St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-04

one bureau property account is kept and in
others none. Property lost. misused or
stolen cannot be traced or accounted for, and
no person can bs held responsible. The
fourth auditor, in his report just issued, calls
attention to
THIS REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCE,
which was also referred to in my last annual
report. The inventory shows large and uu-
necessary accumulation OF stores and sup
plies by the different bureaus, aggregating
over $20,0oOoO0 in appraised value. The
board reports between So, 100000 and $4.0JO,-
900 in value to be absolutely useless at the
present time, entailing an expense for keepers
and constant care to preserve them in condi-
ton. Regarding The new cruisers the report
says: The experience Of the department in
its first attempt at the creation of modern
vessels Of war have been such as to excite the
greatest concern and disappointment. When
the Dolphin, the Boston, Atlanta and Chicago
were projected and contracts for their con-
struction entered into, it was well known
WHAT SPEED WAS NECESSARY
to be obtained and what weight and charac-
ter of machinery per ton or displacement
was necessary to obtain it. Commercial yes
sells had at that time attained speeds ranging
from sixteen to nineteen, knots and cruisers
were being built in other countries. or had
already been built, attaining the same speed.
The secretary compares the trial trips of the
Dolphin and Atlanta with English and French
boats only recently completed. to the disad-
vantage Of the former. The Dolphin was
designed for 2, 300 indicated horsepower and
developed less than 1900, while the English
boats Of 3,90s horsepower developed 3170.
The Atlanta was designed to show $500
horsepower, but her engines developed less
than that. The report says: These facts are
stated without any intention Of locating re-
sponslbility or blame upon any person. 1t
was impossible to ascertain where it should
L, "a Nf
struction Of the additional vessels authorized
by congress in March, 1885, it was decided by
the department to exhaust every effort to
avail itself Of the most advanced thought and
knowledge obtained by our own and other
countries upon the subject. The report then
gives q resume Of bids and awards fer
THE NEW CRUISERS.
The report treats of hrmor and guns and
armor clads at great length, and deprecates
that this country should be content to be de-
pendent upon manufacturers of any other
nation for the fabrication of armor and high
power guns. Concerning the expenditures
the report says: In the adjustment of the
accounts for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1886, and after paying all liabilities for the
year 1t is believed that there will be an uuex-
pended balance of from $500, 900 to $3.50, 600,
aboat one-half Of which is pay Of the navy
and pay Of the maine corps, showing an ex-
pendture of about SIS, 900 or upwards of
5000, 900 less than the appropriation. These
amounts do not include the expenditures for
cruisers and the completion of double
turreted monitors. 1t is cited that this is the
first time in many years that the expenditures
have been kept within the appropriation.
The secretary recommends that the
NAVAL ACADEMY COURSE
be shortened to four years as recommended
by the commandant Of the academy. He
also urges that apprentices be admitted to
the academy and says: 1t is the desire of
the department that the naval service should
not be open to any charge Of exclusiveness
as the sole exception to this sound and
wholesome principle Of the national pelicy.
To this end it would recommend that mea-
sures be taken by which, under proper safe
guards, admission to the naval academy
might be given to a limited number OF appli-
cants, who should thea be subjected to the
same course OF training and examination as
the other cadets, aud who under the applica-
ton of uniform test should stand or fall
according to the strength or weakness of
their own merits. The remainder Of the re-
port is devoted to detailed report from
heads Of various bureaus.