Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-09-04
THE kITTERY NAVY YARD.

secretary Tracy Makes Reply to the House
Resolution in Relation the Neces.
sity for an Increased Force Being EN-
pioyed at the Kittery( lie. Navy Yard at
the Present Time.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2S.-The Secre-
taTy of the Navy sent to the House yes
terday reply to the House resolution
adopted August 25. directing him to in
form the House of the necessity of in
creasing the force employed at the Kit
terry Navy Yard, near Portsmouth, n
H., as ordered by the Department;
whether the interests of the public
service require the reconstruction of
the buildings there destroyed by fire,
etc.
In reply the Secretary says that the
necessity for the increase in the work
ing force in the month of July was due
to the fact that the appropriations for
the current fiscal year became available
July l. OF these appropriH some
were to be applied to new VI orll, specific
ally directed by this aci; others to
new work authorized in general terms,
which could only be undertaken when
the funds for the new fiscal year be-
came available; others to complete
work partly completed which had been
suspended owing to the exhaustion of
the appropriations. To whichever class
the work belonged, it involved an in
crease OF the force during the month of
July.
In regard to the specific works that
are the subject of inquiry by the resolu-
ton, the Department replies in each
case that they are needed, and explains
why.
The resolution also requested the
Secretary to inform the House whether
the contemplated employment of an in
creased force at this yard at this time
is or is not intended to affect the APP
preaching Congressional elections in
Maine rather than to subserve the pub
lie interests.
In reply to this, the Secretary saws
that this question calls upon the De-
partment to explain its motives IN I'M
dertaking these particular works, at
this place, and at this time. The state
ment of facts already given, he says,
shows that the six works that arc
the subject of inquiry were all urgent
~ required by the exigencies of the
service, and four had been specially
directed by Congress. AS to the time
appointed to do the work, which hap
pens to be coincident with the APP
proach of Congressional election, the
course of legislation prevented any
work before the first of July, and the
local climate is such that it would have
been sheer negligence on the part of
the Department to have postponed it
until the middle CT September. In
view. however, of the character of the
interrogatory, in which the House, in
direct terms, asks the head of an exc
cutive department whether he has or
has not been guilty of gross abuse of
power in public administration, he
says:
i deem it proper, in terms equally
direct, to deny that the contemplated
employment of such increased force at
this navy yard is intended to affect the
approaching election in Maine. rather
than to subserve the interests of the
public, or that any increase of force 1t
any time has been or will be made
by the Navy Department. under its
present administration, for the pur-
pose OF influencing an approaching
election, or for the purpose of electing
or defeating any particular candidate;
and have the honor to add that the
Navy Department, while pursuing
steadily this policy, does not propose
that the progress of public work di-
rected by law. and by law committed
to its charge, shall be interrupted or
postponed by the occurrence of an cleo
ton, or that it shall be deferred from
the performance of what it believes to
be its duty by any fear that unjust and
unfounded suspicious may call in ques-
tiCn the mott yes of it's action