National Republican., 1883-01-23
THE NAVY.
The IndoIent Oppose "Thc Survival Of
tho Flttest "--HIoncy That Could be Bot-
ter Applied 90 Building ships.

The Indolent Oppose "Thc Survival Of
tho FIttest "--1IonCy Tint Could be Bet
ter Applied 20 Building Ships.
TO The Editor
They say figures won't lie but figures often
place congressman in awkward positions,
vide J. Proctor Knott's reported speech in
the house last Saturday. By some of tho
ovor-zealous officers of the navy Mr.. Knott is
placed in a ridiculous attitude. Those
who arc not in accord with Secretary
Chandler's recommendation in his last
annual report, wherein he urges that the
efficiency of the naval service will be pro-
NOTED by altering the present unvarying law
of promotion to seniority" and that "the
grade Of commodore is unnecessary" supplied
Mr.. Knott with regular Pandora box of
statistics. That gentlemans remark that
there was an everplus Of engineers creates
considerable comment outside as we'll as
within the corps Among other things, he
says there arc 203 engineers to do
duty on 80 ships-31 says the secretary.
Now, if he had consulted tho navy register
he would have found that in July, 1882, there
were just 40 ships, 100 passed assistants and
63 assistants who had charge or watch over all
the machinery ashore or ailoat, with 40 cadet
engineers, who are not by law given re-
sponsibility in tho corps. This shows, i'm
stead of 203 officers, 233 available for
the needs of tho service with 40 others COM
ing slowly into use Now, the August bill re-
duces this 233 to 40. If the law regulating
commercial steamers is applied to the navy,
| there must be at least three watches on each
vessel, which gives chief and three assist
ants to each of the 81 vessels, and 40 others to
have charge of all the machinery on shore,
and act as rcliefs of those attached to ships
afloat
If Mr.. Knott will further consult reliable
statistics he will SEQ that the navy register Of
July, 1882, gives total of 935 known as line
| officers to officer these 81 vessels and super
intend the civil establishment Of the navy,
which in itself is quite burden ON the tax
! payers. The August bill referred TO reduces
this number 1l5, leaving $50 officers to
correspond with the 170 engineers who are on
shipboard, supposed to be in the same number
| of watches as the deck officers. Now, to this
$50 must be added GO mates, who perform
equally sufficient watch duty with the gra-
duates Of the naval academy.
| These figures suggest Il reform in two ways
The secretary of the navy since the
passage of the August bill, says I" IL is
worthy of consideration whether a still
| further reduction, by aboishing tho
grade of master and reducing tho
number of lieutenants to 225 may not bemado
without injury to the service and with profit
to the government" 1t is stamped with COM
mon sense on the face Of it, as ia his recon-
mendation to do away entirely with the grade
of commodore.
Now, in the light of all this, what is tho
use of keeping up that costly institution
known rs the naval academy, which, with
triiling results, consumes so much of the peO-
ple's money and gives by the August bill only
ten half-hedged men to be further instructed
by seniors till they in turn become response
bic deck Oillcers2 Now the cost OF running
the academy is found in the appropriations Of
this congress- which provides $lS4, ,379.23 for
the expenses of the institution, exclusive of
the salaries of forty or fifty officers who are
detailed to assist the regular professors and
attendants nor does il include the salary paid
the boys, which is $500, besides rations for
each. Now, the six years tuition, not to
count the expense to the government in fit
ting up and manning at least two vessels an
nualy for the practice, will make the cost of tho
government of each of the ten embryo officers
about Sill 900. Those who are graduated
and not provided for by the reorganization of
the service will each have received, in addi-
J ton to the above, $4,000, or $500 year salary,
besides rations while under instruction, and
one years salary Mt 5000 on being turned
adrift to make living among less fortunate
youth. If the navy is not to be cut any
further IL would not seem so topheavy
and certainly not such q bill of expense to the
taxpayers, if the government would offer
sufficient inducement to young men to entico
I graduates of our colleges to enter the service
and receive nautical instruction from the
NcVeIuhS WHO coulu III u snOrU pltlc lInparJ
to the Juniors all tho knowledge in
. discipline, seamanship, and gunnery which
. they possess, and gradually relieve the SER
5 vice Of the constantly cultivated prejudice
&. existing among the deck officers against those
not educated at the public expense, bo they
volunteers who responded to their country Is
call in time of need, or who, as men fully
l equipped by their own eNertions, offer needed
and efficient service to the country at the
present time in tho staff corps. Then, too,
D the navy would got class who might want
to go to sea, instead of one enrolled before
D reaching the age when they know what they
do want.