The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-28
A Much-Needed Change Whereby 1t Is Hoped
to Avoid Past Confusion, and Facilitate
the Work Of the Various Bureaus.
What Commissioner Tanner Hopes to
DOin Raising LOw-Rated Pensions.
The Vacant Russian and Chinese Missions
President Harrison Getting Ready for ava
cation-Two Indiana Appointments.
A SWEEPING CHANGE.
Secretary Tracy KeorganIxes the Business
Methods of the Navy Department.

Secretary Tracy Reorganizes the Business
Methods of the Navy Department.
WASHINGTON, June 21.-By a sweeping
general order issued to-day Secretary Tracy
directed an entire reorganization. of the
business methods of the Navy Department.
Succinctly stated, the Secretary's reasons
for making the order are as follows: Up to
this time the new equipments and new du-
ties constantly arising from the conditions
of change incident to the replacement of
the old wooden vessels with new ships and
modern guns, have been assigned here and
there to the several bureaus of the depart
ment, often with no better reason than the
convenience of the moment. The result
has been confusion and an exaggeration
of the defects of the bureau system.
Duties which have no connection
have been placed together. and those
naturally associated have been di-
vorced. Supply has been complicated
and expensive. Electric lighting, for ex-
ample, 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
a whole. both officers and men. and TO re-
ceive and transmit the correspondence of
the feet.
Secretary Whitney realized the evils of
the system, and made an effort to change
them, but was obliged. from the magnitude
of the task and the paramount Importance
of concentrating his energies upon the pro-
curement of new shipsand guns to abandon
the task. Secretary Tracy, 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 or
Equipment. TO which is attributed nearly
all the duties of supply heretofore belong
ing to the Bureau of Navigation, and the
control of the Photographic and Compass
offices and the Naval Observatory. 70
the constructing, manufacturing and pur-
chasing bureaus are assigned other duties,
grouping them Systematically and appro-
priately. Each bureau exercises control or
ITS shops. labor. superintendenee, reqp1IsSl. 1S,
limits Of authority are well defined. The
| Bureau of Navigation loses its duties OF
| supply and its control over several iin-
| porlant offices, and becomes. under the im
| mediate direction of the Secretary, an ex-
ecutlve section for military matters, and ls
| charged with the training, discipline and
control of the personnel OF the heet. final,
| ly' the chiefs of the bureaus of yards and
| docks. equipment ordnance, construction
| and repair, and steam engineering, ex
| officio, constitute a board for the design,
| construction and equipment of new ships;
| Practically the one etfecto of the order VIII
be to make the Bureau of Navigation cor
respond to the Adjutant-generafs 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
1 cho1 oll hot OF 70 h.
mitigation and enforcement of the Seere-
| tary's orders to the feet and TO the officers
| of the navy; to the education of officers and
men, including the Naval Academy and
technical schools for officers Except the
torpedo school,. the apprentice establish
ment and schools for the technical educa-
tion of enlisted men; the enlistment and
| discharge of all enlisted persons. intending
| appointed petty officers for general and spe-
cial service, and the preparation of esti-
mates for the pay of all officers and en-
listed men. 1t shall have under it's sole con-
| troll all rendezvous and receiving ships, and
it shall provide transportation for all en-
listed persons and appointed petty oitcers.
1t shall establish the complement OF the
| crews of all vessels in commission. 1t shall
| keep the records of service of all squa9rons,
ships, officers and men, and prepare the an
| nual naval register for publication. 1t
shall have under its direction the Office OF
naval intelligence and naval attaches
| abroad, the department library, Libraries .
| for ships and the war records ofnce. lt
shall be charged with the enforcement of
| the laws and authorized regulations. tao
| tics, signal codes and manuals OF the sery-
ice. and the keeping of the same correct to
date. All questions with regard TO dlscl-
| pline, changes of regulations. tactics
and manual shall be submitted to
| this bureau for its action and recOmmenda-
tion. 1t shall prescribe the dress Of all
| officers and men. and see that the regula-
tions in this respect are strictly enforced.
Ii shall receive and bring to the attention
of the Secretary of the Navy all applications
from officers for service or change OF serv-
ice. 1t shall receive all reports of service
performed by vessels, officers or men; cf all
inspections of the same not OF a special
nature. and of all drills and exercises. In
order to prevent the issuing Of conflicting
instructions all official communications 10
vest in commission shall be first submitted
to the Secretary of the Navy and for
warded through this bureau.
To the Bureau of Yards and Docks Is as
signed all that relates to the construction
and maintenance of docks. slips, buildings
within navy-yards. the Naval Home. and
generally about the same duties as 1t now
discharges.
The Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting
loses the apprentices system and the en-
listment 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 il j:
noticeable that all of them are 10 have ex.
| elusive jurisdiction of the buildings and
plants assigned 10 their use In the navy.
| yards after they have been constructed by
the Bureau of Yards and Docks. All of the
bureaus are also emp0weredto purchase such
stores tools plants and material as they
may need.