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[No. 22.]

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY,

Bureau of Steam Engineering, Washington, D. C., January 9, 1909.

INCREASE SUBMITTED UNDER APPROPRIATION

66

STEAM

MACHINERY."

Sir: 1. In compliance with the department's indorsement No. 7177-260, of the 6th instant, on the letter of the chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs, House of Representatives, the bureau has the honor to submit the following statement in regard to the increase submitted under appropriation "Steam machinery," for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910.

2. The current appropriation for "Steam machinery" is $6,006,000; the increase requested is $900,000.

3. The table on the following page gives the names of vessels on which extraordinary expenditures were authorized during the current fiscal year (H. Doc. No. 656, 60th Cong., 1st sess.), the amount of such authorized expenditures, and the probable expenditures during the fiscal year.

4. It will be noted from this statement that of $1,560,000, the expenditure of which was authorized from the current appropriation, it is probable that only $690,000 can be expended, because of the demand for the ordinary repairs to the machinery of the fleet, and that $870,000 of the expenditure authorized must go over to the next fiscal year. In other words, had it been possible to do all the work authorized by Congress, the bureau would be facing a deficit of $870,000.

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5. From the estimates for repairs of a similar character for the next fiscal year, which have already been reported to the depart

Nothing.

690,000

ment, and which are repeated below, it will be seen that the amount required on that account will exceed the amount that it will be possible to expend this year by $215,000. The amounts are:

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(b) Amount that will probably be expended...

$1,560,000

(c) Expenditure authorized which can not be made this year, but which must be done next year..

690,000

870,000

905,000

215,000

1,085,000

(d) Estimates for extraordinary repairs to machinery for fiscal year 1910.
(e) Excess of this estimate over probable expenditure this year....
(Estimate for work authorized during this year, but not completed,

and for work for next year; sum of (c) and (e)..........

6. The apparent balance remaining to the credit of "Steam machinery, 1908," on the 1st of October, 1908, was, according to the returns of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, and reported in this bureau's annual report, $316,588.65. This balance is intimately connected with "Foreign account," which includes all charges at stations outside of the continental limits of the United States and for requisitions that do not pass through the bureau. The sum of $575,000 was set apart for this account last year, and that the balance reported October 1, 1908, does not represent the true balance is evident from the fact that the expenditure for labor alone at Cavite, Olongapo, and Guam was $297,216.53, or $119,091.17 in excess of the amount reported in the "financial statement" of the bureau-and this without any charge for other expense which must be met by this account at these and other stations, and for ships' requisitions abroad.

7. As an illustration of the balance as shown by "foreign account" at the end of the fiscal year, it may be stated that the apparent balance to the credit of Steam machinery, 1906," as given in the annual report up to September 1, 1906, was $437,529.30, and yet when all obligations were paid there was actually a deficit of $5,870.20. (See Digest of Appropriations, 1909, p. 323.)

8. From a consideration of the conditions herein reported, it is believed that the proposed increase of $900,000 for appropriation "Steam machinery" is a reasonable one.

Very respectfully,

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[No. 23.]

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 10, 1908.

TO ESTABLISH A MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS.

SIR: Your attention and that of the committee is respectfully invited to the fact that in time of war or in one of the many emergencies of peace the department is unable to call together a number of surgeons whose fitness is established and is a matter of record. This deficiency was remedied in the army by an act approved April 23, 1908. The results already obtained from this act are so satisfactory that the Navy Department feels impelled to ask for similar legislation.

The insertion of the inclosed clause in the appropriation bill under "Pay of the navy" contemplates the establishment of a medical reserve corps similar to that above referred to, and the enactment of this provision for the navy is earnestly recommended. It would

mean:

First. The medical department of the navy will be placed in close contact with eminent members of the profession throughout the country a fact already accomplished in the army-enabling it to call them into consultation and to profit by their advice when occasion requires.

Second. It would give elasticity to a corps that, while adequate in peace, is of necessity totally inadequate in war; and it would render it possible to educate a large number of the civilian branch of the profession to the special lines required in the service so that when called upon they would be able to respond and take up their duties without additional instruction.

Third. It would make service in the navy as attractive as that in the army a condition that can not exist under the present system when candidates must pass through a probationary period as acting assistant surgeons. The enactment of this clause makes these candidates, if previously found qualified for the reserve corps, available for detail duty at the Naval Medical School, which institution graduates them into the regular service.

Fourth. No increase of expenditure of money is required, except when the emergencies contemplated arise and the members of the reserve corps are temporarily ordered to active duty.

Very respectfully,

Hon. GEORGE E. Foss,

TRUMAN S. NEWBERRY,

Secretary.

Chairman Committee on Naval Affairs,

House of Representatives.

A CLAUSE TO BE ADDED TO THE ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE UNDER "PAY OF THE NAVY."

Provided, That a medical reserve corps, to be a constituent part of the Medical Department of the Navy, is hereby established under the same provisions, in all respects (except as may be necessary to adapt the said provisions to the Navy), as those providing a medical reserve corps for the army and as set forth in sections seven, eight, and nine of the act to increase the efficiency of the Medical Department of the United States Army, approved April twenty-third, nineteen hundred and eight.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY,

BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY,

Washington, D. C., January 20, 1909. DEAR MR. Foss: In looking over the naval appropriation bill (H. R. 26394) which was reported by the House Committee on Naval Affairs January 16, 1909, I observe that it contains no provision for the establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps for the Navy similar to that provided for the army by the act approved April 23, 1908. This is a great disappointment to me, as it is a matter of great importance to the Medical Department of the Navy. On December 16, 1908, the Secretary of the Navy transmitted the draft of a clause covering all the provisions contained in the army bill (a copy of which is herewith inclosed for your information and use should opportunity occur), and recommended its incorporation in the act making appropriations for the naval service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910. As this legislation which we seek has so many strong arguments in its favor, not the least among which is the fact that it does not involve the necessity for any increase in the annual appropriation for the navy, and as there seem to be no disadvantages to even partially offset its many great advantages, I am at a loss to understand its omission. I therefore bespeak your earnest support of the provision to the end that it may be added to the act making appropriations for the naval service on the floor of the House or, if not there, that it be added in the Senate. With expressions of esteem and appreciation of past services. Very truly, yours,

Hon. GEORGE E. Foss, M. C.,

P. M. RIXEY,

Surgeon-General, U. S. Navy.

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[No. 24.]

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 10, 1908.

SPECIFIC AMOUNTS FOR PAY OF CLERKS, DRAFTSMEN, INSPECTORS, AND OTHER CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES AT NAVYYARDS AND NAVAL STATIONS.

SIR: In the department's estimates for the fiscal year 1910 a specific amount is submitted under each of the following appropriations for the pay of clerks, draftsmen, inspectors, and other classified employees at navy-yards and naval stations: "Construction and repair," "Provisions," "Maintenance," "Ordnance and ordnance stores," "Steam machinery," "Equipment of vessels," "Pay, miscellaneous," "Maintenance, naval training station, Great Lakes," "Maintenance, naval training station, Newport, R. I.," "Naval War College."

It is found that the figures submitted by several of the bureaus. were based upon data of June 30, 1908, and did not include changes authorized by the department between July 1 and December 1, 1908.

The department has now in course of preparation a complete list of all such positions as of date December 1, 1908, showing the appropriation from which now paid and indicating the appropriation from which they will be paid if the department's estimates for the fiscal year 1910 are approved by Congress.

It is requested that final action by the Naval Committee as to the specific amounts to be inserted under each of the above appropriations for the pay of classified employees be held in abeyance pending receipt of the lists referred to.

It is not intended to increase the total amount of appropriations, but simply to correct the limit of expenditure under the several appropriations for clerical, drafting, inspection, and other classified

services.

Very respectfully,

TRUMAN H. NEWBERRY,

Hon. GEORGE EDMUND FOss, M. C.,
Chairman Committee on Naval Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

(761)

Secretary.

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