Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-31
The Pay Of Retired Naval Omcers.
THE SECOND CONTROLLERS INrERPREFsTTo
OF THE NEW LAW.


OF THE NEW LAW.
The act of Congress making appropriation
for the naval service, for the year ending jane
so, 1874, and for other purposes, approved u
March, 1873, makes new provision or pay for
officers on the retired list ''wh0 have been or
may be hereafter retired, after forty years SER
vice. OF on attaining the age OF siNty-two wear.
&c. or those who were or may be retired from
mcalacity resulting from long and faithful ser
vice, &c. The Secretary Of the Navy having
solicited the opinion OF the Second Controlier
As To the Interpretation of the new law, the la
ter officer decides that the law gives to each OIL
Ger To be benefited by the act, seventy-five per
centum OF the sea pay now authorized TO the
grade (If stan ofhcer) or TO the rank (if a li3e
officer which he held at the time of reference
In regard 10 the question whether OF not "A re-
t.ed IMc.r oil inc stan Is entitled TO pay on the
retired list according 10 his relative rank, il is
The Controllers opinion that the rank, beiug
only relative, does not carry pay. The la "
providing pay Tor paymasters and surgeons on
the active list. gives them severaliy the paw as
paymaSters or surgeons simply, and not a. cap
tains or commanders, and the same principle
should govern payments to these officers on the
retired list. As to the date from which the pro-
visions OF the act relating to the employment Of
retired officers on the active list, and to the in
creased pay OF promoted officer, are to be con-
sdered as in force, the Controller is of the opis-
ion that the date the act was approved March
,, 1881 is the date on which these provisions
take effect. Any officer, however, on the re-
tired list, who, at the da re of the act. was on
duty under orders from the Navy Department
viii be entitled to his duty pay until relieved
up TO any period previous TO the LIST of July
next; the prohibition in the proviso applying
only TO putting them on duty after the date OF
the act. The question has been presented
whether the length of time an officer is borne
on the retired list affects his paw. 1t does not.
An increase depending on length of service in
ureS only TO officers on the active list. After
retirement, an officers pay is not modified by
time or by his promotion in rank or grade.
\ correspondent elsewhere complains that tie
Smithsonian grounds and armory square are
not properly polIced, AMI urges the formation
OF vigilance committee ID look after tie
thieves and murdercrs that infe-t that quar- Pr
From whatever cause it is certain that the-e
grounds are not adequately Policej. There has
been some controversy whether the duty de-
wolves on the Metropolitan police, or the police
OF the public grounds, but this isa question
that should be solved in a moment when hufasn
lie Is in danger, as il has been for months Tor
all passing through these grounds. MAJOR
Richards and his Metropolitan police, are I,-
rectiy responsible for the maintenance OF law
and order over the whole District. and il would
be an odd sort OF police system that while "a
trolling the outskirts. lctt a quarter i'm the ceu-
tral portion OF The city ~ he entire mercy o.
the thieves and murderer. Nobody doubt, -he
efficiency OF our police force ami - defective
branch : not surpassed in tile country. a shown
by the almost unfailing certainty with which
criminals are tracked down 10y them. But We
want them to cover the whole ground, and
prevent murders rs wen as detect murderer~.
Let Us have the public grounds from the Capt.
tol TO the river 80 pOliced in future that rep.-
ton of the murders and 0Utrages committed
there of late viii lac made impossible.