Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-28
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
ITS BUSINESS METHODS TO BE EN-
TIRELY REoRGANIzEO.
Secretary Traoy's Reasons for Making n
General Order for That
Purpose.
fBy telegraph to the Dispa,ch.i


WASHINGTON. June Ply sweeping
general order issued to-day Secretary Ira
cy directed an entire reorganization Of
the business methods Of the Navy Depart
mcut. Succinctlv stated. the Secretary
reasons for making the order are as follows
TIP 20 this time new equipments and new
duties constantly arising from conditions
OF change incident TO the replacement of
the old wooden vessels with now ships and
modern guns have been assigned here
and there to the several bureaus Of the
department. often with no better reason
than the convenience of the moment. The
result has been confusion and an cXaCgerl-
ton Of the defects Of the bureau system.
The duties which have no connection nave
been placed together, and those naturally
associated have been diycT5ed. = he sup
ply las been complicated and expensive.
The electric lighting. for cxamplc, has been
claimed by three bureaus. The training
of the officers and mon. apart from the in
dependent establishment Of the Naval
Academy. hes been divided by an equal
number. and there has been TO Office 20
control and dctail the pTsoruc' as "a whole.
both officers and men. and 10 receive and
transmit the correspondence of the fleet.
Secretary Whitney realized the evils Of
tho system and made AN effort TO change
them, but was obliged, from the mAgui-
tude q the task and the paramount inn
p0rtGnce of concentrating his energies
upon The procurement Of new ships and
guns, 20 abandon the task. Secretary
Tracy. however. now says that the time rs
ripc for % further change, and has accord
iugly issued a now order. II cnlarccs the
duties Of some OF the bureaus. notably
those Of the Bureau Of Equipment, to which
* attached nearly all the duties of supply
heretofore belonging 10 the Bureau Of
Navigation and control Of photographic
and compass Offices and Naval Obsery atory.
To the constructing, manufacturing, and
purchasing bureaus are assigned other du-
ties. grading them Systematically and APP
propriatsly. Each bureau exercises con-
troll Of is shops. labor. superintendent,
acquisitions. accounts, and appropriations.
The limits of the authority are well de-
fined. The Bureau OF Navigation loses ITS
duties Of supply and it's control over several
important Offices. and becomes. under
the immediate direction Of the Secretary,
an executive section for military matters
and is charged with the training. dis
cipline, and control OF the personnel Of the
feet Finally the chiefs Of the Bureau OF
Yards and Docks, Equipment, Ordnance,
Construction and Repair. and Steam Engl-
ucerug. er-pf'coo. constitute the board for
the delgu. construction, and equipment Of
the new ships. Practically one effect II
the order VIII be 10 make the Bureau Of
Navigation correspond % the AdIutaut-
Generals Office IL the War Department IN
the control Of the entire persWHd of
the organization. The rules of order are as
follows: The duties of the Bureau OF
Navigation shall comprise all that rclntcs
10 the FORMULATION and enforcement OF the
Sccretarys' orders tOthc fleet and 80 the oit-
GERS of the uaVv: 10 the education Of Off
GERS and men. including the Naval Acadc-
my and technical schools for officers lcX-
cent torpedo school: the apprentice es-
tablishment and schools for the technical
education of enlisted men: the enlistment
and DISCHARGE Of all enlisted persons, IN
Guiding appointed petty officers and en-
listed mon. II shall have under its sole
control all rendezvous and receiving ships,
and II shall provide transpo rtetlOn iOTall en-
listed persons and appointed petty officers.
II shall establish the COMP ement Of crews
of an vessels in commission. II shall keep
the records Of service Of all squadrOn-,
ships, officers. and men, and prepare the
annual naval register for publication. u
shall have under It's direction the office Of
naval intelligence and naval attaches
abroad. department library. Libraries for
ships. and war records Office. ~ shall
Doe charged with tho cnfoFc ment OF the
laws and authorized regulations, tactics,
the keeping Of the same correct 10 date,
All questions with regard 10 discipline.
changes If regulations. tactics, and
manuals shall be submitted 10 this bureau
for it, action and recommendation lt
shall prescribe the dress of all Cihc rs
and men and see that the Toguia-
tiOus in this respect are strictly en-
forced. IL shall receive and bring 10
the attention Of tho Secretary ot fine
Navy oil applications from officers. for
service or change II service. n shall -
celve all reports of service performed by
vessels. officers. or men Of all inspections
of same not OF q special nature. and OF all
drills and exercises In order 10 prevent
the issuing Of conflicting INSTRUCTIONS al
official communications to vessels iu CONE
mission shall bee frs; submitted 20 the
Secretary If the Navy and forwarded
through this bureau.
To the Bureau of Yards and Docks IS
assigned all that relate, 10 the CONSTRUCTION
and maintenance of docks, ships, build
iucs. with uavy-yards, naval home. and
generally about the same duties az At now
discharges.
The Bureau Of Equipment and Recruit
ing loses the apprentice system and tue
enlistment Of men. but gains the naval
observatory. nautical almanac, hydro
graphic and compass Offices, and the cleo
trIc-hght system.
In the caSe of the remaining bureaus II rs
noticeable that all OF them are 10 have eX-
elusive jurisdiction over the buildings and
plants gssagucd to their use in the navy
yards after they have been constructed by
the Bureau Of Yards and Docks. All of tine
bureaus are also empowered 90 purchase
such stores, tools plant, and material as
? nav rtt4.r mood