New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-12
DEAD-HEADS OF TIE NAVY.
A FEW FACTS FOR THE NAVAL COMMITTEE IN
CONGRESS.

WASHINGTON, Feb. l0.-SOme striking facts
Illustrating the marked tendency toward the multp
cation Of high Offices and the increase Of rank and pay
In the pubhc service, afforded by comparison Of the
Navy Register for with the document for 1902
recently issued Now that the question OF relieving tue
TrcasuIy by stopping the drafts upon II OF large num-
Der Of army officers high and low degree whose aerv
ices the country well dispense wh Is agltated, an
nouy INTO the plumber aud rank OF once,s la to """ris
efueclly pertinent The navy has been always fortunate
la getting through Congress tie legislation IL mas desired
The know ledge of naval affairs possessed by Congress
men has usually been limited To what they could pek up
In a iunkctng excursion IN Admlras yacht or visit
TO the NAVY Yard and lunch at the house OF the Com
aEdant 80 that has been easy for officials To gam
crcdence their plausible showngs Of the necessity Tor
more officers and higher rank The result has been that
the navy got itself loaded with rank during the war en-
rey dspOportlOnate It's Size and dutles ana has kept
what IT got then ever since, there having been no re-
ducon in high des when hundreds Of vessels were
sold laid M 10 put the service upon peace footing
In 1890 the h ghest officer in tho navy the senior
capain. The ttc OF Commodore was usually gwen ny
coue,y TO an officer commanding squadron, but there
was 10 such rank provided for by law. Now there APP
pear upon the active list the names Of one admiral one
ycc.admiia 10 rcaradmiaras aud Is coninodores ana
ON the retired ana reserved list Is rearadmas aud 81
comodores These retired aud reserved" officers are
Inv 10 means contrnted with their half pay On the con-
rary some of duty has been found FOR Ii OF the adj
mirals and l2 Of the colnmodores by which they are
enabled TO draw full pay that there are, in
fact, "a rear-admiras and 81 commodores In SER
vice Tie admiral has assimilated rank with
the general OF the army, the vicc-admral
with the Northumberland. rear-admrals with
major generals, and cOmmodOres with brigadior'gen
erals There are therefore, in service in the navy SO
officers ranking with general officers Of the army which,
estimating the whole naval force at 000 men. gives
such officer to every l5s In the army the proper
lion Of general officers to ia about one TO 1900 and
the whole number OF general officers is but 81 Tie only
uroper duty for an admiral ID command feet and for
"A commodore TO command q squadron or an important
hayward where q number OF vessels are under his
orders. In order 10 make an apparent necessity. nov"
ever for more commOdOres section OF law was passed
In 1869 which that vessels ~ the first class should
be commanded by commodores as far n practicable the
force OF which shown by tile fact that the Navy Regis
ter for 1869 reports only commodores as commanding
ships
The inquiry naturally arises, upon what duty are
these G3 admras and cOmmodores engaged and Is there
any necessity Of keeping so large number Of officers III
service in grades which did not exist ten years agof An
examination Of tho Register for 1863 shows that NJ the
date IL was issued the yceRdmiral was acting rs super
iueudent of the Naval Academy. duty reformed 10y
captan m 1860 Six rearadnrals are reported as com
handing fleets three commanding NavyYards. five act
ing IA mort adm,rals at New-YOrk, Philadelphia, and
other cities, position for which We fail to iihd authority
either in law precedent. and the duties OF when ~
not easy to Ascertain one ia chief of Bureau In the
Navy Department Washington having under his com
maud FIX clerks messenger aud labOIcr one is CHAIR
Of the Lighthouse Board; hve are ftphted hh OH
special duty" at Washington though what Important
naval dury there IN Ia DE done III Washington re-
uuriuC the services of i've Animals III Hihl0h
10 the great number Of officers regularly employed IN the
department and the yard not easy 10 hnfmsc one
IL OF an asylum anu one ~ commanding
sackctt's Harbor. New.York where there Ii an OLD
wooden shin which has been the stocks Slice the
OF 1919. aud Is likely Ia remain on tue stors until she
rots, aud which constitutes the only scmblnnce OF "a
naval Government Possesses on Lake Ontario.
only of the q commodore are at Hca. doing any
duly shpboaTd. They MIA great variety OF comfort
able positions on shore. Especial duly for
large numbcr Of thcm with the adnlrals. aud others
nrn chiefs If bureaus composed OF three fur clerks
Inspectors 81 few light houses which they visit three
or four times year, members Of ordnance boards,
commanding Nyyafds Rendezvous or the 80 cap
tnins on the active list only II are reported as command
ing ships. or being ~ ~ any capacity. aud ~ the %
commanders only 81 appear TO be serving GA shpbOaid
In fao; te.o az. noe enough ships Tor these officers TO
comruau hut ca vessels OF all classes reported In
ANA OF these at east adozcn are tuss stationed at
tho VariOua naYy-yarls.
he usual argument IN defense Of maintaining 10 arg.
force OF ocrra IN the navy that IL IL necessary to
Keep double force In ordor 10 relieve once IN three
years sea service entities IN officer ~ three years on
shore either doing nothing or attached 10 some navy
yard of bureau IL H. no doubt proper that an ohI,''
AFTER long service on foreign itatlu tlohd nave ,dNo
q return 40 Nt his r0rds hut there Is no gOOh lrSs
caion ~ tho Government TO nS MA ~ We nu,e, e, W .
naval uilCcr should spend the greater portion o. ~
dii. 1 I pnrc isH' c, aTd ,a aaay cases i
more Than clerical ia their Character Nor ~Ua.
nom Narsei!es to Genoa Malta smyrna and Gibraltar
us the harbors Of valparaiso or RIO Janelp WIN
plenty at shoreeaye. balls. Iicnrs ana m % 1
duty ~ arduouH that three years 81 ~ hunts VI w
iOr going for an equal length 81 lllns; nu, I
abuse goes much further than keeping twieo .le n"o
Of officers required the squadrons III service or ~
appears that only one fourth OF the ndmrs onetwelilh
the eommodores. onenith Of inc enl" ms, H , vs
majority OF tho officers nigh rank In tho navy are con-