Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-26
COST OF THE NAVY.
Annual Report of Paymaster General
Stewart
UNUSUAL DEMANDS PROMPTLY MET,
Against Purchasing in All Cases
From the Lowest Bidder.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

Paymaster General Stewart, T. g. N. has
made his annual report to the Secretary of
the Navy for the fiscal year ending June
30 last. The report was made public this
morning and shows that the demands upon
the department Of supplies and accounts
during the past year have been unusually
great, owing to the presence in navy yard
ports for very considerable periods OF the
largest number of ships in commission and
preparing for commission witnessed for
mIny years.
Capability Of the System.
That these demands innumerable. multi
farious, and urgent, have been met quietly
and with so little delay, shows the capabil-
ity of the system under which We are work
ing. and indicates the degree Of progress
made in its development. Its further sue
cess depends now and henceforth on the
interest evinced in IT by the officers to
whom its administration is committed, the
| capacity and fidelity of the appointees in
the general storekeepers department at the
several yards, and the employment In this
| bureau of a sufficient force Of capable and
experienced bookkeepers In this respect
the bureau is sadly deficient at the present
time Expert accountants are absolutely
Indispensable in the department of supplies
and accounts. both in the bureau itself and
at the several yards. The general store
keeper Is a bonded officer and held to a
strict accountability for the property COM
mitted to his care The accounts which In
minute detail he is obliged tc maintain, the
Information and reports he Is constantly
called upon to furnish, and the vast amount
of current work that is at all times de-
mandng the closest and most painstaking
attention, render II absolutely necessary
that the persons appointed for duty In his
Office should be men of more than ordinary
intelligence, ability. and experience.
1 would respectfully recommend that such
regulations be established as shall require
these employees to pass satisfactory ex-
animation before receiving appointments.
An Assistant Chief Recommended.
1t seems to me fitting and desirable in
view Of the amount of business demanding
the attention of the paymaster general and
the weighty responsibility resting upon him,
that there should be an assistant chief OF
the bureau of supplies and accounts and
1 recommend that Congress be asked
to authorize that an officer Of the pay
corps shall be detailed as assistant chief
of the bureau of supplies and accounts.
who shall act as chief of bureau in the
absence of the paymaster general. and who
shall receive the sea pay of his grade
The act of August 5, lSs2, provided that
the number of paymasters should be re-
duced from fifty 10 forty, the passed as
and the assistant paymesters from twenty
to ten. Since this reduction has been ef-
fected considerable embarrassment has
been experienced from the lack of a suffi-
cent number of officers in the lower
grades. Owing to the greater number Of
vessels now in commission and the import
ance Of having assistants to the general
storekeepers at navy yards, II would be
greatly to the interest of the service to
restore the grade of assistant paymaster
to its original number, and l therefore
recommend that Congress be asked to fix
the number of assistant paymasters at
ments to the pay corps be made from grad
yates Of the Naval Academy.
A to Purchasing Supplies.
The purchase of supplies Ia all cases from
the lowest bidder is neither advantageous
nor economical, but on the contrary is pro-
ductive oftentimes Of serious delay in OBJ
tanning necessary and urgently needed ar
ticles, owing to repeated reflections. involv-
ing not infrequently additional expense to
the government and the delivery finally
Of the poorest article that will pass inspec-
ton, an article which, by reason of in
ferior quality, must soon be replaced, ne
cessitatipg further expenditure OF money.
The navy has suffered for many years
from being obliged to make its purchases
from the lowest bidder, and I recommend
that Congress be asked to authorize awards
to be made Ito the lowest responsible bid
der for the best and most suitable article"
in conformity with the Law governing the
purchase Of supplies for the use of the
army.
The method adopted for the preparation
and assembling, prior to the commissioning
of ship. Of articles of outfit and supplies
needed for her is attended with excellent
results.
When a ship is put out of commission
surveys ere called on her outfit and stores
after which all serviceable articles of a per-
manent character are get aside for that
particular ship. She can be Reconnaissance
at any moment. Her allowance book gives
immediate Information as to what is to be
placed on board. and the general store
keeper. having record of what is set
aside for her, is enabled, without further
Instructions. to complete her OUTFIT
The tabulated statements appended in
dfcate the business transacted in the bu-
reau in the past fiscal year, its character
volume and infinite detail. The money for
which account is rendered in the financial
settlement is about $4,000 600.