Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-09-13
RECOMMENDATIONS OF
BOARD OF VISITORS
Full Text of Report of Investiga-
lions Made Public.
ADMINISTRATION COMMENDED.
Admirable Discipline Prevails. Document
SAYS, and Capt Gibbons is
Highly CompIimented.

of Visitors to the Naval Academy.
recently made public, contains six
recommendations, as follows
L. That the Congress should be
asked to appropriate money to imme-
diately complete the sea wall around
the power house, about $40 feet in
length lat an estimated cost not to
exceed $50, ,00O), in order to preserve
and protect that property, and upon
the completion of this part of the sea
wall it should be continued by sue
cessive annual appropriations until all
the grounds of the Naval Academy
are properly protected from en-
croachment by the water
e. That the Congress should be
reque sted to appropriate sufficient
money TO acquire the three city blocks
of property aud the sire cts contigu-
Gus thereto which now project into
the boudary line OF the Academy, for
the reason that of the los officers
now on duty at the Academy only "a
can be quartered in the grounds con-
nected with it, and the additional
acreage added by the purchase recon-
mended can be improved so as to
house all the officers on duty, the
interest on the investment being not
substantially greater than the an
nual sum paid by the Government for
the rent of quarters in the city of
Annapolis.
8. That the practice of distributing
the members of the irst and second
class among different battleships of
the fleet for the practice cruise
should be discontinued and the form
er system of keeping the entire body
of midshipmen together should be re-
sumed, for the reasons given above.
4. That the practice cruise of the
midshipmen should be coincident
with one of the periods of target prac-
tice of the fleet, so that the vessels
on which they are cruising should
participate therein, or that they
should be given target practice 1der
modern conditions separately.
8. That immediate attention should
be given to the question of the sew
age disposal CT the Academy, and the
cooperation of the authorities of the
city OF Annapolis and State of Mary
land united 70 the end that Joint ac-
tion may pre- vent the continuation of
the practice of draining the sewage
of the community into the wate RS that
wash the shores of the Naval Acad-
emy grounds.
g. That in view of the determina-
tion of the Congress to discontinue
the time -honored practice of author
izing the appoiutm snt annually of
board of visitors to the Naval Acad-
emy, the Committees u Naval
Affairs Of the United States Senate
and House of Representatives, re-
spectively, should be invited to make
such arrangements as might result in
all the members of both committees
having appropriate opportunities to
observe the work of the Academy,
not merely during the exercises con-
nected with graduation. but from time
to time while the midshipmen are
engaged in their routine duties.
Further, that appropriate legisla-
tion should be suggested by the Secre-
tary of the Navy to the Congress to
enable the appointment by the Presi-
dent of the United States of board
of visitors, to be composed of civil
ians not holding any public Office, to
inspect the United States Naval
Academy, and each United States
naval training station, the members
of these boards to be divided into
classes, me of which classes should
go out Of office each year, the vacan-
cits to be filed by the President, all
of the members to serve without paw
or allowances, suitable provision,
he wever, to be made for necessary
clerical attendance and the printing
of their reports.
This is made because it is appar-
ent from consideration OF the re-
ports of the boards of visitors ap-
pointed during the past ten years
that the recommendation of members
of the boards who held no official
position, and who brought to the COR
sideration Of the questions involved
previous experience in military, ma
val and business affairs, often result
ed in recomme ndations which have
improved the academy, have saved
money for the doverment, and have
brought this great training school
for officers for the American Navy
in closer touch with the taxpayers
of the country, who support it through
congressional appropriations.
The list of eminent citizens who
have served on former boards of vis-
itors includes men of national repu-
tation, whose valuable advice and SER
vices have been given for the nomi-
nal compt nsation heretofore appro-
priated. There is no doubt that
many cthers will be found who will
be glad to serve in future and pay
their own expenses, if they can in
this way supplement the work Of the
committees of Congess and be of SER
vice to the Navy.
The board says the sdministra-
ton of the affairs Of the Academy
under the superintendent of Capt.
John H. Gibbons, United States
Navy, deserve more than passing com.
me ndstion. 1t is apparent that all
the departments have been brought