The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-12-12

D The Operations Of the Coast Sur.
: vey, as well as those OF the Light
J house Board, appear to have been eco.
nOmically and efficiently managed
; The revenue marine consists of q
; steam and sailing vessels, carrying
; g. guns, and manned by l9S officers
and $50 men. This service has con.
; stantly improved in efficiency and In
the economy OF its management since
: the summer of 1859. At that time q
commission was appointed for the gen.
eTal and professional examinatiOnofall
the officers employed, and upon their
report 80 were discharged, and those
who were approved were assigned to
. duty ana given rank according to their
merits. From that time to the pres
ent all vacancies in the service have
been filed after an examination, and
by those found to be best qualified.
/. At the same time a commission was
appointed for the entire revision OF
the service. Their report was submit
ted to Congress on the 90 day of May
1870, Ex. Doc. SO, XLIst Congress %
Session. The vessels then employed
were rated at 9, ,20S tuns. A reduction
has already been effected of 657 tuns,
and the vessels now buildings and au-
thoriZed. will work R.further reduction
of J, ,232 tuns, making an aggregate re-
ductiOns of ], ,6S9 tuns.
The cost of maintaining the revenue
marine has been reduced from s., ,293, :
66l O5,i in 1873, $3.50, 24o 81 for the
year ending June 30, 1872. Stats
tical tables, prepared from the returns,
show that in the essential particulars
of assistance rendered to vessels, seiZ-
ures made, number of vessels examin-
ed, and number of lives saved upon the
ocean, lakes, the work performed dur
ing the last fiscal year is nearly twice
as great as as the average for the pre-
ceding years. Under existing laws
the officers and seamen of the revenue
marine are entitled to q pension only
when they have been wounded or dis
abled in the line,Of duty, and while
cooperating with the navy during war
and then at the rate established by
the act of 1914. When it is consider
ed that this service Is constant, and
that from the lst Of November 10 the
lst Of April in each year the vessels
are required to cruise along the coast
and as near the land as possible with
in their respective districts, and not
to make port except for supplies or
| under the pressure Of positive necessity,
it is clear that their services are not
les hazardous than those in which the
navy are engaged in time Of peace. 1
therefore recomend. that ,the navy
( pension laws be made applicable to
/ the officers and seamen of the revenue
marine. The number of the commits
stoned officers is limited by law, and
each year adds to those who are dis
qualified by sickness or untitled by
/ age for active duty. The hardship re-
sulting from the dismissal Of officers
under such circumstances is so great
that have declined to exercise a pow
er which may perhaps, in eontempla-
ton of law, be duty; but in view of
/ the fact that their compensation is
small, and the nature of the service
such as to bring disease and the infirm-
tiles of age upon them prematurely,
think it a plain duty for the Govern
ment to provide retired list, so that
the active service may be supplied
constantly with able and efficient
men.
LIFE SAVING STATIONS.
From the appropriation of 500, 700,
made April 90, 1872, "for more effec-
tually securing life and property on
the coast Of New Jersey and Long Is
land" seven of the old life saving
stations have been repaired and en-
larged, and siXty-one new ones have
been built and new apparatus, suf-
ficient for ordinary use, has been pro-
cured for the larger number Of them.
A statiOn-hOuse has been erected and
furnished at Narragsnsett Pier.
From the appropriation Of $4,000 for
the establishment Of life saving sta
tions on the coast of Cape Cod and
Block Island, r. l., nine houses have
been erected on Cape Cod and one on
Block Island, and they will be sup
PlIUI With apparatus anu ready lar
use by the 1st of January next. An
appropriation Is required for the SUD-
port of keepers and crews. The Block
Island station and the station at Mar.
ragansett Pier should be annexed to
the Long Island District; % vessels
have been wrecked on the coasts Of
Long Island and New Jersey since
July, 1871, valued with their earpoes
at over $500, ,0OC, on which the loss
was about 500, 900. The officers and
crews numbered 200 persons, all Of
whom were saved, and mainly, it is
believed, through the agency of the
life saving stations. 1 respectfully
recOmend the extension of the sys-
tenn to the coast in vicinity OF Cape
Hatteras.
MARINE HOSPITALS.
From the report Of the Supervising
Surgeon of Marine Hospitals it ap-
pears that branch of public service is
in satisfactory condition. During
last fiscal year 49, ,156 patients were
treated in the several hospital of the
country, at an average cost of o. cents
each per day, or a total expenditure
of 1896, ,263.ll, against a total expendi-
ture for the preceding year Of S453,-
OS2. 42, or an average cost per patient
ofSI.O
The increased receipts and dimin-
ished expenses for the last fiscal year, |
as compared with the year next pre-
ceding, show q net gain to the Gov |
eminent of S53,SI9.31. During the
same period the number Of districts |
in which relief was furnished was |
greater than ever before, and the sal /
aries of medical officers a several Of /
the principal ports were increased. |
The financial improvement shown is /
due largely to q more careful scruti-
ny Of the applicants to the relief, to |
the rejection of those who were not 1
entitled under the law, and also to |
greater vigilance in collecting the |
hOpital dues. The law limits the /
charge for relief to seameu belonging
to foreign vessels to rs cents a day,
while the actual cost is nearly 81.
Authority should be given to the Sec
retary Of the Treasury to fix the charge
within certain limits, according to
the expenses incurred at the hOspi-
tails where relief is furnished. I re-
new the recommendation heretofore
made for the erection Of pavilion hos
pitals at New York, San Francisco
and Pittsburgh. The increase of rail-
way and general business in the vicin-
ity of the hospital at Pittsburgh has
rendered it unfit for further use. The
surgeon recommends the
erection in future of pavilion hOspi-
tails of wood, with the understanding {
that after 10 or 10 years use they are
to be destroyed and new ones built in L
their stead. This recommendation Il
appears to be wise, being at once eco
uOulACd4 AOL TIE OOhcEuLlEIL anu hQ-
TO the patients. Il
The act Of Feb. %, 1871, to provide
for the better security Of life on board
vessels propelled in whole or in part
by steam has not been in operation a
sufficient time to test its value in all
but the result in the main is
The Supervising In /
spectOr General, in his annual report .
several alterations in /
the law, not effecting its character
A bill will be prepared
providing for such alterations as, up ]
on further consideration, shall seem
sxpedient. On the 10Th day Of Nav, {
1872, transmitted to Congress a hill 1
entitled bill to amend and consoli- !
date the Navigation and Customs |
Collection laws of the United States, Z
together with a communication ex- 8
planning the character and purposes Of [
the measure-Executive Document 7
No. go, XLIId Congress, Second Ses-
siOn.) RESPECTFULLY ask the atten- I
ton Of Congress 10 the bill, and the {
reasons for its passage. The time has 8
come when the attention of the pub