The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-12-13
ENNlIat REp0RTS

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ANNUAL REPORTS
OF the Heads of Several OF the Government
Departments.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-Secretary Whitney,
in his annual report, after presenting q brief
review of this condition of the navy Us it will
exist On the 4th Of next March, 1855, says:
That SO far as arinored ships are concerned,
way by the department and congress-.
As a result Of tho policy a1op.ei and car
ried out during tho past three years the con-
ditions at the present time, the secretary
says are such that everything necessary to
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 or feature is required; but
this has never, heretofore, until tae present
time, been true, and therefore the considcra
tion OF the subject has been necessarily post
poned by the department until the present
time. The efforts CT the department in ship
construction have necessarily, since March,
lSe&, been devoted 10 unarnored vessels, and
as to these the department is able to report
that wnen the ships in course of construction
and those authorized, shall have been conf
pleted, TIE United States will rank second
among the nations in the possession of un.
armorcd cruisers cr commerce Destroyer
having the highest characteristics Of size,
5000 tons and upward, and possessing speed
Of nineteen knots IN upward.
The Importance, the secretary says, which
has been placed upon this branch Of naval
armament will bc appreciated from the
statement that England and France possess
sixty five vessels OF the class known ss TN.
armored 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 confederecy in the
war of the rebellion The total tonnage of
the registered vessels Of the United States
had risen year by year, until, in 1851, it
amounted to 2,642, 62S tons; and between
1861 and 1866 it was reduced to l. ,492 .936
tons-or, in other words, to the point which
we had reached in 1879, from which decline
ue hsve never recovered. The insurance
|ar 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 1885, in this respect, led to the
conclusion that the machinery of naval
vessels ought to be SO designed as to produce
ten-horse power for each ton Of machinery,
and it was determined 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-
ton, or were permitted to submit their own
plans but were obliged to guarantee the re-
suits determined 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 produc-
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 TINA, the. do
partment has reached the point where entire
reliance can be placed upon It for the pro-
duction Of war vessels equal in character to
those Of any other 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: ut is gratifying to be able |
to report that, notwithstanding the largr ex-
penditures for the new navy in the last ehree |
years, the reduction in other directions has
made the total expenditures of the depart |
ment less for those years than for the three |
years ending June 80, 1854, the ordinary ex-
penses Of the department having been re- |
duced over 20 per cent.
A table is included in the report which |
shows That the expenditures for the years
ending June 50, 1882, 1883 and 1884 were, |
Si7,s79.S S97, and fer the years ending June |
80, 1886, 1887 and lssS, SID, ,S3o. $50. The
fiscal year ending June 90, 1855, is omitted |
from the table as not having been wholly il |
either administration.
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 the European powers in
building unprotected torpedo boats, and in |
the present uncertainty regarding the prac
Iicability Of submarine boats, and while |
waiting the practical trial of the dynamite
yurbcGts it has been deemed wise for the
department. to build one light drauGht,
heavily arnorcd, barbor-defense floating
battery or IAN, for which designs have been
prepared.
Considerable space is devoted to q discus
sicn of tie business methods Of the depart
nent, and to the efforts being made to sin,-
plify, systematic and improve them. Upon
sais subject the secretary says: During the
years of 1854 and 1855, over so per cent. in
value of the supplies OF the department were
1btai9ed by open purchases without compe.
.ttioD. During the last year the proportion
of such purchases was less than II per cent,
and in the course Of the next fiscal year, it is
that the open purchases can be re-
1uced to about per cent. The naval brok
.rs have for the most part disappeared, and
'egular responsible dealers are becoming
more and more contractors for these sup
lies. For tino it seemed impossible to
iislodge them. They would underbid resu-
ar dealers, notably for the supply Of coal
t was quite evident they had some advant-
ge which did not appear. Careful investi-
,ation showed the quality of the coal deliv-
red to be as contracted for.
The receiver Of the coal was changed at
he Brooklyn navy yard, and the weights
AIKEN by another civil employc, and nothing
suspicious was developed Finally q naval
,ffcer was detailed, without previous notice,
o weigh personally large load. and it was
ourd sixteen tons short. The gentleman
disappeared as bidder for the department
rom that time. There was no evidence OF
rand on his part, but inference can readily
'e drawn. The system of property accounts
or the navy, referred to in the last animal
eport has been in successful operation since
July I. The experience Of the first quarter
hows that it is simple, and that there is nc
liificulty in keeping pace with current work
It the largest station.
The report says that by careful watching
f the disbursement in foreign stations, and
alling the attention Of pay officers to the
ubjects OF their drafts, by which greatly
rates have been procured, tho de-
artment is able to report that in the items :
{ commission, interest and exchange,
rhereas net loss Of sos, ,l93 was made in
be two years and ten months ending April
4, 1855. for the three years ending June 50,
SIS, a net gain of S703 was made. AL
lding to naval progress at homo and
broad during the past year, the secretary
ays the necessity for increased numbers of
,st protected cru sers, whether for the pur-
ose Of protecting or destroying commerce.
r for S.,rvica xcith Huat as coo,-fo bo, hoor |