The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-11-03
NAVAL PERSONNEL
ACT A FAILURE
so SAYS ADMIRAL MELVILLE IN
HIS REPORT-CLAIMS LAW Is
NOT WELL ADMINISTERED.

WASHINGTON, October 24.-The an
nual report to the Secretary of the
Navy of Engineer in Chief George Mel
willie is of unusual interest this year.
Admiral Melville says with the great
est frankness that the personnel act
has proved to be failure as it is adj
ministered, and he declares that one
half of the officers of the Navy have
yet to be convinced of the benefits of
amalgamation. To use his own words
in referring to the personnel act: 1T
was rather a revolution than progress
sion in naval development when Con-
gress enacted a law whereby every
naval officer of the line had, in the flu
ture, to become a fighting engineer"
European experts declared that Ell
Their their own navies were not proper
| ly organized or that the United States
had made a mistake from which 1t
would not recover for at least twenty
years. Still, Admiral Melville thinks
that if the law were administered with
desire to make it a success it would
| give the most efficient navy in the
world. To that end he wants an engi-
neering laboratory at Annapolis like
that at Charlottenburg, Germany, for
experimentation and the education in
engineering of young line officers. He
also asks the establishment of a post
graduate course in engineering at the
academy the detail of a junior line Of
| fcer as understudy to engineer officers
on shore duty, such Junior officers to be
placed in charge of the machinery of
torpedo-bo and auxiliary craft; that
! promotion be denied line officers who
do not take their turn at engineering
work; that graduates of technical col
! leges be permitted a chance to compete
for naval commissions; that 100 addi-
tional warrant officers be appointed;
that naval training be had at every
naval station that the pay of the boil
| ermen be increased, and finally, that
the name of the bureau of steam engi-
neering be changed to that of engineer
ing, and that it be given charge of all
machinery on shipboard except that
pertaining to the guns
The proposed use of petroleum as a
substitute for coal on shipboard is
treated at length and in such detail as
! thoroughly to meet the innumerable
! demands that have come to the Navy
! Department for the special information
obtained by the Engineering Board,
composed of Lieutenant Commanders
| Edwards, Parks and Bailey. For
months this board has been working
with a 200 horsepower boiler on the
water front in this city testing a null
titude of oil-burning devices, and the
greatest manufacturing concerns in
the United States and even abroad
have been seeking to learn the results
of the boards work.
Following is an extract from the re-
port on this subject: THE more this
question is Investigated the more in
tricate seems the problem of success
tully installing an oil-fuel appliance
on board a battle-ship. 1t ought to be
successfully used on the torpedo boats,
as well as upon auxiliary naval vessels
that steam between regular ports. For
the Army transport service it might
prove very desirable, since a supply of
OIL could be maintained at the several
call ports. In regard to the installa-
tlon on the large-powered battle-ships
ana armored cruisers there are three
distinct features which must be con-
sldered viz: The mechanical, COM
lherclal and structural. Regarded from
TWO OF these view points it seems as il
1t would be some time before 'coaling
snip ceases to be an evolution upor
the war vessel. While both the nava
ana mercantile vessels traverse the
ocean there is wide difference IL then
construction, as well as in the nature
of the duty performed, and this mus
be taken into account in designing tht
motive plant"