Evening star., 1923-09-23

/ by Capt. H. H. Hough, now governor
OF the Virgin Islands. who in turn
| Will be relieved by Capt. Philip Will
! liams. the present commanding OFF,
| Ger of the Tennessee. The transfer,
however, will not be effective until
| late in the year.
In compliance with a request re-
| cetved from the bureau of the budget
that steps be taken by the Navy De-
partment to investigate the feastbil-
| fty OF adopting for the department.
uniform standard system for handling
traffic as recommended for the whole
| government service. a special board,
headed by Capt. Walton r. Sexton,
has just completed an investigation
! Of the entire situation and submitted
| its report. This report, approved by
Acting Secretary Roosevelt, has been
| forwarded by him to the chief co-or-
! dinator for general supply for the
I budget bureau.
The boards report recommends that
| all phases of passenger traffic mat
| ters except payment of bills, be CEN
| tered in the bureau of navigation, as
| at present, and that the CHIEF OF the
| bureau be designated as director OF
passenger traffic, and that all freight
| traffic matters be centered in the bu-
reau Of supplies and accounts ana the
| chief of this bureau be the director
| of freight traffic. 1t further recon-
| mends that transportation bills con-
| tinue to be paid by the disDursing
4 division of supplies and accounts, put
| that the practice Of referring passen-
| ger bills to navigation be abandoned
| as non-essential. The report also
| provides for a working arrangement
| whereby the two bureaus can coop
crate freely and fully in handling all
| trafic matters.
In snecifying its reasons for not
| recommending the standard organiza-
ton, as proposed by the budget, the
1 report points out that 1t Would re-
| quire the creation in the navy Des
/ partment of a new office which would
| absorb all the traffic matters now
| confided to the bureaus. AS the busi-
ness of the department is distributed
| by law among the several bureaus the
board holds that the removal OF GER
| tain of the departments business
| from the bureaus to a. new once
| would require congressional consent
| and legislation.
| Characterizing the transportation OF
| the large number of personnel IN the
naval establishment and the trans
! portation of the large quantities OF
| Navy freight as military questions OF
great Importance, both in peace ana
war, the report calls attention TO the
| fact that the number OF personnel
now subject to the orders OF the bu-
| reau of navigation Is about 1OO,-
| 900, and would increase greatly in
war times, SO that the organization
| must not only be efficient at all times
4
time of war. 1t also points out that
/ with the bureau of navigation rests
| the responsibility for issuance OF 1ndi-
| vidual orders. to officers ana men.
| allocating space on naval transporls Is
| and determining priority OF passage.
| questions closely related to the ac-
| tual issuance of transportation.
| Summing up, the board recommends:
| That no action be taken toward the
creation of Separate trafhc divislon
4 nf
! vantage to the government by sucn
! action and because of legislation on
! the subject
! fireman first class, was the winner OF
| the Navy Department trophy, offered
| for the first time for annual competi-
| ton at the national rifle matches this
year, according to reports received og
| the department. One hundred ana
| eighty-five entrants competed for the
I trophy. the conditions of the match
| being twenty shots, slow hre' at
| range of zoo yards, standing, his score
! being "a out of a possible hundred.
4 The trophy is a handsome silver cup,
| depicting on it's bowl the progress OF
/ naval vessels from the time OF the
| galley. and the development of small
| arms weapons from the time OF the
| slingshot.
| Scouting Plane Squadron No. L OBJ
tanned the highest merit of any air.
| craft squadron in the Navy, and has
| been awarded the pennant for excel
| lency in gunnery for the year 1S2Z-
| 1e23 Lieut.. Commander J. C. Mon
| ford, who commanded the squadron
| and two other officers nominated by
! him will receive letters of commen-
/ datfon, while each plane OF the squad
ron will paint the pennant on It's
| fusilage.
| Transfer of the marines stationed
/ at the depot at San Pedro TO the
naval station at Coco Solo, Panama
| Canal Zone, has been ordered by the
Navy Department. On September Ii
the San Pedro station. completeiy
| abandoned was turned over to the
owners, from whom the Navy had the
| ground leased. and the department
finally decided to transfer the marine
detachment to Coco Solo. For some
time past there has been movement
to establish a marine guard there, II
order to relieve the regular subma-
rine crews from this duty, leaving
them free for their regulation rou'
tine duties.
Among the projects OF construction
under supervision of the bureau OF
yards and docks in the vicinity OF
| Washington is for a washroom ano
laundry at the Anacostia air station
to replace the present inadequate ia
cilities. Plans and specifications fol
this installation are under way an6
| will be advertised for bids in the
| near future.
Commander E. H. Brownell has
been ordered detached from the
Portsmouth navy yard for a tempo.
rary tour of duty in the bureau OF
yards and docks, upon the compile
tfon of which he will proceed to Sar
Francisco via the u. s. s. Chaumont
leaving Hampton roads on October 5
Upon arrival at San Francisco he will
| take passage for Honolulu on the
u. S. S. Newport News, and will re-
port for duty as public works officer
of the naval station, Pearl harbor anC
the fourteenth naval district, as re-
lief of Commander c. A. Carlson, u
S. n,