National Republican., 1886-04-02
Navy Department Reorganization.


The Navy Department reorganization
bill, entitled "a bill to consolidate certain |
bureaus of the Department of the Navy |
and for other purposes" having been very |
materially amended has been ordered to |
be reported to the House Of Representa-
tives by the majority Of the House commit
tee on naval affairs without formal dissent |
by the minority. II is not to be understood, |
however, that this measure meets the ap- |
proval Of all members Of the committee, or
will receive the support of all Of them in
the House. 1t contains provisions to which
there is very decided objection by mem
bers Of the minority, and they will endeavor
to secure such changes as will bring it into
something like harmony with their views.
The most important Amendments which
the bill has undergone OF late was the aban-
donment Of the bureau of personnel, an often
siye innovation introducing aradlcal change
altogether out OF harmony with the theory
Of military subordnation to the civil power.
Criticism Of this feature In the NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN, and other quarters appears to
have had the desired effect, for the secre-
tary Of the Navy su ggested to the commit
tee the expedieney of making the change.
When Secretary Whitney submitted his
annual report his remarks on the subject Of
| purchases for the navy elected well
meTited commendation in these columns
The suggestion that all the purchases Of
supplies for all the bureaus should be
made through one office, instead Of seven
| or eight, smacked Of sound business sense.
Many Of the scandals in the navy in times
past have been the result Of looseness and
unbusinesslike methods in the management
Of purchases. In scme cases where there
has been no actual dishonesty, either in in
tent or act, there has been too much the ap-
pearance Of evil. There has been good
deal OF folly-to use q mild term-shown
in the purchase Of large quantities Of ma
terial by one bureau when another bureau
had surplus Of the same thing on hand.
Evasion Of the law requiring competitive
bidding has been quite too common. The
Secretary proposed to remedy these evils by
the establishment of bureau Of supplies
and accounts, and this bureau is provided
for in the pending bill.
We think It q mistake to provide, as It Is
proposed to do, that ''the chief OF the bu-
reau of supplies and accounts shall be ap-
pointed from the active list of officers of the
navy" In our opinion, the selection Of the
head Of this bureau should be confined to
the pay corps, and we shall expect to see
this change made before the measure passes
the House.
The staff bureaus should ave staff Off
GERS for their Chiefs This we regard as i'm
portant, and hope it will not be resisted by
the friends of Navy Department reorgani-
zation.
The bill will be opposed on the ground
that 1t destroys the individuality of the i'm.
portant bureau Of steam engineering, merg-
ing 1t with construction in the new "bureau
Of material, construction, and repair.n
Steam engineering is one Of the most i'm
portant branches Of human effort. 1t deals
with great problems vital to the interests of
society in general not less than to the navy.
The engineering bureau OF our naval estab-
lishmept should not be hampered or its use
fulness be impaired by unfrendly legisla
tion. The theory that the engineer is ga
mere mechanic" or "only an engine drver,n
should be gotten rid Of with all convenient
dispatch. Under the BILL as it stands, any
line ofhcer OF any rank could be put IN
charge Of the bureau into which steam en-
gineering is thrown as II it were of little OIL
no account.
The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN is glad tC
note in the management Of the Navy De
partment progressive spirit and willing
ness to correct errors There ought to bt
: no partisOnship in the formulation or dis
cussion of such a measure as this. Th
!. country needs ships and guns. 1t has mel
who will know how to use them when the,
are provided. The bill for reorganizlni
the Navy Department has good features, a
= we have shown. Its faults can be readil,
: eliminated. A dozen brief verbal change
would make 1t about right.