The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-28
NAVAL NEWS EASY LIFE.
Surplus OF Apparently Idle Omcers
I'm Washington.

Special in Philadelphia Press
Senator Tillman. who is a member OF the
ing about asking for an investigation as TO
the reason way such a large number OF
naval officers are on duty in Washington
TINS season. 1t Is asserted that the number
is greatly in excess Of other years. a re-
marka BILE state OF affairs in view of the
new ships which are being placed in COM
mission and the difficulty experienced In Sc
curing officers for sea duty.
There are III officers assigned to duty in
washington This number does not include
the sixty-nine naval officers OF the retired
list, who make Washington their home.
OF the Ia officers ninety-one are on duty
in the Navy Department in the various
bureaus, twenty are attached TO the navy
yard and the remainder are connected with
the Nautical Almanac office, the observa-
tory, the lighthouse board. etc.
The Washington yard serves as a school
for naval officers. and IL is the plan OF the
department to assign officers to instruction
IN ordnance Tor short period, enabling
them to get practical insight into gun
construction and operation. a term Of OBJ
servation in the ordnance shops is found 20
be OF more value to officers than a vast
amount of reading or attendance upon lee
lures.
been greatly surprised at the fact that
nearly one hundred officers are on duty in
the Navy Department. Some OF these off,
GERS simply perform clerical work. which
cost to the government by civilians. In
some of the department bureaus IL is neces-
bly, in the technical bureaus, such as those
OF steam engineering and Of construction
and of yards and docks
The Bureau OF Construction, which has
the responsible work OF designing and
building ships, has but two officers on duty
there in addition to the chief, while the
Bureau OF Navigation. where the work con-
Germs the personel and is mainly clerical
IL anything, there are nine naval officers
acting as assistants to the chief OF bureau.
In the Bureau of Yards and Docks there
is a civil engineer, who .Ias the bulk of the
work. which would naturally go TO a naval
officer. and all of it that Is of technical
character. In addition to this officer and
the chief of bureau. who is a line officer,
by the way, there is a professor of math-
ematics and another line officer. the duties
of the latter of whom are vague.
The immense volume of work under the
Bureau of Steam Engineering requires eight
engineers to look after the technical details
Under the Bureau OF Equipment, where
there is very little technical work, there are
seven naval officers, all detailed assist
ant to the chief. The technical work OF that
bureau is confined to electric lighting are
the adjustment of compasses. and IL takes
four officers to attend to these matters
The naval war records engage the labor
of five officers in addition to the editor-in-
chief, naval officer. 1t is probable that
one line officer could perform the work on
these records, which should be now mainly
reduced TO the preparation OF the matter
Many of the officers on duty in Washing
ton are needed, but some of the ofIcers
who have been assigned to duty in the
Navy Department are practically enjoying
The officers attached to the technical
bureau have all they can attend to. and the
work done at the Washington Navy Yard
is in the line OF an officers duties. But
many of the Washington bilets are more
congenial and social than OF any value to
the government.