Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-30
Sweeping Changes in Administration
Planned by Secretary Meyer are
Effective Tomorrow.
DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS
Responsible Adviser is Selected for
Each Division.
FIGHTING MEN TO FRONT
Officers from the Line to be Eyes
and Ears for Secretary.
CHANGES THE NEwBER. *. V
Board of Construction f. A -
and Division of ManufactuF
IL Divided Into Two
Divisions. = {
Responsible Adviser is Selected for
Each Division.
CHANGES THE NEwBER.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-Heeding
cry for reform in naval affairs, Sect
tary Meyer the day after tomorrow wi
inaugurate the most sweeping changes in
the Navy department since the establish
ment OF the bureau system in 1872 Him
self a director Of banks and manufactur-
ing companies in New England in times
past, he hopes to put the department
on business basis beyond the dreams
Of predecessors. The keynote of his re-
forms is the subordination Of the bureau
chief.
Summarized the essential changes In the
Meyer pan are:
The selection of four responsible ad-
visers on subjects with the four groups
into which duties of the department fall,
to be known as the aide for material, the
aide for personnel the aide for opera
tions Of the fleet and the aide for In
spections
The grouping Of the bureaus into two
divisions Of material and personnel, ac-
cordng to the nature of their duties. The
establishment Of a division Of operations
of the fleet. The establishment of com
prehenslve inspection system. The estab-
lshment Of modern and efficient cost
keeping system in the Navy department
and at navy yards.
The separation Of navy yard work
into two divisions OF hulls and machinery.
THE abolshment of the board of con-
struction. The Adjustment of the bureau
Of equipment
Fighting Men to Front.
'Henceforth the officers who fight the
ships are to have more influence in the
Navy department. Chosen men from
among them are to be the official eyes
and ears of the secretary laden with full
responsibility for their reports, but not
his hands The secretary will retain his
administrative and executive power for
his own exercise and that Of the assistant
secretary Of the navy. All the reforms
go into effect December 1 except the
abolishing Of the bureau OF equipment,
which congress alone can do. The aide for
operations of the fleet will be- Rear Ad-
miral Richard Wainwright, commander of
the third division Of the Atlantic fleet
The aide for personnel win be Rear Ad-
mral w p. Potter, now chief of the
bureau Of navigation. The aide for ma
terial win be Rear Admiral william Swift
commandant OF the Boston navy yard
The aide for inspection viii be Captain
Aaron Ward, recently supervisor of the
New York harbor, who will become
rear admiral on January 9. Captain Regi-
nald F. Nicholson, a member Of the
board Of inspection and survey, will be
made chief Of the bureau OF navigation
vice Potter.
Too Much Confusion.
When Mr.. Meyer assumed office ne found
some confusion in the department and in
the navy yards, due to changes instituted
by Secretary Newberry a few weeks before
the close OF his administration. Steps were
taken to ascertain how far It was de-
{ sirable to follow the reforms outlined by
NSecretary Newberry. The Sperry board was
created to report how the various conflict
ing orders and regulations could be recon
ciled best. Then came the Leutze board,
which was asked to make recommenda-
tions concerning the consolidation of the
bureau OF steam engineering with other
bureaus, a step undertaken by Secretary
Newberry. Finally Secretary Meyer ap-
pointed the Swift board to consider the
reports OF the other board and to make
recommendations for the improvement Of
the business methods of the department.
With these reports as a basis Secretary
Meyer has evolved HIS reform.
The secretary found that the bureaus Of
the department were Independent OF each
other and that he must decide all differ
ences between them. The aides are to advise
him on these points.
III the secretary seeks advice from indi-
vidual officers In whom he has confidence
but who have no definite relation to the
organization Of the Navy department :"
said Mr.. Meyer today in explaining his
reforms. ''he gets advice which may be
good but which Is not responsible. Such
recourse to individuals moreover gives no
assurance Of continuity Of policy nor re-
sponsibility."
One Hoard Abolished.
e, .
construction becomes useless and win be
abolished. This board was created prin-
cipally to supervise ship designing and to
decide questions in dispute between the
bureaus when their duties overlRpped or
when one wished 70 procure more space or
weight for its purposes In a ships design.
Under the Meyer plan the operating branch
which deals directly with the military use
OF the fleet will originate the military fea-
lures OF new construction In consultation
with the general board Of which the new
aide for operations VIII be a member Other
officers viii also be called in for advice
and criticism before and after the sketch
plans have been considered by the bureaus
Ihese oIloers viii be selected because OF
pronounced success In ordnance engineer
ing or torpedo practical work The bureaus
viii be called upon finally TO prepare the
actual plans and will be responsible for
their correctness.
With the growth OF the business OF the
department Secretary Meyer found that
duties similar TO those of the equipment
bureau were performed by the bureau OF
supplies and accounts. construction and re-
pair and by steam engineering In this
connection IL is TO be noted that Rear Ad-
niral W. s Cowles is now the head OF
the bureau
81 AsnufacturinE.
U-der %. an. the secretary has decided
10 dlN dc ngie manufacturing depart
ment as I'd oy Secretarv Navrhar,,,
into two divisions, one for .maebinery ana