Слике страница
PDF
ePub

in a bookkeeping way, although these estimates might serve as a guide from time to time in passing upon the legality of certain payments made. Thus, the treasury might be in some doubt about passing vouchers for the Virgin Islands, were it not for the estimate "Temporary Government for West Indian Islands."

In the Navy Department the bureaus would maintain cognizance of the estimates for which they were responsible, somewhat in the same way as they now manage their appropriations. There would be this great difference, however: allotments of funds for working purposes would always be directly toward the objects of expenditure, with no considerations of various sources of supply, as at present. In deciding whether or not to authorize funds for a contemplated purpose the first and primary point to consider should always be the desirability or necessity of the expenditure. The second point is in regard to how much has already been expended for similar purposes. If expenditures made and contemplated bid fair to exceed the yearly estimate for that particular purpose, the unforeseen reasons should be recorded, so that at the end of the year perfectly definite explanation may be submitted to Congress relative to the over-expenditures. Similarly, estimates which have not been fully utilized should carry a note of explanation in the report. Of course, the total of the whole appropriation could not be exceeded without having obtained a deficiency appropriation.

It is believed that one of the greatest obstacles in the past to amending our appropriation system has been the fact that each year the estimates for the various appropriations could be compared with the estimates of the preceding years submitted in the same form, and a fair check could thus be maintained by Congress, as long as conditions did not greatly vary from year to year. The war has upset all that. It is impossible to gage now the amount needed under a given appropriation by the amounts appropriated last year or the year before. Consequently, now is the time, if ever, to introduce the reform.

The simplest method to pursue would be to add to the naval appropriation bill now in course of legislation, wording about as follows:

Provided, That the amounts here appropriated (except for the Naval Academy and for the marine corps) shall constitute one fund to be called "Naval Establishment" and shall be disbursed and accounted for as such.

And Provided further, That the Secretary of the Navy shall report to Congress the expenditures of the naval establishment, divided according to the accounting headings of the naval accounting system, and hereafter all estimates shall be submitted under those headings. And Provided further, That the amounts marked "Specific" herein shall not be exceeded. All unexpended balances of appropriations made for the naval establishment, except for the Naval Academy and the marine corps, shall on June 30, 1919, be transferred and credited to the appropriation "Naval Establishment," and for that purpose such balances are made available for the fiscal year 1920. Provided, That all unexpended balances of appropriations for the Naval Academy and for the marine corps shall be transferred and merged with the corresponding appropriations contained in this act.

[COPYRIGHTED]

U. S. NAVAL INSTITUTE, ANNAPOLIS, MD.

SYSTEM

By CAPTAIN J. F. HELLWEG, U. S. Navy

A large number of new ships are being commissioned, particularly small ones, and many of the young officers ordered to them have had little previous experience as commanding officers or heads of departments. These officers will eventually develop some system for handling the details of their work, but at the expenditure of time which could be more profitably devoted to other important duties.

In order to save them this time, the following scheme is published, hoping that it will be of as much assistance to them as it has been to me. I have used this system on four ships and one shore station and it has saved considerable time and effort for all officers responsible for the execution of the work.

The allotment of details to many subordinates prevents the overloading of the various heads of departments, while at the same time insuring execution of the work.

ONE GENERAL SHIP'S OFFICE

The ideal arrangement on any class of ship is one general office with the various heads of departments assigned desk room only There should be one filing cabinet of ample size with one filing system. This cabinet should be centrally located in the general office. The saving in time in handling correspondence cannot. be overestimated. No papers go out of the office except in the mail, the risk of loss is reduced therefore to a minimum. All yeomen are under the eye of the chief, necessitating regular office hours. They cannot waste time, hidden in some office with a magazine or newspaper. All yeomen are available for work. Any yeoman seen unoccupied is given the work which next develops. The output is enormously increased without overwork

ing any of the office force. Inter-departmental correspondence on board ship is eliminated, as everything is handled in one office. Various short cuts are possible, and suggest themselves when the system is tried. I have used this system with marked success and recommend its trial. If all new construction eliminated the old system of numerous small separate offices, and one large well-ventilated and well-lighted centrally located general office was provided, increased efficiency would result. Flat-top table desks with side drawers should be provided, each with chairs on opposite sides of the central opening; one for yeoman and the other for head of department. Typewriter should be secured to a "swing-up" on yeoman's side of desk.

Immediately after receipt of mail, it is logged and thrown to the various desks having cognizance of it; there to be acted upon by the head of the department, without any waste of time for logging and indexing as is required by the separate office system. The captain's yeoman logs all mail, notes to whom thrown, acts as head filing clerk, and sees that all letters are promptly acted upon, returned and forwarded. A rubber stamp with numbers from 1 to 12 or higher assists in throwing the mail expeditiously. This column of numbers is stamped on the margin of the letter or on a slip of paper clipped to the letter, and a pencil check is made against the number whose attention is required. The following key for throwing mail will be found satisfactory for the average small ship. Larger ships will have to add additional numbers for their greater subdivision of work:

1. Executive officer.

2. Navigating officer.

3. Ordnance officer.

4. Communication officer.

5. Chief engineer.

6. Medical officer.

7. Pay officer.

8. Information of all officers. To be initialled and passed

on. Last one to return papers to office.

9. Post a copy on bulletin board.

10. File.

II. Place contents or requirements of this letter on a card

in tickler system.

12. First lieutenant.

« ПретходнаНастави »