The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-12-30
SECRETARY MEYER
AND THE NAVY YARDS.
Miami Metropolis.
. 80 90 80 .

The Pensacola Journal says that
1t never did think Secretary Meyer
very much Of great man. The state
ment is made in reply to a good hum
ored prod from the Tampa Tribune
concerning comments on the Secre-
tary In the Pensacola papers before
that man recommended the abolish
ment of the Pensacola navy yard, and
after. There is a disposition with the
brethren to tighten UP gloomy places
with a joke wherever opportunity Of
fers. The Metropolis readily enters
a plea of guilty without having
charges preferred, but that il an
other matter.
The recommendation of lle Secre-
tary has to do with a policy that
affects the entire country and is.
therefore, of much more than local
concern to Pensacola.
1t is not likely that a community
Of Pensacola's stability and standing
before the commercial and intellectual
world would descend in a body to the
level Of pork barrel" politics. It
would be hard to think Ct any city
Of such size and importance being
found SO entirely glued to The acquisi-
tive as to rise and demand a great
expenditure on the part of the govern.
ment solely for selfish reasons. We
must admit that we have some poll
ticians whose idea Of craftsmanship
and duty exists In the getting Of some
thing for State or district, whether
needed or not, at the expense of the
government. but people whose ideas
of duty are broader. who recognize that
we are citizens Of a common coun.
try as well as State, deplore the
squandering Of public fund.- as much
in one locality as in another.
There are yet people who believe
in the principle of just government
economically administered Without
penetrating further than the surface
of Secretary Meyers proposition, for
it is unnecessary to dig into the de-.
tails of his report TO gather the i'm
port Of his recommendations, it ap-
pears that he would do away with
the navy yards at Pensacola and New
Orleans and leave the Gulf coast un-
protected save for the station at Key
West, which Is to be one # Secondary
supply only.
Mr.. Secretary Meyer tells US that
navy yards are primarily for war and
only incidentally for peace; that they
should be for the docking. repairing
and refitting of war vessels and not
ordinarily for construction; that the
function Of naval stations is to main
tain the efficiency of ships already
built In the telling of which Mr.
Secretary Meyer has said nothing new
or original. BY recommending the
adjustment of the yards at New Or
leans and Pensacola he provides for
doing away with just and reasonable
distribution of the base facilities the
need Of which are virtually admitted
in his report elsewhere.
So long as the navy exists there
will be need for docking, repairing.
refitting and supplying vessels, and
the location of these navy yards
should be maintained at such points
as to render such service the most
expeditions possible at the least pos
sible expense.
The Secretary does not make it
plain that the government will save
anything by dismantling and doing
away with the Gulf navy yards. His
position seems to be rather that we
have more navy yards and naval sta
tons than are necessary. and because
this is so both the Gulf yards should
go.
Before the Secretary hores to have
his recommendations adopted by a
careful Congress he will be required
to show wherein his plan will operate
to the conservation Of the principles
Of Justice and economy. and to the
Strengthening of the national defense