Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-15
WOULD REFORM NAVY
Representative Dawson Crit
icises the Bureau System.
CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY
Declares That Simplidcation Is
Needed.
METHODS NOT BUSINESSLIKE
Recently Elected Officers of District
Garrisons of the Army and Navy
Union Installed.
CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY
METHODS NOT BUSINESSLIKE

1.-THE greatest need which confronts the
navy today is better system of naval
administration. The system now in force
may have been adequate in 1912. when
it was created by law, but 1t is only
natural that nearly seventy years OF
naval expansion and development should
make the system outworn and obsolete"
With the foregoing as his text Rep
resentative Albert Foster Dawson of
Iowa. a member of the House committee
on naval affairs, delivered a scathing
address against the bureau system of
the Navy Department and in favor of
naval reorganization last night. He was
the principal speaker at the ceremonies
of installing the newly elected officers of
the District garrisons Of the Army and
Navy Union, and was presented to the
American fighting men present as "a
true and consistent friend of the soldier
and saiIor.''
Continuing, Representative Dawson de
clared that the question of naval adj
ministration is vital to the highest eff
ficiency of the navy.
Conflict of Bureaus.
Speaking of certain inherent defects
in the system of naval administration,
Mr.. Dawson said president RooSe-
welt in his last annual message stated 1t
tersely when he said that there is literal
~ no excuse whatever for continuing the
present bureau organization of the navy.
This organization consists of eight Sepa-
rate and distinct bureaus. each 1ndepend-
ent and supreme in ITSELF
THAT clause practically sets up eight
independent Secretaries of the Navy, each
supreme in his division of naval duties.
The tendency of the system is 40 place
the interest of the bureau above the In
terests of the navy as whole. Further
more, this independence has deprived the
government of the benefit of the inventive
genius of the country not found within
the bureaus themselves"
The speaker said he was reliably in
formed that not long ago the captain
of a battleship received orders from one
bureau to sail from navy yard at once,
while at the same time he was threaten
ed with a courtmartial by another bu-
reau If he did So
Representative Dawson described
many examples of conflicts of authority,
with consequent delays and eXtrava
gances.' and declared the installation of
the fire-control apparatus on warShip
is divided up between three separate and
distinct bureaus. The engines and pumps
of ship are under the jurisdiction of one
bureau. while the steam pipes leading to
them are unQer the control or anOther
bureau. He described the many lines of
authority between different bureaus in a
battleship. Referring to navy yards, he
said:
I'VE see the wastefulness of the system
best exemplified in the repair of ships
as conducted by navy yards. With each
bureau not only Independent by law, but
separately provided by Congress with its
own appropriation, there grew up at
each navy yard not single well develop
ed plant. but In reality each bureau was
building up at the several yards it's own
plant, with separate build
ings, machinery and workmen.
"At these navy yards we find three or
four carpenter shops, as many pattern
shops. paintshops, blacksmith shops, etc.
No business man would tolerate for a
as it's wastefulness and extrava-
gance is plain.