New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-14
NAVAL CONSOLIDATION.
SECRETARY LONG SUBMITS HIS PLAN
TO CONGRESS.
A BUREAU OF SHIPS" TO HAVE CHARGE
OF CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIRS,
STEAM ENGINEERING AND
EQUIPMENT, PROPOSED.
rsy TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE.

my TELEGRAPH THE TRnUNE)
Washington Dec 13-Secretary Long this AFTER
noon sent TO Senator Hale. chairman OK the sena,S
committee on Naval Affairs. a draft OF Dill 10
proyide for the consolidation OF three OF the most
portant bureaus OF the service on the lines recon-
mendcd In his last annual report Inc oi'i -
brio, in fact tho mere skeleton OF a aw-and asldc
from, the radical departure II proposes from the
system which was so severely trieo anu So ""e''
yInd,cated by the emergencies OF war ~ cna' a.
terized by its frank Indebtedness In clotnhe w..
Secretary with wider discretion than is cus'onaa
in the statutes and at the same un'o '
responsibilities from his shoulders .. o,-
Tho EXPRESSED purpose Of the measure IL W w
soI,date the Bureaus OF Construction anu Nepa"'
steam Engineering and Equipment INTO NV
reau of Ships the chief OF which Is 10 iH""
oh,a,g q, other existing bureaus" or az rear 40.
miral The Bureau OF Ships Is TO De co"po'eu
two divisions called respectively Consuu0"o" 800
Machinery the chiefs of these divisions 10 nave
the rank and pay OF captain The cnieI Oh '"o -"
reau Of Ships is to he appointed from 'he INV -
from the constructors Of the Navy above 'he erau'
NJ commander: tho chief OF the Division OF 'o"-
sruction IN he selected from the list or naVal co"
.tructors and that of Machinery from Ii''e o'.ioe'
ovauaed No engineers The business OF the three
former bureaus is to be distributed as the
of the Navy may direct; the fiydrograpn' OiN'"'
now under the Bureau OF Equipment Is 10 oe =,
ferred TO the Office Of the Assistant Secre'ais,
In uvd
solidated are to apply to the ne" puie"u' -
,bev conflict when the Secretary shall oe'ernh"'o
which 10 obey and which set aside as connie.
with the spirit of the act The law Is not 10 ~ "'''
effect until July /, 1902.
LIKELY TO AROUSE OPPOs1TlON.
This measure already seems certain 10 lou
strong opposition a menace 10 the ene0'i
of the Navy During the war with SPAN VIZ
effirency of the Navy Department ana the ili0''o"
m
s.inted admiration of foreign nations ahu me-
uas NOT a criticism passed at home except pei
hans on the Bureau OF Navigation wnlch Is wv
office having the closest connection Win '"e -
terv's own Office. The Bureaus OF Equipment
steam Engineering. Ordnance and constructor
not only were ready for war with all the "als"'p'
atted for service but they responded promptly W
the necessity OF fitting n great auxiliary meet anu
enabling the ships to 90 10 sea and stay a"oa'
whether blockading or cruising until SPAIN I'D "
force was destroyed. The contrast between '"iS
achievement and that of the Army was so sharp
that Secretary Root has recommended IN MS an
nual report the initiation Of the Nays system III
the War Department and where Secretary Long
advocates generalization by combining three hie"S
technical bureaus. the Secretary OF war uise'
further specialization, starting with the creation
Of A chief Of artillery.
Why the Bureau Of Ordnance Is omitted iio'''
the scheme Is as obscure as the reason TOT IN
Guiding Steam Engineering or Equipment Inc
battery of a warship and its installation are re-
garded as essentially parts OF Vesse as i's ma
chinery or other requisites, and the armor Pfo'eo
ton is as inseparably part OF construction as the
decks or keel.
In his annual report Secretary Long gave 'hese
reasons for recommending consultations
When contract is made for the construction
Of a ship It IL made with one builder II IS NOT
enRPine manufscturer and part to outfit
ting firm. Whatever various trades enter INTO me
OF pTiyae shipysrds Which build the largest ships
and which are not left to the nnss,o1s OF
respective authority and responsbty are rIco u,
and lack of harmony OF cooperation.
A, a matter Of fact the engines OF some OF the
best ships IN the Navy were built under different
contracts by different firms at different places
from the hulls, "a In the cases or the IeXas' the
Monadnock the Marblehead. the Bennington. the
Concord. the Bancroft (party). and more recently
the torpedo boat destroyer Stewart,
BUREAU SYSTEM IN sHIPYARDs.
The bureau system in the best shipyards and in
all large or important works is distributed to
greater degree than In the Navy All such works
have head who may be compared In authority
with the Secretary of the Navy. but the estab-
lishments are divided into numerous bureaus or
shops each as Independent of the other as naval
bureaus are Mr. Cramp. at the head OF his great
works has separate chiefs and shops for huls, for
machinery for brasswork and other specialties. He
firm control over his specialists, having
found by experience that II he does not they will
run him ruin him.
Paragraph Of the existing Naval Regulation,
consists OF Section AIS OF the Revised Statutes
provides that there shall he at the seat OF gov
eminent an executive department, to be known as
the Department Of the Navy. and Secretary Of tho
Navy who shall be at the head there" The second
s!ss RRs eeTeasTy for Assistant to
Paragraph Is Section 4i9 Of the Revised Statutes
establishing eight bureaus. and Paragraph 4 is
Section 400 which gives the Secretary absolute
control OF the bureaus and all the work OF the
Department This is precisely the organization Of
ScOtts famous works at San Francisco and OF this
Newport News shipysrd. 1t Is significant that the
latter tried consolidation of shops few years ago
and quickly abandoned the experiment.
The date of naval consolidation is postponed by
the Secretarys bill until 1892. In his annual report
he recorded his high appreciation OF the ability
and dutlfulness with which the three bureaus have
been administered under their present heads" and
on systematic and not personal grounds" he pro-
posed that consolidation shall not go into effect
until the beginning OF the fiscal year. after the
expiration Of their said terms" The present Sec
rotary. who is not generally expected to be in
Office at that time Is willing 10 retain the existing
scheme is a good one, It should be good now.
Many sagacious and experienced officers would be
glad II Secretary Long. instead of waiting nearly
three years to place and untried men In charge
OF the great Bureau OF Ships would consent to try
the expedient OF utilizing a competent Assistant
Secretary. who has the confidence Of the whole
service to a degree seldom If ever enjoyed by
predecessor and who is ready at once TO preside
over the three constructive bureaus without any
change OF law. There could be extravaganza
delay due TO lack Of harmony with such head
has been in existence since 1912.