Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-11-12


method of securing and charting this information
become that it requires little labor and its cost
by comparison with the results achieved in as
sisting in intelligent buying, is remarkably low
Other charts corrected daily, keep the bureau
informed as to the amount of stocks on hand
in every detail, not only at the storehouseS but
on the ships as well. Since the navy through u.s.
extensive wireless system is in constant COM
municaton with every ship a1oat, the task OIL
keeping up these charts is not so difficult as N
seems.
Or the bunch of cards making up ships COM
psny also is producible on the instant
Machines have reduced the amount Of work mi
the accounting section more than 90 per cent
There are refinements of cost keeping IN MILL
tary establishment that are not known in a
private establishment, for all expenditures must
conform to some specific item of an appropns
ton bill, and appropriations for the naval eSlae
lishment are found in three different approplsl
ton acts.
Roughly speaking, 100000 separate accounts
must be kept properly to meet the Requirements
of the law and to furnish the information as ~
COSTS gross and detailed, needed. Imagine \
ledger with 100000 accounts
Here the cards and mechanism have come IN VI
the extent that half the number of men neeaA|
Is months ago are now required to do the wOA
In addition a great deal of new work has OVA
taken on.
The use of new card punching machines n
sponsible for the larger economies.
The machine is so arranged that it sorts vi
punched cards, arranges them in proper grouIsI
ascertains the totals of the figures indicated
the punched holes and prints on snee "
results. It is accounting reduced to mecna aa.
OF course the usual machines such as auuns
machines and the like, are part OF the equpW -.
In fact the whole trend of the reforms III ~
section has been to reduce everything
mechanical basis.
The result is great economics IN operauO1
creased efficiency, increased accuracy anu
creased speed. To the casual observer INC ' -,
ing thing is the disappearance of books ~.
indeed are the books in sight remarkaOp
the files. In other words, the accountant! =
tenn has been reduced to the simplest dinelSI .s
Ask any man, officer or civilian, in the ' S
lishment how the whole organization mas
made over in such time, and he lnstahg Nv
tell you that Sammy MCGOWAN did it, Anu
he will grow confidential and tell you Tna .Na
esteems is the secret of the Wnoie aooo D-.s
ment, the spirit that MCGOWAN has put N" =,
entire force 1--WE don't tolerate grouches nv ~
informant will say. 1--WE all belong 10 tu0
Worry club and MCGOWAN is it's president
Another thing this paymaster genera ns s,rm
is to establish in Washington, with inc or, ~
of the secretary of the navy, scnool ~, An
pay officers. These officers are appoin'U n.y.
civil life on a competitive examination. i adam
into the service equipped with gooa &C., ~,
education, but with no knowledge Oh NV ,os0
and it's needs. Hence the new service o@es
which has in this years class 10 youn s.. linn
who-are being trained in their new pfoi eSnc
Admiral MCGOWAN himself is PIN
civilian training When he secured NIB ar cot
ment in the pay corps in 1894 he was sod
Carolina newspaper man who had wo'r .snrb
way through college and law school, " .a nj It
brick yard and serving as ticket "st tratnb
railway station Maybe there he got tno sua,rta
which has made him great business 70 nio usn
The fact that he has spent most VI - tbat
career at sea accounts for his insistence 80 10
feet and not the bureau is the thing e'0
kept in mind. ..hns
When he left the Atlantic feet 10 ~ snor
paymaster general his commanding ol me
miral Badger, said of him, HE has maui ADt;ng
department of the fleet smoothly WIZ
itary machine" bus
That is the ideal he holds up to nio Mid
and corps: Make it a smooth runninS
machine"