St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-28
The Secretary Of the Navy
Intends to Reorganize His (
Department. :
It's Method of Tpansacting
bile Business, He Claims,
Is Obsolete.
Badger Statesmen Hold a
Curbstone Convention, and
Divide the Spoils.
Northwestern PostOffices Ripe
and Ready to Be Plucked
by Protectionists.

WASHINGTON, June 27.-By a sweep
ing general order issued to-day Secre-
tary Tracy directed an entire reorgani-
zation of the business of the navy de-
partment. Succintly stated, the secre-
tary's reasons for making the order are
as follows: Up to this time the new
equipments and new duties constantly
arising from the conditions of change
incident to the replacement of the old
wooden vessels with new ships aud
modern guns, have been assigned here
and there to the several bureaus
of the department, often with
no better reason than the con-
venience of the moment. The result
has been confusion and an eXaggeratiOn
of the defects of the bulea system.
Duties which have no connection have
been placed together and those natu-
rally associated have been divorced.
Supply has been complicated and ex-
pensiye. Electric lighting, for example,
has been claimed by three bureaus.
The training of officers and men apart
from the Independent establishment of
the naval academy, has been divided
between an equal number. And there
has been no office to control and detail
the personnel as whole, both officers
and men, and to receive and transmit
the correspondence of the fleet. Secre-
tary Whitney realized the evils of the
system and made an effort to change
them, but was obliged, from the magni-
tude of the task, and the paramount im-
portance of concentrating his energies
upon the procurement of new ships and
guns to abandon the task. Secretary
Tracey, however, now says that the
time is
RIPE FOR FURTHER CHANGE,
and has accordingly issued the new
order. 1t enlarges the duties of some
of the bureaus, notably those Of the
bureau of equipment, to which is at
heretofore belonging to the bureau OF
navigation and the control of the hydro
graphic and compass Offices of the naval
observatory. To the constructing,
manufacturing and purchasing bureaus
are assigned other duties, grouping
them Systematically and appropriately.
Each bureau exercises control of its
shops, labor, superintendent, requisi-
tiohs, accounts and appropriations. The
limits of authority are we'll defined.
The bureau of navigation loses it's
duties of supply and its control over
several important offices, and becomes,
under the immediate direction of the
secretary, an executive section of mill
tary matters, and is charged with the
training, discipline and control of the
personnel of the fleet. Finally the
chiefs of bureaus, of yards and docks,
equipment, ordnance, construction and
repair and steam engineering ex-OfficiO.
constitute board for the design, con
structiOn and equipment of new ships.
Practically the one effect of the order
will be to make the bureau of naviga-
ton correspond to the adjutant gen
erals Office in the war department in
the control of the entire personnel of
the organization. The terms of the
order are as follows:
The duties Of the bureau Of navigation
shall comprise all that relates to the promul-
CATION and enforcement OF the secretary's
orders to the fleet and to the officers of the
including the naval academy and technical
schools for officers except the torpedo
schooD, the apprentice establishment and
schools for the technical education OF en-
all enlisted persons, including appointed
petty officers for general and special service,
and the preparation of estimates for the pay
of all officers and enlisted men. 1t shall have
under its sole control all rendezvous and re-
crlliting ships, and it shall provide transpor-
tation for all enlisted persons and appointed
petty officers. 1t shall establish the compile
ment of the crews of all vessels in commits
sion. Itshall keep the records of services Of
all squadrons, officers and men,, and prepare
the annual naval register for publication. 1t
shall have under its direction the Office Of
naval intelligence and naval attaches board
the department library, Libraries for ships
and the war records Office. It shall be
charged with the enforcement Of the laws
and authorized regulations. tactics, signal
codes, and manuals Of the service and the
keeping of the same correct to date. All
questions with regard to discipline, changes
of regulations, tactics and manuals shall be
submitted to this bureau for its action and
recommendation. 1t shall prescribe the
dress of all officers and men and see that the
regulations in this respect are strictly en-
forced. 1t shall receive and bring to the at
tention Of the secretary Of the navy all appli-
cations from officers for service or change of
service. 1t shall receive all reports of service
performed by vessels, officers, or men; of all
inspections of the same not Of a special ma
ture, and of all drills and exercises. In order
to prevent the issuing of conflicting instruc-
tions all official communications to vessels
in commission shall be first submitted to the
secretary of the navy and forwarded through
this bureau. To the bureau of yards and
docks is assigned all that relates to the con-
struction ana maintenance of docks, slips,
buildings within navy yards, the naval home
and generally the same duties as now it dis
charges. The bureau of equipment and re-
cruiting loses the apprentices system and the
enlistment of men. but gains the naval OBJ
servatory, nautical almanac, photographic
and compass Offices, and the electric light
system, In the case of the remaining bureaus
it is noticeable that all of them are to have
exclusive jurisdiction over the buildings and
plants assigned to their use in the navy yards
after they have been constructed by the
bureau of yards and docks. All of the
bureaus are also empowered to purchase
such stores, tools, plants and material as they