National Republican., 1883-02-19
THE REVENUE MARINE.
Its Present Chief Makes Vigorous Protest
Against its Transfer.
Some Comparisons Not Calculated 90
Please the Navy.

Mr.. Z. w. Clark, chief of the revenue ma
rine, has made to the secretary Of the treas
ury long and very vigorous report upon the
proposition Of Secretary Chandler that the
revenue marine service bo transferred to the
Navy department.
Mr., Clark begins by citing the reasons as
signed for the proposed Transient
First That II would giyo places to n large num-
per OF young naval officers for whom the navy
somethlng about the geography of the coast Of the
United States.
Third. That the change would be in the inter-
est OF economy.
He then reviews the organization and de-
velopment of revenue marine service, and
submits statistics to show its present condi-
tion and effectiveness
From these statistics IL appears that the
vessels of the revenue marine, in the course
of the last ten years, have sailed 2,150,000
miles, boarded and examined 2Si,000 vessels,
| seized 21 900 vessels for violations of law, as
sisted 1900 vessels in distress, and saved 741
lives.
Although the amount of work performed
has steadily increased from year to year. the
annual cost of the service has steadily de-
creased from 81 ,293,0O0 in 1868 to S546OOO in
1882.
secretary of the navy on tho other hand
shows, he says, that out of so vessels of war
only i is of the first class, only 81 are in COM
mission, and all are condemned as unfit to
cope with the war ships of other countries.
Not one high powered cannon is included in
their armament, but for every ship in commits
sion there are 50 oficers-a proportion Of off,
GERS to ships more than twice as great as
that existing in any other navy In the world.
VI the eight navy yards, which are main
tanned at an expense of more than $i1 900 q
day, hve at least ore reported as unneces-
sary. In seventeen years the navy has
dwindled from 675 vessels TO 139 vessels of
all classes, although moro than $2O,0O0,000
have been expended every year for its main
tenance There are in the navy $50 officers
not required to officer the ships, who draw
annually in salaries nearly So, 100000 In view
of the comparisons which may be drawn from
the facts thus set forth, the chief of
the revenue marine says that the reasons
for the proposed transfer should be carefully
examined. By way Of comment upon the
first of these reasons he states that only from
four to six vacancies occur annually in the
revenue marine, and that these would hardly
afford "appreciable relief to the naval corps,
whose ranks are burdened with nearly 800
clamorous idlers." With regard to the second
reason assigned for the proposed transfer-that
1t would familiarize young naval officers with
ships in shoal waters-the report says no one
will dispute that they need this sort of
knowledge, but 1 venture to
suggest that furloughed naval officers might
now, without infringing any law, find en-
ployment on merchant steamers and ships in
the coasting trade where they would have
facilities for learning pilotage and the hand
ling of vessels, and where they would be
brought into useful association with class of
maritime officers who maintain their char
acter and position through their businnss
energy and the mastery of their profession
rather than through advantages of education
or social standing.
In connection with this subject tho report
calls attention to the fact that" naval officers
in command of vessels have been particularly
unfortunate when cruising near the coast"
having lost three vessels in the last few years
by running on rocks on the North Pacific
coast alone; .namely, the Suwanee, tho Sag
inaw, and the Saranac, while the vessels of
the revenue marine have cruised to Alaska
every year since the acquisition of Alaska in
1867, without loss or serious damage to any
vessel.
AS for the third reason given in support of
the proposed transfer, that it would be in tho
interest Of economy, Mr.. Clark says that little
weight can be given to it, in view Of the fact
that nearly $l44,000,000 have been ap-
propriated for the navy since tho late war,
and that this enormous expenditure Of money
has produced nothing. !" If" he says, "the
school of economy to which the revenue ma
rine is to be turned over is such as that shown
in the affairs Of the navy, if such is the
management by which the proposed improve
ment is to be gained, if the results indicated
are such as flow from the superior disci-
pline' of the navy, 1t is respectfully suggested
that congress pause before trying to improve
the civil service by the experiment which is
invited"
The chief of the revenue marine then in
quires, "Would smugglers be good customs
oilicers~ and calls attention to the fact that
in the last five years five naval vessels return
ing from foreign stations have been used by
naval officers as transports for the unlawful
importation of merchandise, and that az
packages of such merchandise smuggled in by
naval officers were seized before they had been
carried out of reach Among these packages
was one containing 29S pairs Of kid gloves ad-
dressed to a merchant in New York city.
"These scandalous infractions Of law and the
naval regulations" he says, "seem not to
have been visited with discipline. Would
the naval officer fresh from abroad, his bag
gage plethoric with such peculations, be the
proper person to guard the Golfers of the
treasury Would the department. which by
its failure TO punish these violations seems to
wink at plundering the revenue, be the
proper one to superintend its protection 2'
In conclusion the chief of the revenue
marine says:
"The good condition and efficiency of the
revenue marine, justice to its officers, its his
tory, its record, demand its retention in the |
treasury. The convenience of the public |
business, the relations of this branch to other
civil branches in the treasury, the natural |
order, the harmony, the fitness of things, de- |
mand its retention. The bad condition of the |
navy the extravagance in the management, |
the disregard by its officers of law and regula-
tions, their unftness for tho work, forbid |
the transfer to that department.
Finally, it may DO said that against the |
scheme of enlarging the scope and power of |
the Navy department by endowing il with a |
great body of civil functions of which tho |
pending bill is but the entering wedge, are |
arrayed all the traditions of the republic, all |
the precedents of congressional action, all |
considerations Of sound public policy. The |
Judgment of our country's founders is against |
it, the custom and practice of years are against |
it, the voice Of the people is againat it,"
Probably a Fatal Accident.