The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-11-30
BUREAU SYSTEM ALTERED
SWEEPING CHANGES IN CON.
DUCT OF AFFAIRS TO BE
MADE BY SEC. MEYER.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-Heeding
the cry for reform in naval affairs,
Secretary Meyer on Wednesday will
inaugurate the most sweeping changes
in the navy department since the es-
tablishment OF the bureau syst I'm in
1912. Himself a former director OF
banks and manufacturing companies,
he hopes to put the department on a
! business basis beyond the dream of
his predecessors. The keynote of his
| reforms is the subordination of the
bureau chief.
Summarized, essential changes IN
the Meyer plan are:
The selection of four responsible ad-
visors on subjects within the four
groups into which duties OF the de-
partment fall, to be known as the aide
for material, the aide for personnel,
the aide for operations of the fleet,
and the aide for inspections.
The grouping of the bureaus into
| two divisions of material and per-
: scn-oi, according to the nature Of
their duties.
| The establishment of division of
! operations of the fleet.
! The establishment of a cOmprohen-
s;ve inspection system.
! The establishment of modern eff
! ficient cost keeping system, in the
navy department and at navy yards.
The separation of navy hard work
into two divisions Of hulss and ma
chinery.
| The abolition of the bureau of con-
| StructiOn and equipment.
Give Officers More Influence.
Henceforth officers who fight the
ships are to have more influence in
the navy department. Chosen men
from among them are to be the Of
fetal eyes and ears of. the secretary,
laden with full responsibility for their
reports, but not his hands. The sec
rotary will retain his administrative
| and executive power for his own ex-
ercise and that of the assistant secre-
tary of the navy. All reforms go into
effect December 1, except the abolition
of the bureau of equipment which
congress alone can do.
The aide for operations of the fleet
! will be Rear Admiral Richard Vain
wright, commander of the third di-
vision of the Atlantic fleet.
The aide for personnel will be Rear
Admiral w P. Potter. now chief of
the bureau of navigation. The aide
for material will be Rear Admira!
| William Swift, commandant of the
Boston navy yard.
The aide for inspection will be Cap
tain Aaron Ward, recently supervisor
of the New York harbor, who will be-
come a rear admiral on January 3.
Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, a
member of the board of inspection and
survey, will be made chief of the
bureau of navigation, vice Potter.
Newberry's Changes Cause Confusion.
! When Mr. Meyer assumed office he
| found some confusion in the depart
ment and in the navy ard, due to
changes instituted by Secretary New
berry a few weeks before the clo
of his administration. Steps we're
taken to ascertain how far it was
desirable to follow reforms outlined by
Secretary NeWberry.
The Sperry board was created tn
report how the various conflicting
orders and regulations could best be
! reconciled Then came the LeutZe
board which was asked to make rec
concentrations concerning the conSOn-
dation Of the bureau Of steam engl-
neering with other bureaus, step I'M
dertaken by Secretary NeWberIy.
Finally Secretary Meyer appointed the
Swift board to consider reports OF
the other board and to make rec M
mendations for the improvements OF
business methods of the department.
| With these reports as a basis Sec
rotary Never has evolved his plan OF
reform.
The secretary found that the bur
cans of the department We're NICE
pendent of one another and THAI he
must decide all differences between
them, the aides are to advise him on
these points.
IF the secretary seeks advise from
! Individual officers in whom he mas
confidence. but who have no definite
relation to the organization of the
navy department. said Meyer TO-DAY
in explaining his reforms, "he gets ad-
vice that may be good, bat that IS
not responsible Such recourse to in
| dividuals, moreover, gives 10 aSSur
ance of continuity of policy, nor OF re
sponsibility'
Abolish Construction Board.
According to the Never plan, the
! board Ct construction becomes use
: less. and, therefore, will be abolished
This board was created principally
to supervise ship designing and to
decide questions in dispute between
the bureaus when their duties over
Tapped, or when one wished To obtah
more space or weight for its purposes
in a ship design.
Under the new plan the operating
branch. which deals directly with the
military use Of the fleet, will originate
military features of new constructio'