Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-01

| tension or Massachusetts avenue on the
most advantageous terms, and to use the
| money derived from such sale in the pur-
chase of the additional land needed in other
directions to complete the prescribed circle
herein indicated. To prevent extortion it is
recommended that the act confer authority
TO institute condemnation proceedings
against such of the desired lands as cannot
be otherwise procured at a fair valuation,
and IL is also suggested that Congress shall
authorize the department to convey for a
fair equivalent the right to extend Massa-
chusetts avenue through the grounds of the
observatory on lines already laid out.
The department is prepared to submit to
Congress detailed information bearing upon
! this subject and draft of proposed legis-
lation to accomplish the measures recon-
| mended.
| Labor at Navy Yards.
Every facility has been afforded by the
department for carrying out the provisions
of the regulations relating to the employ
ment of labor at the navy yards The re-
| port of the board of labor at the Norfolk
/ navy yard for the year ending September l.,
| 1873, shows that out of 500 men certified
| for employment 4O1 failed to report for
work. Out of LII certified to the heads of
| departments in the New York navy yard
341 did not respond. and like proportion
/ in the other navy yards failed to report for
employment in response to notices sent
| This caused delay in procuring labor when
| needed, and suggested a modificatio of the
i rules. According to the rules adopted by
| my predecessor. the names of applicants
| remained on the register indefinitely. AS
| the applications were greatly in excess of
| the needs of the government, and as it was
often necessary to call for laborers whose
names had been on the register for nearly
| two years, ii is obvious that there were
many reasons, such as death, change OF
residence, obtaining other employment,
&c, why persons on the register should
fail to appear. The regulations were there
| fore amended by ordering that as is pro-
vided in the rules governing the civil SER
vice commission, the names of applicants
should remain on the register only one
year. Other amendments to the rules may
be suggested by the careful scrutiny to
which they are being constantly subjected
by the department.
The Merit system.
There is no doubt that the system of en-
ploying laborers without reference to their
politics and making merit the sole test OF
their retention and advancement is greatly
to the benefit of the government. Unless
some such system as this be followed, there
Is no practicable method except to take the
recommendations of members of Congress,
VINO are better acquainted with and have
more knowledge of their constituencies than
any other persons to whom the head of the
department has access. Senators and Rep
success OF the government and of their
party, as a rule, II may be safely presumed
VIII only recommend those whom they be-
lleNe TO be competent for places under the
government, but the knowledge they have
or the capacity of laborers to build and re-
PAIR snlps is generally restricted within
very narrow limits. They certainly can not
judge of the competency of laborers with as
much accuracy as they display in selecting
persons Tor clerical places and every one
knows that in this. though actuated by the
best intentions they make frequent mis-
takes.
A misfortune of the method of taking on
laborers to oblige their friends. and not be-
cause OF their capacity or skill. is that the
lnnuence that procures appointment is
frequently used to secure the retention of
an incompetent einploye
IL IS not practicable TO estimate accurate
ly the value OF the present system of EN-
ploying labor at navy yards. but it GER
talnly is an Improvement upon former
methods. Every officer of the navy with
wnom l have consulted favors it: especially
those who have had recent experience in
navy yards. And yet experience and the
constant Investigations being made will
doubtless suggest notifications.
Violation of Civil Service Rules.
Generally the regulations adopted by nv
predecessor seem to have been fairly COM
piled with. Recent Developments however
have shown some violations of the rules at
the Washington navy yard. 1t is the pur-
pose of the department to investigate thor
oughly every case of alleged irregularity.
tablishei such steps will be taken and such
orders issued as will prevent repetition of
the offenses. 1t is hoped that results will
De such as to satisfy all parties of the pro-
priety and policy of making merit the sole
test by which labor is employed and re-
tanned in our navy yards.
the one misfortune connected with the
pronunciation of these rules is that at the
time of their adoption the employees were
not equally divided between the two great
dixic
been made and the system then put in
force IL is not believed that even a plausible
argument could be made for return to
former methods. 1t is perhaps too much
however, to expect that such a fair division
should first have been made. No new meth
Cd would ever be tried if its adoption de-
pended on conditions that never existed.
Ships in Commission.
During the past year the available ves-
sells of the navy have been almost con-
stantly employed. and the necessity for
their services in different parts of the globe
has been SO continuous that the department
has felt constrained to keep vessels in COM
mission which needed extensive repairs
and should have been laid up for that
purpose.
The need Of ships constantly in Asiatic
waters Is universally recognized. That they
are absolutely essential also in Central and
south American waters has been empha-
sized during the present administration by
revolutionary troubles. all imperiling more
or less. the rights of American commerce
IN Peru, Nicaragua on the east and west
coasts. Honduras, Guatemala Costa Rica
Argentine and Brazil. In order to even i'm
perfectly patrol the Bering sea during the
past season 1t was necessary to call in the
aid of vessel of the fish commission-the
AlOatross-and of three vessels OF the reye-
nue. marine.
1t is the present intention Of the depart-
ment to bring up the force on each station
TO the number which experience has proved
TO be necessary for the proper, efficient and
economical protection of American inter
ests. by the addition of new vessels as they
become available.
Estimates and Approximations
For the fiscal year ending June 80. 1895,
the estimates for the navy and marine
corps. including increase of the navy and
public WORKS, amount to 81, J,914.O2
The estimates for the same purposes for
the current fiscal year amounted to s24-
Al, 1881. or S},414,415.S1 less than those
for the next fiscal year.
For the current fiscal year the estimates
for increase of the navy amounted to So
IO3,65I, and for the next fiscal year they
amount to $l2,455,U25. the difference being
s., 1Jl ,:tiS.
The estimates for the running experse
of the navy and marine corps, including i'm
provements at navy yards and sta tions for
the next fiscal year. amount to SO, 43O,-
SS9.O2, being SO63 O4T.S1 in excess of the es-
Inmates of the current fiscal year
The estimates for the coming year ubap