Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-13
Result Of Investigation at New York
Navy Yard.
NAVAL CONSTRUCTOR EI0NERAFED
The Memorandum Issued by Assist
ant Secretary Roosevelt.
RULES TO BE ENFORCED

ence in the matter of appointments and re-
| tention in the navy yards, is contained in
| a memorandum made by Acting Secretary
Roosevelt upon report made by Com
mander c. H. Davis Of the navy, giving
the results of an investigation made by
him Of various charges against the methods
of Naval Constructor Francis T. Bowles
of the New York navy yard in the employ
ment and retention of men at that yard
Complaints and allegations had been made
against Constructor Bowles by Represen-
tatives Wilson, Fischer, Hurley, Howe and
Bennett of the New York delegation.
In the Introduction to this report Com
mander Davis states the case against Con-
structor Bowles.
The Charges.
The statement is as follows:
I'm opening the investigation and in its
conduct throughout, 1 was met by an OBJ
stacle which 1 had foreseen from the first
Of my intercourse with members of Con-
gress with whom had communication be
forehand. That is the difficulty of securing
specific data as to the complaints and allie
cations against Naval Constructor Rowles
vaguely and generally these alleg cations
against Mr.. Bowles were:
First. Making unjust discharges. which
| includes political discrimination; discrimi-
Eatlon against veterans: discrimination
against competent persons in favor of in
competent persons retained; vindictive
use or the power Of discharge; harshness in
innictlng the extreme penalty of discharge:
rating men on discharge lower than their
real merit, and undue influence on the part
of foremen.
Second. Discrimination against BROOKLYN
men in employing labor
Third. Importing labor from other rlaces
to the exclusion of men having navy ward
experience.
Fourth. Holding men under false ratings
ana establishing new ratings in order TO
take on special men, to the exclusion of
others on the eligible list and that The
general efficiency of the construction de-
partlnent had deteriorated under MI
Bowles' administration. and that a general
system OF intimidation would deter men
employed in the yard from giving TESTIMONY
before me adverse to MIR Bowles. These
as L understood it, We're the general allega-
items against Mr.. Bowles
Various COmplainants.
"They did not take the form of a charge
or charges or specifications nor were they
all made by any one person. nor at any enc
time They appear only in the statements
of various compliments and witnesses
during the progress of the investigation
No one appeared for the prosecution. to
borrow term for want of a better The
Wnoie business of the investigation was
left In my hands and at my discretion and
was guided by me with the sole object in
view of getting at the truth by any means
which became available
COMMANDER Davis says twenty-four in
dlvldual comp1ails nts appeared before.
hlin' besides four who were brought for
ward by committee of d veteran associa-
ton on a charge of illegal discrimination
against veterans of the civil war He re-
views the charges seriatum and at length
words:
ITO sum up. find from the evidence ad-
duced that Mr.. Bowles stands fully exon
Grated on all the charges. imputations and
the whole progress of the investigation
conducted by me, except, possibly, in some
degree, of the charge of undue Influence
on the part Of foremen in selecting men for
discharge, these latter being Influenced by
motives Of personal preference and par
TALLY.
The Testimony Vague.
II have purposely qualified my finding in
this one charge, because the testimony
which supports 1t is vague, and it would
be charge almost impossible to prove 1t
is Swallowed in the evidence in several
cases. rather than brought directly to
light; but it rests principally on the testi-
mony OF Rear Admiral Sicard. AS l re-
member now I sometimes thought he NAV
have been quite rigid in maintaining his
opinion with regard to the advisa ability of
discharge In certain cases. and perhaps
or reports or recommendations of foreman
quartermen, and SO forth.
But to continue the quotation from
the admiraIs testimony, I did not, and do
not, see how any head of department
can avoid trusting largely to the opinions
OF his leading and master workmen re-
gardtng the conduct and industry of the
men employed Immediately under them
Il find that the general efficiency of the
construction department has greatly i'm
proved under Mr.. Bowles' administration.
The testimony of Admiral Scard and Com
modore Bunce, of Assistant Naval Con-
structor Hibbs, Townshend B. Suddard and
A. Nelson Batten, with the tahulated state
ments and figures adduced by the latter,
is most significant and conclusive.
Abuses of Long Standing.
IT find that previous to Mr. Bowles' adj
ministration a general laxity of discipline
prevailed, even after the adoption of the
labor regulations, and without any dispar-
agement of the officers Immediately pre-
ceding Mr.. Bowles, that abuses of long
standing, not easy of eradication, still ex-
erted bad influence in spite of the efforts
at reform. I find that Mr.. Bowles brought
to the accomplishment of complete reform
an energy and fearlessness, strict regard
to economy and the best interests of the
government, which in their degree are rare
qualities even in such a position as his,
and commendable as such.
II find that the influences with which he
had to contend, some of which were malign
and some of which were honest, were ar
rayed rather against the system which he
really inau&urated than against himself as
an individual. Consistency, efficiency,
economy, watchfulness Of the public in
terests a strict compliance with the de-
partment's orders Of reform, have ex-
cluded from the service Joseph OHearne,
John Kane and Wesley Harran, and the
extraneous dictation of Jesse B. Frest: but
they have brought in many earnest and
Industrious men, working by hundreds in
the Well-ordered department of which Mr.
Bowles is the head, who have not been
heard In this investigation, but who speak,
nevertheless. with more force than the few
indictments examined by me.
Appeal for Old Regime.
IT find that James Fay. too, voices this
opposition to the new system in his elo-
quent appeal for the old regime. and that
his words, honestly uttered, are an admis-
sion of a new fact which he cannot under
stand. To have accomplished what 1 be-
lieve to be an important reform has beer
no mean task, and If the leaders and fore
men who have been Mr.. Bowles' coadjutors
have some of them been chosen from abroad
1t has been because the department has
been thrown open to efficient men, and not
because Of any prejudice. or through any
unworthy act Of Mr.. Bowles. Finally, to