DIVISION OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. 43 



be cut off or overtime work adopted, as we try never to exceed an original 

 estimate of time unless directed by the Department. 



This system has been found of great value in reducing the necessity for 

 overtime work. 



Charges. — The cost of all work is charged to job orders divided into 

 groups. 



A copy of the job order division is shown on page 42. 



Each employee turns in to his leading man a time card charging his 

 time to the nearest one-eighth day. These cards are checked by the leading 

 man before being turned in. The record of charges is kept by the Bureau's 

 financial section, which is outside this division, but a monthly summary of 

 expenditures under the proper heads is sent to the writer's desk and by him 

 entered on a comparison chart for his own use. 



Routing Out. — When the work is completed it must be issued. Check- 

 ing and instructing has, as shown, gone on continuously during the progress 

 of the work. All calculations of importance are made by two independent 

 men in addition to being checked by a third. 



In going out the work goes by regular messenger service to the head of 

 the branch, to the chief draughtsman, and to the office, by all of whom it is 

 checked, and the letter or letters read and the reference slip initialed. All 

 plans and all class (c) and {d) letters are checked by the writer personally. 



Letters and plans finally go to the chief constructor for signature. 



The reference slip filed with the letter remains for all time a record 

 beyond dispute as to the responsibility for the action taken.- 



Record copies of all plans and specifications as produced and signed for 

 issue are filed in the vault at the Navy Yard in order that any change subse- 

 quently made may, by comparison with the original, be definitely determined. 



Changes of importance is finished plans have been practically eliminated 

 or reduced to a very small number. 



General Specifications. — With regard to specifications, it should be stated 

 that some four years ago we formulated the idea of reducing to writing in the 

 form of general specification all general instructions as to work applicable to 

 all navy ships. 



The specifications for an individual ship will thus be reduced to a table 

 of scantlings and the particular instructions applicable to that ship alone. 



The necessities of the case and the inability to do all we wanted to at one 

 time made the original issue of these general specifications in three volumes, 

 two volumes having to do with instructions for work, methods, etc., and the 

 third being appendices: steel specifications, rivet rules, painting rules, etc. 

 These last were also printed in pamphlet form for individual distribution. 



