New-York tribune., 1908-12-08
LOOKING FOR CHANGES
BUREAU QUESTION UP.
Stopping Leak at the NdUy Yard
yard Notes.

Secretary Newberry's recent order cousolidat-
ing the Naval War College. the naval training
station the naval hospital the marine barracks on
Coasters Island. the naval torpedo station on Goat
Island and the naval coaling station at Bradford,
R L into one command, to be known the United
States Naval Station Nara gansett Bay P !. ur-
der command of Rear Admiral John P Merreu. is
taken the navy yard IN Brooklyn fndica-
Of the plan Intended be followed by the new
administration Of the department and there is con-
siderable speculation how far II will be car
ried. Il is understood that the principal changes
planned involve increase in the General Board
and extension or the duties Of bureau OF
struction and repair The present bureau system.
it IS unofhcially announced. will be altered
terfaIIy. but there Is TO be more cooperation be-
tween the various bureau heads. and this Is some
thing which the Navy Department has needed for
a long time.
The lack OF cooperation between the department
heads has been IN a large measure responsible for
unfavorable comment the system. which dates
back TO the time when Commander D. Men. Fair
fax, in testimony before the House Naval Commit
tee IN the session OF 1s75-'75 declared that the
bureau system gradually undermining the dis
cipltne Of the Navy Department and must sooner
later be changed" Ten years later President
Cleveland called attention the hurnIlIating weak
OF the present organization Of the department
and the startling abuse and waste OF its present
methods Secretary Tracy endeavored 70 counter
the I'll effects of the strife the
BY distributing duties TO simplify and ex-
pedite the conduct Of business and lessen and
eXtraVagance IN expenditures. and Hilary Herbert.
while praising the idea Of a bureau system, said
There has been in the past so much duplication
Of work by, and so many conflicts OF authority be-
tween bureaus, that secretaries and naval boards
have heretofore many times condemned the system
IN the strongest possible terms
Secretary Long, in 1900. advocated the formation
of a bureau OF ships" to include the present
struction, steam engineering and equipment bu-
reaus holding that It would reduce the supervts-
ing. mechanical and clerical forces in every navy
yard and would save expense. while providing
better business organization Secretary Moody, IN
1903 said, in speaking Of the distribution Of bust
among the bureaus. that It "unquestionably
creetss condition Of which grow conflicts OF
jurisdiction between bureaus, sometimes Injurious
and tendency 10 consider the interests OF the
bureaus rather than the interests Of the navy.
President Roosevelt, Secretary Chandler Secretary
Morton, Secretary Bonaparte, Captain Alfred T.
Mahan and others have all taken the same view.
and now the question, while not openly discussed
Is still UP for settlement. 70 how far the bureau
system will be able 20 hold its under
plans OF the present Secretary
TO MAKE DOCK NO. SAFE
Early this week the driving Of line OF sheet Pill
ing across the narrow strip Of land between dry
docks Nos. and will be begun, and It is conf
dently expected that the flow OF water into dock
No. viii be cut OF permanently. Considerable
amusement was caused last week by the announce
rnent that Naval Constructor Stocker had dis
covered" the source Of the leak which had put the
dock out or commission by the happy thought OF
the dock and then timing its appearance inside the
structure. the reasoning being that when the
elapsed time brought 10 the vanishing point
the source of the trouble would have been found
As a matter Of fact. this method OF tracing a
leak is 'ol der than the hills and 1t Is matter Of
navy yard history that when there a similar
trouble with dock No. 3. more than twelve years
ago. Captain Peter c. Asserson. who then the
local head OF the bureau of yards and docks,
bought from the SchieHeEn drug concern barrel
Of ultramartne, or similar blue dye. and with IL
did exactly what the naval constructor had Just
discovered through happy thought II u
also matter or current comment that the present
officials of the bureau. two months ago. when the
leak first started, used similar methods. so far
succeeded that the plans proposed then for stop
ping the leak have not 70 be altered IN the slightest
now. and II they had been carried out then the
yard would have had two months use OF its
second largest dock
This incident is cited being one OF the things
which have led 10 friction between bureaus. the
detrment Of the esprit du corps which should pre-
vail. if not 10 the impairment Of the efficiency Of
the service.
YARD NOTES
There Will be q large delegation from the yard at
the funeral OF Rear Admiral Coghlan, who was a
universal favortte during his tour Of duty as COM
mandant Of the station which ended when he was
succeeded by Rear Admiral Goodrich, June /
1907 All the officers and bureau heads who can
get away VIII attend. and a many OF the foren1en
and workuen who can be spared from the shous
will Join in paying 81 last tribute to OF the
most Iovable and finest naval officers
toned AT the yard
The supply ship Celtic. which IS loading at the
end Of Main street, will have cargo completed
by January 3. and will sail five days later for
Gibraltar
The collier Abarenda. with her propeller replaced
was foated from drydOck No on Saturday fore
noon and placed in reserve, her place in the dock
being taken by the big tug Uncas and the equip
ulent barge Supply. The Uncas, her
cleaning and painting completed will sail for
Raw o zvrf
will 20 TO the Charleston Is c. yard for repairs
The battIeship Maine arrived in port Friday
and went up 10 the 72d street anchorage in the
North River. Her trip here is for the purpose OF
replenishng her supply Of ammunition. drawing
on the stores at Iona Island for that purpose