The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-09-02
Uncle Sam's Navy.

The United States naval register for 1885,
which has Just been issued, is an interesting
and instructive work 1t is a volume Of 2lI
pages. OF these 2lO contain lists of the Of
tieers Of the navy, with their residences sta
tons, and record Of service, and one page con-
tains list Of thirty-fVe ships, upon which
they are supposed to serve According to thu
register there are borne on the active roster
of the service | admiral, vice-admiral, 2
real-admirals, l6 commodores, IS captains,
IS commanders. "a lieutenant commanders,
25T lieutenants, 50 lieutenants Gunior grade, J
ls3 ensigns, So naval cadets, l5s medical Of
hcers, 235 engineer officers, 81 professors and
chaplains 81 naval constructors and 200 war
rant ofhcers-at total Of 1918. In addition
TO these there are 90 officers Of marines.
On the retired list of the navy there are 337
officers Of all grades, most of them of superior
rank, and consequently in the enjoyment of
superior pay. This list alone comprises forty
eight admirals, drawing $500 year each,
aud thiTty-nine commodores OF officers of
equal rank, who receive each $3.50 per
annum. The total number of officers ON The
navy pay rolls, exclusive Of cadets at the
Naval Academy, is 2,l44 Turning to page
l9l of the register (they are all contained on
one page) it is found that the number Of ser
viceable ships is thirty-fve, to wit: One first
rate. eleven second rates, nineteen third rates,
and four fourth rates The one first rate ship
Is tho Tennessee, and two Of the fourth rates
are the famous Tall1poOsa and the little old
Michigan, on the lakes. Actually, there are
but thirty-three ships of any character us war
vessels. To man these there are ,6l3 officers
and 81 marines. But not all of these ships are
in commission. Five Of them at least are laid
up and two or three are undergoing repairs.
This makes pretty top-heavy navy. Two
thousand officers and but twenty five or thirty
old wooden ships suggest preponderaHce of
gold lace, fat salaries and idleness not pleas
ant for the working American public to con-
template. A further glance at tue register
shows that the admiral lives in Washington
and has nothing to do but attend to his maya
zine literature. His salary is $4,000 year.
The vice-adniral is chairman of the Light
house Board, an organization which is in ses-
sion about one hour a month. OF the seven
but two command squadrons,
The others have some nominal duty on shore,
to which they are assigned to enable them to
draw duty pay. Not one OF the sixteen COM
modores is at sea. Nine of them command
navy yards, but the assignments of the other
seven are as merely nominal as those of the
rear-admiral's and for the same purpose. For
OommodoreGuce is superintendent
Of the Naval War College," whatever that
is. When q commodore is "waiting orders"
be receives but 5000 salary. When he. is
'on duty" however slight, he is paid S4.O5O, |
lence the scramble for nominal assignments,
Of the IS captains, command ships, 20 have
nominal shore duty, and IL live quietly AT |
heir homes, the department being unable 10 |
inc even nominal work for them. of the IS |
but l9 are at sea; 2l are idle,
md the remainder have nominal duty on shore
Of the whole staff corps, numbering $50 Of
icers, but 10 are at sea. And so, page by
,age, one might snalyze the navy register and |
'rove that the Government is supporting need
eksly and in idleness three-ffths of the 700
'ficers on the active list of the navy.
Secretary Whitney is investigating the evils
hat exist in his department and projecting
measures of reform. be will spare no effort 10
Ievise plan by which he can relieve The
laval service of its top-heavy load. Score
airy Chandler made some little headway. He
,ot Congress to pass the act of 1882. which
topped promotions until certain grades had
zen reduced to less number, but the pro-
ess OF wedding out is very slow.-Erchanqc.