WHAT THE CHANGES MEAN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3085, 16 May 1917, Page 5

WHAT THE CHANGES MEAN

FROM EXACTING MINUTRAE. The Admiralty Board hitherto has consisted of nine members—the First Lord, the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Sea Lords, the Civil Lord, an additional Civil Lord, the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary, and the Permanent Secretary. Some idea of the exacting jnimitrae of administrative work from which the higher officers have now been relieved may be gained from the following' distribution of business:— ; . First Lord.—l. General direction and supervision of all business relating to the Navy. Political and Board questions. 2. Promotions and removals from the Service of Jvaval and Marine oincors. Honours and rewards. 3. Royal Yachts and Admiralty Yacht, including appointment of all officers, 4. Appointment of admirals and ojlicers in command, including: engineer rear-admirals, surgeons-general,, and deputy surgeons-general, and staff appointments of Royal Marines. 5. Chaplain of the Fleet, appointment of, and entry of naval chaplains and instructors. G. Civil appointments ' and promotions (higher posts). 7. Naval cadetships and nominations to assistant clerkships, K.N. First Soa Lord.—l. Preparation for war: All largo questions of naval policy and maritime warfare—to advise. 2. Fighting and sea-going efficiency of tho Fleet, its organisation and mobilisation, including, complements of ships as affecting total numbersj system of gunnery and torpedo exercises of tho Fleet, and taotical employment of aiivcraft, and all military questions connected with the foregoing; distribution and movements of all ships in commission and in reserve. 3. Superintendence of the War Staff and the flydrographic Department. Second Sea Lord.—l. Manning ond training of the Fleet; details of complements of ship 3 and establishments; tarracks, training, and educational establishments, with their complements; also all mobilisation regulations for the personnel. 2. Service and appointments of officers of all branches (except as reserved to First Lord). 3. Royal Marines. 4. Coastguard and Reserve Forces. 5. Hospitals. G. Discipline (see Note). 7, Signals. " '■ Note.—The following papers aro invariably to bo marked also to the First Sea Lord: (1) Questions of importance relating to discipline. (2) Questions affecting total Fleet numbers. Third Sea Lord.—l. Design of material' for tho Fleet, including ships and their machinery, armour, naval ordnance aud gun mountings, aeroplanes and airships, and docking facilities; also alterations and additions to ships which affect design or fighting effioioncy. Preparation of estimates of costs of all new construe-, tion falling due in any year under cur-! rent and prospective programmes. Superintendence of the Departments of the .Director of Naval Construction, Engin-eer-in-Chief, Director of Naval Ordnance, Director of Naval Equipment, Director of Air Department, and Superintendent of Compasses. 2. Design questions affecting vessels proposed to be purchased for tho Fleet or to be employed iu auxiliary services. 3. Inventions relating to ship 3, machinery, etc. 4. Salvage of vessels, so far as technical and professional considerations are involved. Fourth Soa Lord.—L Transport service, including hired auxiliary .vessels other than armed merchant cruisers. Passages. 2. Superintendence of naval store, Fleet coaling, and victualling services; ordnance and medical stores, etc., and all questions relating thereto. 3. Full and half pay;.allowances and compensations, including table money, prize questions, pilotage and,-surveying pay, and freight of treasure and all extra payments. Dents of officers and men. Naval and Marine pensions and widows' pensions. Character, conduct, and badge questions. Naval savings bank. 4. Medals. Uniform regulations. 5. Naval detention quarters and Bodmin Naval Prison. Desertersrewards for apprehension; removals of _ "R." C. General salvage money questions, and money demands for salvage ' of naval stores. 7. Collisions.

Civil Lord.—l. Works and buildings, including purchases of land; Coastguard buildings, sites, and leases. 2. Staff of civil establishments (except as reserved lo First Lord), including classification, appointment, promotion, pay, allowances, and pension; dockyard police. 3. Greeuwiclf Hospital business, including appointments (except of Naval chaplains to livings, Superintendent of tho Royal Hospital School, Curator of tho Paintod Hall, and appointments to Greenwich Hospital Pensions). 4. Charitable fund, compassionate allowances, subscriptions, etc., and allowances to ministers of religion, and giants in aid of churches and schools. 5. Marino and dockyard schools. 6. Special questions affecting retirement and pay of Naval and Marino officers and men,, when discretionary power is specifically provided for by Order in Council. Works questions of an important character, or if likely to affect questions dealt with by the Financial Secretary, were marked to him also. Additional Civil Lord.—l. Contracts for material for the Fleet (including ships and their machiuery, armour, naval ordnance and gun mountings, aeroplanes and airehips), works, yard machinery, and stores of all descriptions. Contracts arrangements in connection with the disposal, salvage, or loan of vessels or stores. Superintendence of the Contract.and Purchase ,Department. 2. Groneral 1 organisation of. dockyards, including provision of labour and plant, and any business questions in connection with the building and repair of ships and their machinery, whether in the dockyards or in private yards. Tenders for ships' hulls and propelling machinery, armour, and important gun and air-oraft orders, wero also marked to tho Third Sea Lord.