New-York tribune., 1878-03-04

out of the department of the Treasury 10 pu'
| It into that of the Navy. But 1t shouid DC
remembered that the Treasury has char.e oi
all the organizations relating to the ald and
protection of commerce, viz: tho Coast Sur
yey. Lighthouse Board, Revenue Marine ana
Steamboat Inspection Service. The Revenue
Marine and Life Saving Service are especiai
organizations, controlled and manned by men
who have given their whole time to the study
of the peculiar necessities required by the
work. Senator Sargents bill proposes abrupt
| ly to discharge these officers in BODY
| and to put in their places Others, unskilled
| and ignorant of this especial duty. But two
reasons would Justify such courses L. 1hat
| the present management is grossly inefficient.
9. That there is some especial fitness Tor the
work in the Navy.
With regard to tho first, the vessels OF
the Revenue Marine are built and It's
officers trained especially for coastwise navI-
CATION. In 1897, public vessels were au-
thori2ed to cruise along the coast in the stormy
months for the relief of distressed navgators
Since then the vessels of the Revenue Marine
alone have been employed upon this service. and
the officers have long experience and familiar
y
distressed vessels were rescued by tbem Not
one word Of complaint has ever been uttered
against them; on the contrary, with each year
tho testimony as TO their Skill, efficiency ana
faithfulness has increased from underwriters
ship-Owners and commanders of our own and
foreign vessels Why, in the name of reason.
should we take the work from this depart
mcnt and hand it over to naval officers. trained
for deep-sea sailing, and who know cOmpara-
lively little of the coast or coast navigation !!
Tie experiment was indeed tried once before
but soon gwen up by the Navy as imprdctica-
bic.
With regard to the Life Saving Service,
touching which some important particulars
are opportunity furnished by a conversation
of Mr. Cox with one of our correspondents, the
present effort to change the management is
wcl-Hmcd. The public knows little of the
facts in such eases 1t was terribly shocked
by the great slaughter on the Huron and
Metropolis, felt that somebody ought to he
blamed, and is ready to cIy out that the Lille
Saving Service j. of no Use, and ought to be
abolished, or handed over to anything or any
body who can manage il properly. 80 long rs
the service did its work quietly, bringing
down the average loss of life upon the Allan
tie coast from thousands to tens, thc general
public interested itself but little in it or its
management. Representatives who will vote
upon this bill, however. know, or ought 10
know. how thorough and efficient has been its
work. Where II mas failed it has failed from
lack Of the stations, appliances and men, de-
MED il by the false economy Of Congress. The
superintendent, in his last report, almost fore
told the disasters which occurred upon the
North Caroln! coast, pleading urgently Tor
stations upon the very points where month
alirrward, there was such fatal need ot them.
The men at the stations did all that could be
done with their mcaSrc appliances, according
to the testimony OF all the witnesses except
t,,o Of the officers of the MctroDols, whose
motives for throwing the blame from them
selves can readily be understood.
The hue and cry raised by them against
this service has been used a. ~ argument in
favor Of this bill. We see no other argument
IN its favor. Ii takes the work from men who
MANNED, organized, and have carried it on
success fully for years, 10 give it To others who
know no more about it than they do of ostrich
farming in South Africa. The knowledge of
the coast and people requisite for district
sancrintcnlcnts can only be gained by long
residence and experience. They 90" to be
suprlantcd by young naval licutcnauts who
VIII he removed, according to naval rule,
every two or three years. Neither can econo-
D,y be aIduccd in favor Of The BILL as the
salaries of these naval officers will far out
run those paid at present. 1t Is very natural
that Che bill should be favored by such officers
rs desire shore duty. But the question in
yolycd is on. of too m0mcntOus Importance
to the couutry to make their comfort an argu-
mcnt OF weight.