New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-12
AFFAIRS IN THE NAVY YARD
rur COURT OF INQUIRY PURSUING ITS
WAY IN SECRET.

.,,,r POINTS IN THE cAsE-THE CINCINNATI AND
THE TEXAS WORK IN THE YARD
THE NEW REGISTER.
ro- week there has been a court Of inquiry. or
thar q board OF investigation. at work in the
prook,vn yard trying to find just how culpable
.or,ain officers of the department Of steam eng-
oorins have been in the way of discharging
non dealing with those who were not dis
oharged. handling Government material and
cunning the big shops. In accordance with the
aec;s,on Of the court after the order converting
4, uas read the investigation has been con-
Quoted behind closed doors. and. while counsel
,d witnesses outside of those amenable to
naval discipline have been requested to keep
tho proceedings Of the court TO themselves. there
hoe been disposition to talk shown by some Of
tho workmen interested, which. strange 1t
uav SEEM the newspaper men have not taken
advantage Of. There are some things connected
NTH the affair, however, which are likely to go
hsvond the confines Of the courtroom and the
NAVY Department, and in these large number
OF people are interested.
There is a general feeling among the work
men Interested that the attempt to drive out OF
the shops the present head Of the machine force
Is an attempt. thinly disguised, to place organ
tied labor in control Of the mechanical opera
tjons OF the shop. and a union man at the mead
OF the force. Whether or not this will be sue
cessful cannot be said at present, but. from the
quality Of the testimony brought out in the eff
fort to upset existing conditions and displace
nresent officers. there is little likelihood of so
radical a change in the near future
Another point which seems to have been estab-
usbed by the calling Of the present court is that
discharged workmen. no matter how good the
ground for their dismissal, can get back" at
the officers who were responsible for their dis
charge and cause lot of trouble. If nothing
more serious.
The Tribune has printed verbatim, letters in
reference TO the matters on which the investiga-
ton was begun. These letters showed plainly
the animus for the attacks made. and also
showed that there had been an attempt made at
a compromise. the price Of peace being reinstate-
ment in the shops. These letters were not
needed and TO this fact is due the declaration Of
That the regulations OF the officers concerned
will suffer from the attacks is not believed by
those who know the men. but the ways of a naval
investigation are sometimes past finding out and
the proceedings and findings Of the court Will not
be made public from an official source until they
have been revised and submitted to the censorship
OF the Secretary Of the Navy. 1t is just as we'll
that this is So for the publication Of the testi-
mony on which these charges have been made
would be likely 10 have disquieting erect on
other department officers and. in measure, al
feet the service. There Is general feeling that
testimony which is largely hearsay and SUPPOSE
ton is not good stuff on which to attempt the
turning over of big department. and that the
evidence is not as strong those who instgated
the investigated could wish is shown by the fact
that many of the men in the shops at present
have arrayed themselves the side OF the Off
GERS and have sent letter TO the board backing
UP in a substantial and satisfactory way the
action OF the heads of the bureau in making the
changes which were In the first instance RESPONSE
bic for the trouble.
THE CINCINNATTS TRANSFER PROVOKEs
CRITICISM
Some comment has been caused in the YARD
circles by the sending Of the Cincinnati, which
was built in the yard shops. to the Norfolk estab-
lishment for her repairs. which will be extensive
and costly, and the explanation has been made
that she was sent there because she was built
under the supervision Of the Naval Constructor
now at that yard. Frank L. Fernald. VINO was, al
the time she was built in charge OF the brooklyn
Bureau. This explanation. however does not ex-
plain, IOr, OnQer tDdl TuIIB, tHc ltAdo' "'ii'4.
was bull, at Norfolk. should have come 10 BROOK
Ign. where Francis T. Boules who was In charge
Of her construction. is now stationed.
In speaking Of the Texas an officer who Is In
terested IT. the Of the ship said yesterday
THE attempt Of Captain Glass to have the ship
laid up in ordinary instead Of being put out Of
commission was to have been expected. and is
likely TO be successful In the first place. the ship
is not a success. and no amount Of favorable re-
ports can make her one. 1t will cost lot OF
money and six months of valuable time TO put her
in the condition battle-ship should be in to at
tempt serious business, and what is there for the
captain and his officers in that time except in
glorious ideness and shore pay? There is no
other ship TO which they could be assigned, for
the commander OF the Katahdn has been
lected, and, while there is shortness of men
there are no ships in need of officers Then again,
Cautain Glass and his executive officer, Leuten-
ant Commander Kelley. have done great deal
OF hard work on the ship in getting her into con-
dition and making her shipshape, and they can
not be blamed for not wanting to be detached
with the possibility that at the end Of six months
when she is ready for sea again. some other men
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