Year: 1868




we learn that more are coming. Thus, by our


enterprise in obtaining ship news exclusively
| for the HERALD, our readers have been able to
learn that there is no danger Of their being cut
of from the greatest luxuries in the peoples
reach.


The Proposed Referm in Naval AdmInis-
tratisn.


We are not surprised to learn that strong
opposition has developed itself in one depart
ment Of the naval service against the new bill
creating naval board Of survey. The ground
Of opposition b that it does not provide
for marine engineer and naval constructor
in the board. The same course Of reason
ing they adopt, and by which they reach the
conclusion that the board would be ineficient
without representatives. from those bureaus,
applies with equal force to the claims OF
surgeons and paymasters, and It might be logi-
cally pushed to embrace chaplains and pro-
fessors of mathematics. Tho marine officers


should have . representative, and the sail


makers. too; for although our officers are


happy in cutting out sails, they are not always


able to out and make up suit Of sails, and


must rely upon the professional saimaker TO


perform the work therefore has the sail


maker claim TO . place in the board. We
may follow this line Of reasoning out ad intini-
tuna II the claims of ell these people were
allowed, instead OF compact, responsible
board Of three we should have an unwieldly
body Of eleven or more which would defeat
the end aimed at by the bill Persons who
make these absurd claims do not know the true
principles Of successful naval administration
or the requirements OF an efficient department
The organization Of the Navy Department


should correspond to that Of perfect man
ofwar. In the latter we have the paymaster,


to take charge Of stores and provisions .
surgeon, to care for the sick and wounded a
marine officer, to command the guard; the


engineer, to control the engines, and the officers
and crew, to care for the decks, each and every
one performing his separate duty and al har-
moniously working together under the control
of ono head, the captain. He has absolute
control of the ship in all It's divisions, but
carries out his will through obedient sub
Ordinates. When he ceases to have supreme
| authority anarchy takes the place of system,
and the value of the ship as man -ofwar is
gone forever. In the Navy Department there is


one supreme head, with subordinate branches.
Each branch is component and essential part
OF the whole, which must be controlled by
one head if ts administration is to be efficient
and successful.


In the nature of things it is found impracd-


cable at the commencement of each new


administration to find certain essential quail


flcations combined in one person to form this


head. Few statesmen are familiar with naval


affairs; hence the necessity of giving him an
assistant who has the necessary professional
education and is familiar with the details
and wants OF the position. But the diff
| 6culty in finding proper and per-
fectly responsible person, free from
| political bias and influence and private


schemes. to hll this important position of as


sistant to the Secretary of the Navy, has led
intelligent and thoughtful men to suggest the
creation Of this professional aid to the depart


ment in the persons OF board of officers of
the highest scientific attainments, the widest
experience and the best executive ability. To


them should be assigned the extensive and i'm
portant duties Of the assistant of the head OF


the department. To obviats strong objections
to similar boards this commission should be
reduced 10 the smallest number practicable
viz, three We have shown how the captain


Of a ship has full control on board his own


vessel, and consequently over the battery, en-
gines aud personnel To q greater extent the
| commander-in-ohief of feet has under his
control the captains OF the individual ships of
his feet, each = petty monarch subject to his
| will. II is clear that In selecting officers to


govern the destnies OF the navy these great
| commanders-in-chief will have the preference
| far above and beyond all others, and to mix
| with them on such board their subordinates
| would be as great blunder as could be well
perpetrated aud one that could only emanate
| from ignorant, narrow-minded and jealous
men. Such An idea cannot be entertained for
= moment.


The distinguished admiraIs who would CON-
| pose the board OF survey can no more build
engines than they can make topsais, guns or
ship bread, but they are the very best judges Of
| those things when made. The best art critics


are not always artists, and il is possible, We
conceive, that the Chief of the Bureau of Steam
Engineering may be able to design and even


build an engine, and yet may not prove good
Judge Of engines. English officers, though not


naval architects, were excellent judges Of
ships, and they so appreciated French models
that the French prizes retained In their navy
could be numbered by the hundred. II two
ships are compared In respect to their displace-
ment and area Of mdship section--ssy the
Englisb iron-clad Achilles and our cruiser
wampanoag il is found that compact,


durable and simply constructed engines drive


the ponderous six thousand ton iron-clsd four
teen knots on hour. while the fragile compli-