The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-13
its Naval Intelligence.

-aHat @-frt8t Naval Intelligence. 3- it
ts eHR W ARRAkr orpICRRs o. THE NAVY.
fFrcn the Pofenoatn eva )srrsa.c,ip, -, Jan. Ia -
The day has passed by whena midshipman WAS or
dered aoft hundreds OF miles Mt sea 70 ook oat for
they have been at times called the forward officers
Of OUT Nayy-were regarded as but little above Cap
tans Of The 0retop. We say that day has passed as
has in relation to many other obsolete nstio4s
which IL WAS once deemed treason to deny. new
era has dawned, aDdathen tendency of progress and
enlightenment has been to elevate man in the social
scale, TO "a zee tbs masscs, to make what has been
called by monaichsts the socsi pyr amid less coicsl
AID TO Iedncets shape more to that OF equalized
FORM, In this equalixlbg - well - onward and up
sard march, all classes and professions OF men are
joining. Ard AMONG them, the warrant officers u
our Navy. They are now very different body Of
roep ron thst which shey formerly WERE They are
required TO be educated aud 20 PISS irregular exain
avon. They are required to be men sober aud ant
az well as skilfui in their different caIngs Taeys
ale . class indispensable on board Of men-of-wArs'
And 10 case Of any material damage ~ reason OF
stress Of weather or otherwise, they are the only
dependence. These men think the government does
rot ray them enough. They are hght. The govern
fnent does not pay nen enough. They are mostly
men Of families, from whom they are often separated,
and besides having to pay their own mess bin on
duty, they baye to leave pay ticket behind them
for The support al their wives and children. Living
Is cow desrer than it was formerly The great influx
OF goldshat excess OF thirtyone millions over ex.e
portaton has raised the price Of breadstuffs and
provisions OF every kind And ~ takes more gold to
buy the necessses Of life than II IN formerly whom
gold was scarcer. These are plain facts intended
for plain people But who these warrant oficersy
They are the boaiswains, carpenters, gimuefs and
sailuakeH of our navy. Let us inquire wi at their
pay is ss at present fixed by law Duringthe first ten
years servce@mark tSat-wAen on sea or shore
duty, they II ceive each the enormous sum OF seven
hundred dollars per annom, about one dollar aud
eighty oDe cents = day. When on leave or waiting
orders the annual pay Is Ave hundred dollars
che dollar aud thirty seven cents daiy. After ten
years service the pay shore duty is raised
10 Ne sum Of eight hundred dollars eqral to about
two dollars and eighteen cents. 10 ships OF the
line, or seventyfour and upwards which, like tho
Pebn3lyania, are generally used to grace the home
naval stations aud seldom employed at sea or
upn foreign station, this Ny 10 not Increased we
do not hesitate 70 say that this pay ~ now ssuns
10 too small IL 10 not enough, and ought - be
raised. The memorial rhich these officers intend 70
present. or have presented, 70 the Congress o. tae
United States Is an exceedingly modest one 1t sets
forth plain statement OF facts, and asks f,r small
increase, in yicw Of Che o. the times and
instead OF he pay which thny. nav rsceive iEw
usy 10 pamsa axing sthAs Psv as VI 700 annually