The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-14
BOWLES Is SOLID
C0NEAEDsR DAVIS SrASDs EX
Tai gAvlL CoysraroTcE

And Aciinx Secretary Sessssst, ssssas -
| the Commsaasr-DavA' 2spsss rhss
lndorssd IL OF tay,rsaaa - SAswisg
How the Preferred vetssas u 8soss.ssd
| and Also How he is Treaties. E.ssrs yse-
| fsrred. a. the Law ps-scfs. Aissss II
Many Cases with . Msasas Assesvasica
-Bowie~' yIns.icasicn.
Washington. Aug. I.-AcsiaS Ssc-cAr
~ Roosevelt has l.asde pabsc -ae rcpor:
Of Coa'-anler Davis upon the results oc
his iuves,;sation into The c,sSiaSs os he
New York navy yard 81 is oH<sef.act.on
departc BY Co1s;racoor E5<-.sF. Tee
commanders rgosT oo.lHS.siy vC4li-
cascs NJ Sowiss' management a. eyesy
point. AMI Acii2s Secretary Roosevelt
has accepted in full ;ae eonolssls.s rc.aeh
ed The case wiE no; again be Reopen
ed In his endorsement upon >ae -
por,. whi:h Is OF general interest in many
poir;s because 0; the policy laid down
as 70 veterans. Mr.. Roosevelt gays:
The department fully sassains sas
conclusions OF Commander Davis as %
he charges aSSias; Mr.. Bowles. In 50
"a as .hey seiate 70 alleged poli;icA
discrimination. o. the acpS nsmsnt o. out
sders and .he retention OF unwovay IN
preference 10 worthy men. these charges
are NOT only dispr0vci. ou; are shown
20 rest upon nothing more substantial
than malicious gossip. or Else upon thu
belief Of the less composer; worknen
that they and not their superior officers
are the proper judges ol :heir efficiency.
The attention OF Constructor Bowles viii
be called especially 70 thar par; Of Con-
mander Davis recor; warning him as 20
being sometimes over harsh and follow
ing TOO implicitly me recommendations u
the leading mea and qisr:e-nen; but u
Is evident tina; the real reason for tha
attacks upon NJ. Bowies Is 20 be found.
not in the fac; tina. ne has done baby
but that ne has done well.
The standard OF Work IN the Brook
lyn navy yard has been very apprecsao.y
raised under Constructor Bow.es. lie
has absolutely disregsrded all politics
in appointment and employment. and
the opposition 20 him evidently arises
mainly from the fact shat under him. Tor
Tie first time. il has been impossible TO
procure the reinstatement. or retention
OF men guilty. OF misconduct who poSSess
political influence. The evil Of occasion-
al harshness in discipline Is trivial COM
pared with the eva OF allowing men 20
shirk or be guilty " other misconduct
provided they have political influence.
There - no ground what ever for
complaint OF the veterans against Mr..
Bowles. But In the department Of yards
and docks Il does appear that Mr., Reed.
A veteran. was discharged when Mr. Me-
nocal admits that ne was az good as
three non-veterans who were retained.
Mr.. Reed viii accord ingly Re rein>ss.-
ed. not because he has any legal right.
but because Il is ahe policy OF the &C.
psrtment. where men are equally good.
10 retain the veterans In case 4; is nee
essary u make a discharge. The legal
rights OF the veterans 1ave not only been
carefully preserved by the navy dtpa-f-
ment. bat in It's labor regulations !; has
gone very FAR beyond that me law re-
quire.s in giving preference 20 veterans.
soldiers and sailors. having indeed gone
TO the very verge OF the line which d.
vides inefficiency from efficiency In che
effort 10 do all that is possible for the
soldiers and sailors OF the iB,e war In
appointments from the lists The veterans
are given an absolute preference and
when discharged II hey have behaved
well. even then they are still given pref
erence. In consequence. the department
az times has serious difficulty IN getting
ia work done. Tor some % me divisions
are 50 crowded with veterans. now FOR
the most part elderly men. that their
work Is n constant danger % deteEiora-
tion. AL thar saves che work from defs-
rioratioa is strict obedience on fhe past
10 the Departments orders fhAt In max
Ing dlsc54cges The men who 10 inefrl-
-ient work shall invariably BE- dsscharx-
"a hrst. The sole test Is efficiency os
work To introduce any other ;eSt-to
MAKE. for instances. an allowance Oh be-
,slf q veteran for inefficient work
would speedily produce the most aBnag-
ny eTcct upon The department ami
would mean the lo5liEy % causing at
any tine s0Tne great structural weakness
" detecS IN nc SHIPS q var % which
he nations honor - en- rslS-ei Such
moment. having not been urged by any
% :rlotlc man
CsigneeJ THEODORE R0,ozEvELT.