The Washington times., 1906-01-24
BONAPARTE TODROP
MEN BY THOUSANDS
Repairs on WarshipS to Be
CurtaiIed.
HOUSE REFUSED NAVY MONEY
Great Numbers in Washington Yard and
Steam Engineering Bureau VIII
Be Dismissed.


Appropriations has refused 10 give the
Bureau Of Steam Engineering, of the
Navy Department, deficiency appro-
prfation of Approximately $1,000. GOO for
the current year, il has become neces-
sary for Secretary Bonaparte to order
the dismissal of about "A per cent Of
the civil employees under the Bureau of
Steam Engineering. and a large number
of employees ina the Bureaus of Con-
struction, Ordnance and Equipment in
the Washington Navy Yard and the
nine other navy yards throughout the
country.
About 100 men in the Bureau or
Steam Engineering alone viii be af-
fected, and this number VIII probably
be doubled in the ether bureaus in this
city and elsewhere.
Hurts WaTships.
This order viii hinder and may stop
altogether the work of overhauling the
armored cruiser New York, as well as
repairs ON the battleship Indiana and
the cruiser Columbia, which are now
at the League Island Navy Yard. 1t
VIII also affect the efficiency of other
ships I'm service, which are in need OF
OverIauling.
The situation is regarded by naval
men ass very serious. The vessels now
undergoing repairs Will certainly de-
terioriate. naval officials say. if allowed
10 remain al yards for an indefinite
period o. time
The situation comes as a result Of
deficiency ina the SteayH Engineering
Bureau ANA il becomes necessary to
discharge or suspend boilcrmakers. con
uorsmiths. and other mechanics en-
pIoEeJ in Ua--lI and repairing the
steam engines oa Warships-
Test for New Law.
This is the first instance in which
CouErcSs has nut to the test the new
deficiency appropriation law. which was
passed at the last session. This law
grew CUT of a deficiency i'm the Navy
Department amounting TO nearly $4,000
OU I'm order TO hold Cabinet members
down 20 The original appropriations, the
peraltv for violating this law was fixed
al dismissal from office and lmprisOn-
meut for "a period of two months. Sec
Rotary BCBat rte is the first and only
Cabinet ofi"i-u To ask for deficiency
Following tlc order issued by the
Secretary Of tr" N8Vy -o the chiefs Of
bureaus affected. Mr.. Bonaparte 4
addressed the IOECNIag memorandum TO
the Bureaus of Ordnance, Equipment.
and Construction and Repair:
Bopaparte's Statement.
'"The department invites the attention
of the aforementioned bureaus TO the
fact that. iuasmuch as the deficiency ap-
preparation requested for the Bureau Of
Steam Engineering has not been grant
cd. a considerable reduction in force will
bee necessary at the several navy yards
in The departments under the control of
The aforementioned bureau. and that il
may not, therefore. be practicable 10
probably employ the present force un-
der those bureaus whose work is neces-
sarily- l1 some measure. interdepeudent
with that or the bureau directly affected
Should such prove To be the case in con-
n-ctlon with amy navy yard, the depart
mcut directs that all employees whose
services are not needed in the interest of
tne Foyernment shall be dropped as soon
as possible.
To -he end that strict economy be
practiced i'm this branch of the de-
partmeuts work, the chiefs Of the sew
cral bureaus VIII confer with the chief
of the Bureau of Steam Engineering
and with each other so as to co-ordi-
nate the work of repairs 10 ships under
the altered conditions arising from the
circumstances above mentioned
I'm all reductions of force made nee
essary by such circumstances. only
the interest of the Government, as in
dlcated primarily by the records OF the
different employees, shall be considered
ia determining which of the latter
shall be retained. Neither the depart-
ment nor any Of its bureaus can give
weight to consideration of any oIher
character"