27 JANUARY 1849, Page 8

POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

This morning appears a circular to the Superintendent of her Majesty's Dockyards at home, signed by Mr. H. G. Ward, Secretary to the Admiralty, and dated " Admiralty, 25th January 1849," transmitting to the Super- intendents twenty-six Minutes by the Board of Admiralty; which, taken together, set forth a plan for reducing the expenditure and increasing the efficiency of the Dockyard establishments. In the introductory circular, Mr. Ward points out that the Minutes impose upon the Superintendents additional responsibility, but arm them with additional powers. "My Lords," he says to the Superintendents,

" trust that you will use wisely the authority thus confided to you, and impress upon the minds of all under you the fact, that the only way to disarm the jealousy with which the growing expenditure of the naval yards is viewed, is, to satisfy Parliament, and the country, that these great national establishments are conducted with the same regard to economy, the same honest desire to make promotion dependent upon merit, and the same scrupulous attention to those minute details of management upon which the loss or gain of a manufacturing eetablishment depends, that in all private enterprises have constituted the secret of eUcoess.'

We give an analytical enumeration of these twenty-six Minutes. 1. The number of shipwrights in the dockyards to be reduced to 3,500; with corresponding reductions in other branches of skilled labour. 2. The admission of apprentices, which now exceeds the annual vacancies, to be reduced. The total number is to be at once reduced from one-fourth of the present number of shipwrights to one-sixth, namely to 581: the annual admis- skinfl to be one-seventh of the reduced number, namely 83.

8. Working hours assimilated in all dockyards, by a scale ranging from 7h. 10m, in winter to Mi. 10m. in summer.

4. More strict muster of workmen: the men to pass through ticket-tables.

5. The superintendents to be reduced: working gangs to be enlarged from 15 to 20 men and boys, including the "leading man "; three leading men under each inspector. This will "reduce to their tools" 51 leading men out of 218, and eleven inspectors. Eight foremen to be reduced.

6. Regular morning meeting of officers, with power for any principal officer to make direct, personal, and public suggestions and communications to the superin- tendent; in lieu of the present written and circuitous.communications. 7. The vote for stores has increased from 426,9581. in 1835 to 1,694,1521.4 1846-7—mainly in purchases for the steam navy; but the checks on demand' from officers in the Storekeeper's department are very loose: they will be made more strict.

8. Monthly expenditure of stores to be officially reported to the superintendent. 9. Paymentof wages-800,0001. a year—is now made through the Storekeepers, "without even the semblance of a subsequent audit': it will be checked weekly by; a special clerk under each storekeeper, certified quarterly by the Imperils tendent to the Admiralty Board, and audited at an annual visit by the Account. ants General or Deputy Accountant-General.

10. to 16. relate to the method of keeping stores, directing improved plans for checking the receipt of returned stores; the revision of standing contracts every three years, reopening them to public competition; annual correction of the rate. book, stating value of stores; triennial "taking of stock "—first general survey in April next ; annual visitation by the Storekeeper-General.

17. The ten-hours system of Devonport adopted in all smitheries. 18, 19, 20. Improved checks of measurement and returns of work. 21. Burnetizing process, still an experiment, confined, as at present, to Ports- mouth, Chatham, and Woolwich. 22. New monthly Superannuation Board, (Superintendent, Captain of the ordi- nary or flag-ship, Master-Shipwright, medical officers,) in each yard, to check recommendations.

23. Re-sorting hemp discontinued.

24, 25. Better inspection of timber ; labour in its transport economized by. tramways, &c.

26. Better division of labour: skilled artificers classed separately ; common la- bours organized in" general service gangs," paid by task; convict-labour employ- ed in large masses, on duties distinct from free labour.