The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-12-12
ANNuAL REPORTS
or the Heads Of sessFSal Of the taovSernmont


Departments.
WAsH1NeroS, Dec. .i.-Secretary Whitney,
In his annual report; after presenting brief
review of the condition of the navy as it will
exist on the 4th of next March, 1855, says:
That 50 far as armorsd ships are Concerned;
the subject is yet TO be treated In broad
way by the department and congress.
As a result OF the policy adop5ed and car
ried out during the past three years the con-
ditions at the present time, the secretary
says. are such that everything necessary TO
a first-class fighting ship can be produced
and furnished to the department in this
country as soon as in the course OF construc-
tion any element OF feature Is required; but
this has never, heretofore, until the present
time, been true, and therefore the considera-
tion OF the subject has been necessarily post
poned by the department. until the present
time. The efforts Of the department. in ship
construction have necessarily, since March,
1855, been devoted to unarmored vessels and
as TO these the department is able to report
that when the ships in course of construction
and those authorized, shall have been com
pleted, the United States will rank second
among the nations in the possession of un-
armored cruisers or Commerce destroyers''
having the highest characteristics of size,
800 tons and upward, and possessing speed
of nineteen knots an upward.
The Importance, the secretary says, which
has been placed upon this branch OF naval
armament will be appreciated from the
statement that England and France possess
sixty-fi vessels of the class known as nm
artnored cruisers. The attention of the world
was attracted TO the destructive effect which
was produced upon the commerce of the
United States by the cruisers fitted out un-
der the auspices of the confederacy in the
war Of the rebellion. The total tonnage OF
the registered vessels Of the United States
had risen year by year, until, in 1861, IL
amounted to 2, 642 62S tons; and between
1861 aud 1866 il was reduced to /, a., 92d
tons-or, in other words, to the point which
We had reached in lS49, from which decline
We have never recovered. The insurance
war risk upon American vessels during the
war rose in exceptional cases TO as high as
Is per cent.
Discussing the production of power by
machinery, Secretary Whitney says: That
an examination of the condition of the de-
partment In 1855, in this respect, led to the
conclusion that the machinery OF naval
vessels ought to be SO designed as to produces
ten-horse power for each ton of machinery
and it determineA to make that the
standard and TO enter into no contracts that
were not based substantially thereon.
Plans of machinery were purchased
abroad which upon trial had approximated
that result. Bidders were authorized to bid
upon the plans thus submitted to competi-
tion, or were permitted 60 submit their own
plans, but were obliged to guarantee the re-
suits detetmined upon by the department
under severe penalties for failure and with
compensating premiums in case of obtaining
better results. All the contracts for the con-
struction of ships which have been entered
into since March, 1885, call for the prodnc-
tion of power by machinery equal to the
highest standards The efforts OF the de-
partment in this matter have been cordially
seconded by The bureau chiefs, and it is
believed that, at the present time, che de-
partment has reached the point where entire
reliance can he placed upon It for the pro-
dnctfon 81 war vessels equal M character TO
those Of any 6tfier country.
Referring to the reduction Of expenses
during the past three years. It Is claimed
that the savings Of The department are pay
ing for the new. navy, and on this topic the
secretary says: "It is gratifying to be able
TO report that, Notwithstanding the large ex-
penditures for the new navy IN the last three
years, the reduction in other directions has
made Che total Expenditures Of the depart
ment less for those years than for the three
years ending June 30, 1854, the ordinary ex-
penses of the department. having been 10
duced over 20 per cent.
A table is included In the report which
shows that the expenditures for ths years
ending June 20, 1882, 1888 and 1884 were.
S47, 1897, and for the years ending June
30, 1885, 1887 and 1855, $40 $50 $50. The
fiscal year ending June so, 1885, Is omitted
from the table az not having been wholly in
either administrator
Discussing coast and harbor defenses, Sec
retary Whitney says: In the last annual
report of the department. the considerations
were given leading TO the conclusion that
it would be unwise for the department to
follow the course of tie European powers in
building unprotected torpedo boats, and In
the present uncertainty regarding the praG
ticabllity Of submarine boats, and while
waiting the practical trial OF fhe dynamite
gunboEts it has been deemed wise for the
department 20 build one light draught
heavily armored, harbor-defense hoa.1ng
battery or lam, for which designs haya BEEN
prepared.
Considerable space Is devoted to a discus
sion OF the busillSSs methods of the depart
ment, apd 30 the efforts being made to SIM
Phlyi systematize and improve them. Bpon
EsIs subject the secretary says: During the
yearg of lse4 and 1885. over so per cent. in
value OF the supplies of the department were
obtained by open purchases witbout compe-
dtion. During the lass yezf the proportion
of such PURCHASES was less than IL per cent.
and IN the cOtirss of the next fiscal year, It Il
believed that tbe open purchases can be re-
quced 70 about per cent. The naval brok-
ers have for the most part disappeared, and
regular responsible dealers are becoming
more and more contractors for these sub
plies For time it seemed impossible 20
dislodge them. Thsy would undsrbid regu-
lar dealers, Eetabi8 for the supply Of coal