TO the present time over seventv-tive
millions have been spent on construction, re-
pair and ordnance OF vessels, for which we
have practically nothing to show. We have
rot a single vessel atlOat that could en-
counter the ships of any important power.
This, the report says, has been chiefly because
we have mot awaited ourselves OF the scien-
titC improvements OF the age in ship building
and armoring. a naval vessel now is a
product o. science. Each part Of her is
absorbing the exclusive study Of scientific
men. We have made no provision for keep
inc mace with this march of scianea au6
hence can show nothing of power in modern
naval warfare. Our educational ground
work is years behind the age. The secretary
adds
~ find myself forced, therefore, to the
conviction that everything connected with
the construction and equipment of our navy
Is done with too little elaboration, and that
under the present organization of the depart
ment this cannot he otherwise. ! have oc-
easiOn to know that the amounts found to
bave been expended upon the Omaha and
upon the MICHIGAN" surprised no persons
more than the bureau officers who had been en-
gagged upon the work. Seeing the il-ad vised
and Inconsiderate manner In which import
ant steps are necessarily taken by me under
the present system, feel certain that
similar record OF mismanagement,o OF waste
full expenditure, of inJudlcious and ilI-ad-
vised disposition Of public moneys might be
made by any secretary under the present
system
To this he adds that whatever changes of
organization may be desired, lit is OF the
first necessity to separate, as much as prac-
ticabie, the work of direction aud delibera-
ton from the details o. execution" in other
words that there should be in the construc-
tion of navy, as in every other kind of
business, "a proper distribution OF labor"
The War Department.
In submitting his annual report to the
President Secretary Endicott states the ex-
peuditures for the year ending June
80, 1885, at S45, $50, $685. be estimates the
next fiscal year at S4S, 204. lS3, reduced
from a schedule presented to him winch