New-York tribune., 1905-07-16
"PULL" OF NO AVAIL.
BONAPARTES SHOCKER.
Secretary of Nary ReUerses Morton's
Order and Turns Do1Cn Contractors.
[FRoM THz TRIBUNE sUREAu.I

[FRoM THE TRIBUNE sUREAu.1
Washington. July 15.-SecretarJ Of the Navy
Bonaparte gave to-day decision which Is re-
garded as likely to prove significant OF his entire
administration. Mr.. Bonaparte has ordered that
Secretary Morton's order. transferring ". G.
Walker and F. R Harris. navy civil engineers.
from the Charleston Navy Yard. be escinded and
by so doing has delivered body blow to the ex-
ercise of political pull" on the part Of con-
tractors for government work. 1t appears that
through their annoying insistence the New-York
Continental Jewel Filtration Company. which Is
engaged In construction work at the Charleston
Navy Yard. lived up to its contract Messrs-
Walker and Harris made themselves objection
able to John Dougherty. president Of that COM
pany. and Mr.. Dougherty found 1t necessary to
warn the lieutenants that continuation of their
course would lead him to apply to the Navy
Department for their removal. AS the young
did not heed Mr.. Dougherty's warning, he
presented the to the Navy Department
and it is claimed, secured the assistance of sew
eral prominent members of Congress to rein
force his arguments.
Be this as it may, Secretary Morton. acting
on report of Admiral Endcott. approved an
order for the transfer of Messrs. Walker and
Harris to other points, such report involving no
reflection on the officers This order had not
gone into effect, however, when Secretary Bona
parte assumed charge of the Navy Department
and he has now, with the approval Of the Presi-
dent, rescinded the order for transfer and the
contractors will continue to be annoyed by the
vigilance of Messrs. Walker and Harris.
There is much qualification at the Navy De-
partment over the action of the Secretary as
1t is held that the previous order must have
made more difficult than ever the duties of
officers lied 70 orb Of
ian contractors who are not prone to give the
government more than the specifications de-
mand.
1t is pointed out that similar instances of the
exertion Of political influence have resulted in
the unfortunate condition now existing at the
Schuyl1ill Arsenal at Philadelphia, and have
always hampered the efforts Of Quartermaster
General Humphreys to remedy that condition.
1t has been all along expected that those who
sought by political influence to place private or
political interests above those of the govern
ment would find Secretary Bonaparte difficult
to deal with, but it was hardly expected that
ne would so soon find an opportunity to demon
strate mis- sinsleness of purpose in this respect
In the course Of his report to the President,
which is based on an exhaustive Investigation
Vi 'he circumstances made by Assistant Secre-
tary Darling, Secretary Bonaparte saws:
oott rIo asslstant secretary says justly of this
contracting company: 1T has not been inclined
70 exceed the speeifca tions in the QUALITY nf
WORK produced, and the evidence tends to show
that without rigorous inspection the work
WHotd not be equal to that called for in the
0,Qt.ract." 81 - 'H~
says, with Ike accuracy. of the civil en-
slAee's The engineers Walker and Harris
nave been vigtlant and conscientious in the dis.
cnarge OF their duties and have held the CON
tractor up to the specifications
Thts contractor has repeatedly requested that
LneSe supervisors OF its work be replaced nv
others, and the department finally compiled
with its request. Whatever might have b@en
the merits OF such action, if taken spontane-
ously or under other circumstances, 1 am com
PEELED to look upon it as unfortunate when thus
hauced and under the circumstances actually
SAisuI!S' IN my opinion its moral effect would
be probably undesira BILE for contractors for gov
ernment work and supervising officers, and on
the whole unsatisfactory both within and with
out the service.
think. also, that in the present instance it
Is liable to serious misconstruction. Among the
papers referred by you to the department in
connection with the present case is an affidavit
by a stenographer formerly employed by the
contracting company. This af1ant is a dis
missed enploye, who reveals voluntarily what
he processes to have ascertained while serving
in a confidential capacity, and his evidence is
OF course entirely ex parte. given without any
opportunity for cross examination or contra
diction.
Without corroboration his testimony would
be entitled to little weight but it is corroborated
on the whole, rather strongly by several undis-
puted and more or less significant facts and
II he is TO be believed at all, the officers of this
company consulted together and took action
with a view to securing the removal Of these
officers through the exercise of what they called
political influence" some two months or more
before Mr.. Dougherty's visit to the Secretary.
If this attempt was in fact made. there is not,
indeed, scintilla of proof that 1t was I'm any
wise successful. But the boastful and arrogant
talk Of some of the cCmpanyS officers and en-
poyes on the subject seems to have led to SEN
sational publications in certain newspapers
which the orders in question unluckily appeared,
in some measure TO verify. 1t is of such impor-
tance that this department should not only fair
Iy deserve but also fully enjoy, public conf
dence. that any action its part which may
possibly lead however unjustly, to any loss
OF such confidence, would seem to be evidently
inexpedient.
Finally, I think the orders Of June IL were
Objectionable in that, under all the circum-
stances they might possibly arouse in persons
imperfeCtly acquainted with the facts a sus-
picion that the department has undisclosed rea-
sons to be ssatisfed with the conduct Of Civil
Engineers Walker and Harris.
Consideration of the facts developed Convinces
me that under all attendant circumstances a
mistake was made when these orders were is
sued This mistake I deem it my duty to cor
rect Unless. therefore. instructed to the con-
trary by you. I shall revoke the above men
toned orders and direct the two officers above
mentioned TO remain at their post of present
duty until further orders.