Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-03

lakes, at a time when that vessel captured
a party of Fenian invaders crossing the
Niagara river. After a short service as
purchasing officer in the city, he made a
cruise IN the Hartford of the Asatic sta
ton as fleet paymaster. covering a period of
three years. He reached the grade of paw
inspector in 1879. and for three wears was
inspector OF provisions and clothing at New
YORK, at the conclusion of which term he
was attached to the EurOpean station as
meet paymaster on the flagship Lancaster
Tor two years. He was next called unon
TO NIL the important post Of navy pay Off
Ger at New York and instituted many i'm
portdnt reforms in the purchase of food
and clothing for the navy As a result of
ms experience in that office, Secretary
whitney then at the head of the Navy De-
pdrtmtnt, reOrganiZed the system of plr-
chases for the navy. Under the new svs-
TEN the entire business of purchasing and
distributing materials was placed under The
control of the bureau of supplies and ac-
counts,
Appointed Pnymaster General
In May, 1880, Mr. Stewart was appointed
by President Harrison chief of the bu-
reau or supplies and accounts, with the
rank OF paymaster general of the navy
ne mas heid that office ever since and his
administration has been a model one One
Oh the reforms instituted by him was the
adoption of a card index account with all
the shlpS, bureaus and StOrehouses nv
which. at moments notice he could tell
the Secretary Of the Navy or any one else
entltled to the information just what a
snip mad cost originally how much had
been expended upon her for maintenance
repairs. coal, clothing and care Sacrc-
tary Herbert appreciated the services of
Paymaster General Stewart as highly as
secretary Tracy had done and on his Nor
scnal recommendation President Cleveland
reappointed Mr.. Stewart for a second term
four years later the same experience was
repeated during the administration of Sec
rotary Long, when Paymaster General
stewart was, in May, 1888, reapp0inted for
a third term. His record in this respact
has heen unique and is without parallel in
the annals Of the navy.
Admiral Stewards reappgintment nv
president Cleveland was not only unex-
pected. but done in very graceful wav
According to the story. Secretary Herbert
met the paymaSteT general on the street
one day. and in the course of CONVERSE
ton asked him when his term expired
The paymaster general told him. and the
secretary brought the matter up at a cabi-
net meeting, which he was then on his way
TO attend.
The President said: IF this man is all
that you represent him to be- send his
name over to me today" Mr.. Herbert did
so. and the President sent the nomination
at once to the Senate. with the result that
1t was confirmed six weeks before Admiral
Stewards first term expired.
Well Prepared for the Recent War
No bureau of the army navy was bet
ter prepared for the Spanish war than the
bureau over which Admiral Stewart pre-
sided. The functions of that bureau are
similar to those performed by three depart
ments of the army, namely: The pay de-
partmert, the quartermaster's department
and the subsistence department Through
the wise foresight of Admiral Stewart there
was never time either before or during
the war wnen the ships or stations of the
navy lacked a full supply of provisions
and all the other stores essential to their
maintenance and efficiency. Especially was
this the case with the supplies intended for
the use of Admiral Dewey feet in Chinese
waters.
Throughout the entire war. thanks to the
vigilance of the officers of the pay depart
nent. the fighting men of the navy were
promptly supplied with food and clothing
to say nothing of their pay. The bureau of
supplies and accounts also assisted in SUM-
plying the army in the Philippines with
frozen beef from Australia, obtained for the
special benefit of Admiral Dewey's fleet.
The North Atlantic fleet in the West In
dies was also similarly we'll supplied The
Spanish prisoners. captured in the fight off
Santiago, were fed and clothed, and as Adj
miral Stewart put 1t IN his last annual re-
port:
Supplies Were the Rest.
Notwithstanding the expedition neces-
sarily employed in the procurement of sup
plies and in the manufacture of clothing
the usual standards were adhered to and
careful inspections made. Contractors were
held to rigid specifications, with the result
that the supplies delivered were the best Of
their kind. A comparison of prices pai6
during the war with those paid previous to
1t for articles procured under contract after
public advertisement, as well as those pur-
chased in the open market, shows that thew
were In most cases no higher, and In many