The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-15

ONNoAN'S
for the regulation of railroads and telegraphs,
for which Congress has the power and it has
come to this necessity of a general law touch |
ing marriage and divorce, for which Congress
ought to have the power; for the day when
conflicting State laws affecting the order OF
society might be tolerated has, with the in
PRODUCTION of railroads and telegraphs, passed
away. Therefore we want an amendment to
the national Constitution giving power to
Congress to make uniform laws regulating
the institution of marriage and the last resort
of divorce.
MORE OF ADMIRAL PORTER's ECO
MONIES.
From the NJ Y. Sum-
Among Admiral Porters so-called reforms
of the Navy Department is the establishment
of o torpedo corps, composed of superin-
tendent and about twenty assistants. The
navy report fails to explain exactly why the
country needs such a corps in time of peace.
Then, too, we have signal corps organized
upon the army principle, with its superintend-
ent, numerous assistants, and hundreds of
men now being instructed in the mysterious
signs which go to make up the code. We
also have the new grades of seamen-gun-
ners, machinists, coppersmiths-all at higher
rates of pay than were formerly given to
others performing these duties, but with
out at all decreasing the number employed in
other grades.
But leak of far more importance--on
not originally created, but permitted to con-
| tinue by the present administrations the
order giving an increase of 33a per cent.
| upon the salary of every officer. In 1866
Congress tackled to the Naval Appropriation
bill clause repeating an act which repealed
another act passed ia 1912, making certain
small allowances to officers for quarters and
| fuel. Secretary Weles thereupon issued a
general order stating that, as tie apportion-
| ment of the allowances under this revived
| law would be attended with much difficulty,
| every ofncer would be allowed in lieu thereof
an addition to his salary of 335 per cent. The
order at the time it was issued created much
| excitement, and the press denounced the
measure upon the ground that by o single
stroke of Mr.. Welles' pen moro than So, 000,-
| 600 were added to the expenses of the Gov
| ernment. The attention of Congress was
finally directed to the subject, and a resolu-
ton was introduced calling upon the Secre-
| tary to explain his authority to issue such an
order and what amount was necessary to
carry out its provisions There the matter
dropped, the resolution being tabled and
finally the order was forgotten.
Upon the accession of Secretary Borie
! great anxiety was felt throughout the service
lest the famous order should share the fate
of others issued by MIR. Welles. Had Admiral
| Porter not been on hand to prevent it, this
| nave Deeu tn0 caSe DuU his &lOUU per
| year was increased under this order to
| $9333, and resembling it was therefore out of
the question; and to this day more than
| S., 600, 900 per year are expended in paying
| these one-third additional salaries.
Let us see if the majority of officers need
it. There are over fifty young Lieutenant
Commanders from 20 to 25 years of age, who
receive the following salary for their distin-
| guished services:-
Pay proper. .S2343
Ration, SOC. per day. 109
IOtal 233
On foreign service this salary is paid in
gold.
A lieutenant, not more than year or so
| out of the Academy, where, at q cost of $685.
600, he has had drilled into his Uranium Just
sufficient learning TO make him dangerous
receives for the honor he confers upon the
United States by holding his commission the
following
Pay proper 81 ST6
Ration. 100
Total 2,6O9
And SO on throughout the service. In the
case of older officers, who are few in number,
no doubt the salary allowed by law is quite
small enough, in fact it should be increased;
but our one hundred and eighty Lieutenant
Commanders and all below that grade, both
! in the line and staff, are paid far more than
their services are worth and more than the
country can afford. Before the war Lieuten-
ants were paid $500 per year, and did moi
| attain that rank till years after graduating.
} 1t is to be hoped that Congress will give
this matter the attention it deserves, and al
once abolish the old law under which this
} allowance is made. Nothing can be palmer
than the fact that the navy needs a thorough
} reconstruction. The many abuses which have
crept into it, the jealousies and bickering
: between different classes of its officers, ant
} the frlghtful extravaganza shown in the ad
ministration of its affairs have driven it int
its present lamentable state of inefficiency.
, "DOWN WITH THE TAXES !"
I | From the NJ " Times
{ This is the cry which Senator Sumner nov
echoes, undeterred by the fear that he will b
l proclaimed ''traitor" because he dares t.
r diverge from the policy which is laid dow
t by the Secretary of the Treasury. The trutl
is that tho demand for reduction of th
r taxes has now reached a point at which NJ
: Government could afford to disregard it. Th
Q contradictory vagaries of one or two journal
: only serve to bring out into greater promi
: | nence the unaninlity with which tho larg