New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-03
THE MISTAKES OF WHITNEY.
WHY he WANTS TO RETIRE FROM OFFICE:
SOME BLUNDERs SET FoRTH-A POLICY
OF PRoCRAsTINATION.
rBr TEL EGR,rI To THE TRIBUNE

rBr TEL EGR ArI To THE TRIBUNE
Washington, Sept g" wouldn't be at all
surprised TO see Secretary Whitney nominated for
Governor Of Ncw-Yor<' said a man to-day who
is Democrat and thoroughly conversant with
Naval matters. He continued know as
fact that Mr.. Whitney has become thoroughly
sick and tired Of the Navy Department, and /
firmly believe that he will retire, whether he be
nominated for Governor or not If he should be
candidate, however. his friends in the Brooklyn
Navy Yard ought TO be able to give him valuable
assistance should think that the Admin 'stra-
tion candidate for Governor he would make
strong run in New-York and Brooklyn, despite any
adverse influence which Hills friends might be
disposed TO exert
Why do YOU believe that he will soon retire.
whether nominated not p asked the cores
pondent
Well. in a word, whi;ncy's eyes have been
opened and he realizes that his administration OF
the Navy Department has been a dismal failure
and he wants TO make safe haIbOr before the
storm breaks which he knows must como in a
year or two He would like to shift the response
hlitv for failure 70 other shoulders. The truth
is that Mr.. Whtncy's administration has been
marked by series of blunderS, more or less
serious. beginning with the first day he set foot
in the Navy Department.
viii YOU mention some of them?'
Some Of them, yes The entire series would
fill page of The Tribune. To begin with, there
was the Roach blundcr Mr.Whitncy was firmly
Convinced that the Navy Department under Chand-
Ter was honcycombcd with corruption. and that
John Roach was of the chief befchciarlcS.
He went ahead on that theory. lie attacked the
validity of the Roach contracts, and tried by every
possible means to show not only that the con-
tractor was receiving an eNtravagant pricH, nut
that the ships themselves were wCllnlgh worthless.
He drove Roach into bankruptcy and broke his
heart but the ships have turned out to be ell
right, everything that the contractor guaranteed.
In fact, no navy in the world contains better ships
Of their class than the Atlanta, Boston and Chi
cago As for the contracts. of course. they were
sound In fact Roach compelled to give
heavier bonds for performance than have been
REQUIRED % any OF the contractors for new vessels
10y Mr.. Whitney. As for the so-cailed penalty
clauses in the pending contracts. they Will amount
10 nothing. for a reason which | shall hereafter
state The original mistake in regard to the
Roach SHIPS has been intensified hy the long
and needless delays in completing them and by
the self-evident incapacity of the Ordnance Bill
rrau Procrastnaton has been the order or
the day Boards upon boards have been appointed
and, IS rule the results Of their lahors have
been carefully briefed and pigeon -holed The
Roach cruisers ought to have been completed ana
sent 10 sea eighteen months ago
"Ilave there not been delays also in The work
on the ships and gunboats now buidng?"
"Oh yes but they will tell you at the Depart
ment that the Government receives, or is to re-
ceive an abatement Of SO many dollars for every
days delay after the expiration IF certain period
as if what the Government needs is not so much
new navy as conversation for delays They
call this penalty which the contractor must
pay Every one Of the contractors is bchin',
but do not believe one Of them is responsi'
for IT."
well. who is responsible and who must pay
the penalty?7
Inspectors WHO COULDN'T INSPECT
"Nobady will pay any money penalty, for
that will have to be rcmittcd. The responsibility
for the delay rests primarily on the Secretary Of
the Navy, who detailed for duty inspectors
of steel officers who not qualified
for that sort Of work. Some Of them could not
distinguish steel from wrought iron. Why. let
me give you example:
Work on the machinery of the Charleston at
San Francisco suspended for two weeks Tor thlS
reason The lieutenant who had boon detailed to
inspect the steel passing through the works
one day. when he discovered lot of finished work
which, upon inquiry. he found TO be connecting
rods. He knew that he had not tested them and
he applied for a piece for that purpose. None
be suspended until Re could communicate with the
Department at Washington and receive instruc-
tions The next day after his letter was dispatched
the contractor discovered that work had b,tn sus
pended and the reason therefor. and he promptly
sent q letter to Secretary Whitney, of which this
was the gst: Work has been suspended by order
Of the steel inspector. This has been done. 1t
seems because he could not he furnished with a
test piece Of steel of a wrought iron rod
"Of course the suspension removed. and
do not suppose that any of the correspondence
was included in the minute and comprehensive |
report sent TO the Senate recently in response TO
the Chandler resolution. The inspectors have
been quite as prone to err in direction opposite |
TO that of the extremely vigilant and Jealous Off |
Ger in San Francisco l understand that when
Chief Engineer Melville was stationed in Philade-
phia he was compelled to reject about sevcn-cighths
of shipmcnt Of steel to the Cramps from Pitts |
burg which had passed the amateur steel inspect |
stationed in the latter city merely mention |
these matters TO show you that the contractors
have not much 70 fear on account of the so-called
penalty clauses in their contracts
INADEQUATE TINE FOR THE CONTRACTORS.
AS matter of fact the Secretary Of the Navy |
has already extended the time most Of the |
contracts and thereby waived the penalty al
though none Of the vessels can be completed within
the extended period. For example the extension on
the Baltimore. which required By the original /
contract to be completed June Il, VIII expire |
November 30. Mr. Crdmp would tell you THAI !
the Baltimore cannot possibly be ready for de- |
livery at that tint She cannot be launched !
before September ;. On the gunboat Yorktown, (
the contract as extended. expired more than |
one hundred days ago and she Is being finished |
undcr a penalty Of S2J per day. The gunbCat |
PetreI which is building in Baltimore, should
have been completed more than five months ago
part OF the time the penalty was $25 per day:
now II is $50 per day. An extension Of four
months has been asked on the CharlIeston which
is building in San Francisco The time, If
Granted will be wholly inadequate | will not
Saw that the Navy Department is responsible for
Inl1r in alNrI II