New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-31
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
THE REORGANIZATION OF THE NAVY.
THE GREAT DrsPRoPoRTIoN OF OFFICERS ON THE
ACTIVE HsT-sOME INSTRUCTIVE FIGURES
lBY TEIEGRAPH To TILE rRIRrNE.l

ACTIVE HST-SOME INSTRUCTIVE FIGURES
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.i
WASHINGTON, July 30.-The Senate has made
snch havoc with the reorganization features of
the Naval Appropriation bill that the new legsla-
ton proposed in the only be carried II
at all, through conference committee. 1t is known
that the failure of these features will be greatly re-
Gretted, not only by Secretary Chandler, but by
large number of men In both Houses who have
given the subject close attention and who believe
that the abuses of the navy nave reached point
where they must be corrected. The Senate has
agreed to proceed to a vote on the bill at o'clock
tomorrow afternoon.
Some of the facts given in n Senate document
printed in connection with the Naval Appropria-
tion bill make striking showing of the extent TO
which the navy is ovcr-ohicerd. They show that
the argument that the number of naval officers is
disrronor'ionato only because In" navy has been
allowed 10 lwindle alnost TO nothing does not
meet the case If the navy were enlarged on the
most liberal scale there wOud still be an unnecessary
surplus Of officers. r. T. Merrick, the attorney for
the lire officers before the Senate comInitteH sub-
mitted table comparing the Numbers Of officers in
the British and American uavies in the different
grades of limo and engineer officers The sun totals
however were not given The COMMITTEES footed
the columns up and found that England. with 341
steam vessels in active service. has ,S34 limo Off
GERS and III engineers while the United states.
with only thrty-eight steam vessels in active SER
vice has O9i line officers and $40 engineers Add
ing line officers and engineers together FOR tho sako
of comparison. England has 257 in ali and The
United States LIB Or, i'll other words, while the
United States has only little moro
than ono-tenth as many steam
sells rs England it has about six-tenths as many
line and engineer officers. Tho English Navy aver
ages according to this table, little more than FIVE
line officers and two engineers 70 each steam vessel
in active service while the American Navy averages
twcnty-eght line officers and ten engineers II must
be apparent that this number of officers far exceeds
the needs even of much enlarged navy. 1t is well
known that the ships ahoat are OvercrOwded with
officers because all are anxious n get sea pay which
il the highest and the number Of those who cannot
be supplied with ships. and are stationed on shore
on various duties, is very largo
The following were The 'imates made for officers
of the fiscal year ending Juno 30, 1888 :
o34 officers on sea duty. 81 S5S 900 1916 on shore
and other dutv $17S3.SO0 2i6 waiting orders,
1903. 700: total, S4O4G,10O Thus there are over
100 officers on the active list and only 1000 sea-
men Senator Logan showed the other day that
| thc flagship Pensacola has 20 line officers and / l
staff officers. making 81 in all. whereas the Hart
ford like ship had in 1864 a time OF war; only %
officers in all Many officers for whom sea duty
cannot he found are distributed through the Navy
Yards The list of officers at the Navy Yards and
the payroll, make interesting reading The fol-
lowing is n table Of the annual pay of the naval
officers at the various Navy Yards, including in
mast cases receiving ship also Washington
S1OL5G0: Boston. Sl3O,370; Portsmouth, R7O, 800
Mare Island, $096S0; Ieagne Island, Sl2331O !;
Pensacola, S27 800; Norfolk, $40 .450; New-York,
S1si O74 New-London. S24I 800; total. $50 09i.
Total salaries of civil employees at Navy Yards,
S37s Of5. The salaries Of the naval officers at the
Navy Yards and on board of the receiving ships
are. therefore. moro than twice tho aggregate
OF ihc whole amount paid to civil employees.
The Whole influence OF the Navy, personal end
social has boon thrown against the bill and, so far
asthe Senate is concerned with marked success
nm TO this time The officers complain that if the
procosed reorganization takes effect only one-third
of the vacancies being filed by promotion, there will
he a standstll al along the line and the mdship-
men of to-day will be gray-haired before they get
promotion. They urge with great feeling chat it Is
wrong to subject mon who have devoted their lives
! to he service of their country TO these harlshps
An examination Of the details of the bll does not
| .bo,r q reel less reduction however The number
of captains commanders, lieutenant commanders
licu:cuant masters and cnsgns Is 20 be reduced by
the rra,!ua! process named from 200 TO GOO the re-
| which no grade shalt be reduced is fixed. The
Grade Of commodOres, now numl ing twenty-five,
! j. to die ou5. Appointments are to be made from
| fhc graduates oi ihe Naval Academy 10 the lower
| trades of The service only to fill vacancies that
| Iav" occurred during the previous year. l. -
| provided. however, that there shall be at
! least ten such appointments every year
! Those who do no. receive appointments are to b.
gvcn a certificate of graduation, an honorable dis
! charge and one years sea pay Tins Will prevent a
| larce annual influx ihto the service OF men for
| whom there is 10 work. and lct provide reserve
| force m case of war. The complaint made ON tbs
score that ii is hard to dcay these young mcn the
urlylirgc of entering the service, IS answered by
| ;he frieud- of the bll by suggesting that tl'y
| cation and years pay the expense oi the Gov
erEneut. e, A,.,
| HE appropriation for the civil establishment 40
| the Navy Yard is TO be reduced One-half This
includes al employees except worUngmcu.
The appropriations t0r yard maintenance are largely
| reduced The bill will effect an annual sayMg Of
over 5000 900. In fact, II s urged by IT'S friends
that ID IS the only distinctive measure OF rrtrcnch-
ment among tle Appropriation bills oi the year, and
that Congress ought hesitate before it refuses TO
| adopt It,