The sun., 1910-02-18
MEYER HAs us LAsT sAY.
Ne Goes AFTER Rodgers and Capps, who
Opposed Hls Re0rKanikatBSa Pl2n.

Opposed tEls ReOrgRnlzatbSa nan.
WAsHINGIoN. Feb. fat the execu-
tive session Of the House Committee on
, Naval Affairs to-day Secretary ofthe Navy
Meyer appeared 20 make his last appeal
for the adoption Of his plan OF naval re-
organisation. II was as lively rs any
that body has held since the contro-
versy along this line warmed up with the
convening OF Congress. In the first place
Secretary Meyer went after Rear Admiral
Rodgers. tho naval Paymaster-G General.
and handled him without gloves. He
fatty contrNdicted Admiral Rodgers's .
statement before the committee that he
was the inventor Of the cost keeping sys-
TEN st navy yards and also took exception
TO his assertion that the system was in
operation in eight yards. According to
the Secretary the system is in operation
in only one yard and not completely at
that.
Discussing Admiral Rodgers's testi-
uony to the effect that the system costs
nothing. Secretary MsyAr said that as
q matter Of fact it already had cost $40. 600
for it's partial installation in the one yard
referred to (Boston) and would cost si7 900
more before 1t was IN complete working
order.
Another interesting feature Of the ses-
sion was the presentation to the commit
tee by Secretary Meyer Of an official
Endorsement OF the substance Of the
Meyer plan from Chief Constructor Capps.
who is now so bitterly opposed to it.
This was a Recommendation from the
Chief Constructor that authority over
huiis and machinery be divided IN the
navy yards and was made to the then
Secretary Of the Navy some years ago
before the Newberry plan went into effect
and before the Chief Constructor enjoyed
the complete power which he did under it.
According to tho@e members OF the
committee who look with favor on the
Meyer plan and who have been standing
by the Secretary, he took the testimony
given by Chief Constructor Capps with
methods in British and German navy
yards and was able to demonstrate that
not only did Mr.. Capps's figures and
facts bear out his conclusions but that
as a matter of fact the matter he pre-
that the plan proposed by the Secretary
10 right in line with the very latest schemes
IN tlse IN the navy yards Of the two Govern
ments mentioned.
Taking the controversy which grew
out OF the varying facts and figures
Rear Admiral Hutch I. Cone. chief Of the
bureau OF steam engineering. a. Q basis,
Mr.. Meyer insisted that this very propo-
sition proved that something was
wrong under the present system and that
a change was imperative. He pointed
out that inaAmuch as the bureau OF steam
engineering. whose money was being
spent for a certain purpose. with respon-
sibility resting in the bureau had one
set Of figures, and the bureau Of conetruc-
ton. which was spending the money but
was not responsible, had another set
both sets passing through the managing
constructor in charge OF a yard-it
was high time some change was made
to correct the possibility OF such condi-
tions continuing to exist.
At the conclusion of the session a
Republican member OF the COMMITTEES |
who usually knows what he is talking
about said that the committee stood |
approximately two to one in favor OF the |
plan proposed by the Secretary and that |
hs would be authorized 70 put il into |
operation for one year.