New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-07

Massachusetts . 5i23 33 Texas ............ 93s II
"The number Of men certified as mustered in and
serving in the Naval Militia is as follows:
california 81 Kh0as Island q e.
North Carolina - iOi Total.................1,l49
"The Naval Militia, therefoe, comprises today ali
effective organized force OF over liQO men n
among six states. From information receiver rum
various sources 1t is beyond qies"ol tat a; SION a.
respective Legislatures, other states VIII Immediately
establish organizatons aud the number oil men III tho
service will be largely increased
The Department urges strongly upon Congress a
change in the time Q, nom iba NAV @ eaaeS az s
year in advance Of the date Of admission FOR many
years large popU@a bye tailed either at the
entrance examination or during the cOurs" Isso
failures have been largely due 10 insufficient prepare
ton 1t IS an injustice 10 many aese[Vls Sohs n
that they should be forced often ut few days notIe
opportunity to prepare. Shoud the system Of n0nna
ton mentioned fail TO give good Ie-S IL can easli!
will reduce TO minimum the objections 10 be present
sysssm. .....,. .u,,,,, .,.. NOW and d,ricu,t
problems that confronted the present admhlsta
lion Of the Navy Department. ta VI The building and
yarls A part of the work OF building ships
should be done at the yards because the loVefnmeV
must aways lie IN position 10 be INDEPENDENT Oh pl
vae actors and all OF the par worA iist Nee
sarily be doie there. Until recently TINS "orh was
Tson some 10 reSa lad been mse upon hs
and Dolphin, and shortly before Its clos the keel OF
impoTtant Exceptions nothing whatsycf In molern ship
building repairing had been done by the UoVerhhe'
navy wards pnOr to March, 1882
The Navy Department was therefore called upon, at
the opening of this dminst aton 10 start on ITS own
and repair OF SIe ships. Tie previous wJrh Of the
navy yard wooden vessels was an entirely diffeent
branch OF Manufacture and of much simpler char
acter The hull Of the old ship was mercy wooden
It iI |ss done With the sSS the adze the che and
mallet the anger and the ret OF an oqSIry sip car
real
Tho ship Of today is an entirely different structure.
or In rplr every Job Of cutting fastnnS no matter
meow meow Of the highest & Got ony in the frame and
The sin Of the ship but in al It's minor appliances
warship OF the present day Is one OF the most compl-
Gated machines OF modern times There Is no compa1-
classes If work. They are as different Us making
bucket and making watch As an I as ts OF te
apparently unlmporant part of the machinery may be
mentioned the accident That occurred March %, 1880,
the steamship City Of Paris The primary cause Of
trely wrecked and the ship placed In position OF
from tie excellence OF The design and workmanship Of
the remaining parts, was the wearing down + the bear
Of the propeller shaft The shaft became bent and
tnay rupiIed, and the cessation of all resistance and
he consequent Increased velocity OF the machinery re-
suited In wrecklng the engine. The OF the acct
dent is said to have been found in the bursting of
n dese F came or 81 tH 't the aHs r
of many lives and millions Of Iroperty TO turn over
imperi the efficiency Of orr ships: and TO ruin the new
Navy which has been built up with such Infinite labor
and pains, faster than IL be acquired; and at the
same time, to involve the Government. through the
Navy department, in an eXtrayaSant and needless eX
penditure. Considerations VI efficiency IN the Fl st
place and OF economy in The second therefore demand
That some practical business way shall be found to
Secure competent worlmen. 1t has fallen to this Ad
minstra'ion to be the rst to grap2le with the ques
lion; and have considered that no r.ater how great
the difficulties should not be justified in shlrdng or
evadns the duty.
partment get good foremen and good workmen in Its
building and repair yards! have arrived at the con
the places 10 the best class Of mechanics that he
procured for the prices the Government can afford ford,
mechanical skill. Tie general object proposed above
accomplished without radical change in Organization
Everybody knows and i Is OF no use to eyade the
largely purposes Of political patronage. TIE sys
TEN which found I'm existence placed the power Of
men and the f5Iemen were generally political mp
pointoes. With such system 1t was impossible that
he the skill Of the appiicnnf: for those by whom he
was recommended were not his employers and had no
could the foreman, owing his appointment to local In
nuences resist even if he desired tie pressure OF
Although in the ols days this system must have
entaed considerable loss 10 the Government yet there
prevent the carrying out Of work at the yards Any
man who could bore and moT:ise could render some
the work which the yards now called upon TO per-
form cannot be done under that SYSTEM The worknen
must be chosen for their qualities worbnc and this
can only be accomplished BY excluding every other
consideration than those OF skill and competency.
10 became evident TO me. after two years expert
enca IN the Department that In order 10 obtain ~
Lind Of worlnen required In the navy yards specific
change Of organization necessary, aud plan Tor
the selection II fOremen and other experimenting
mechanics put I'm operation In April last All the
experimenting places at the yard were declared vacant
and board Of officers, whose impartial character was
universally recognized and whose members were prac-
teal men, most OF them experienced In manufacturing,
appointed to find ont the best mechanics To MI me
places Pgb-c notice Was given, and AL mechanics
were allowed IN compete.
The Department appointed in every case The man
whom the Board reported best among the applicants
for the position. In cases the board rrpoHe4i
that ~ the candidates who appeared were quail
fed In these cases the best nInoIg the candidates
was appointed temporarily. and The Department Is now
making second effort To secure thoroughly compe-
tent men in their places.
The next step was to provide for the selection OF
worlunen. The method adopted, which was put In
operation the Isl Of september last was to open an
Office OF each yRrl. where nil applicants could register
This Office Is In charge ~ Hoard. also composed or
practical men, either heads Of departments ~ the
wards or their asslstnns an OF whom are cnmri STONED
officers. The Board clnssfcs the applicants according
u their trades the only requirement for regi tasOn
being TINT they shall be American citizens, and that