The sun., 1890-01-13
1kREourlRl4rEs or PhoM041oN.


/ eAsAAHWSAsAHAAAAp 3N-S-N-~NS'
The Great Extcut 20 which They Exist n
ths Arnir ana the ProPossa Ressaise'
WAsH1NaToN, Jan. l2.--Mr. Springer has
introduced q bill into the House which pro-
Vides that any of1oer on the active list OF the
army who has served fifteen years IN one grade
shall thereafter receive the pay Of the Grade
above, Just as II promoted to that grades and
II hO serves twenty years In one grade. he may.
fhe chooses. be retired on the retired pay OF
the grade above
There may be some objections 70 particular
features OF this bill. One Of its provisions
makes service as Second and First Lieutenant
combined count as II In one grade, whereas IL
is nothing OF the sort. Another questionable
provision allows officers to retire after twenty
years service in one grade, when they may be
at the height OF their powers and most useful
to the country. There IL no reason why reme-
dying any obvious injustice In their case should
be followed by losing their valuable services.
The period OF fifteen years for the maximum
service In one grade may also be regarded By
some as going to an extreme. considering that
Gen Sheridan resolutoly opposed giving relief
even after twenty-one years in a grade, and
rebuked those who asked this favor as being
guided by personal motives.
On the other hand, Gen. Miles, in bis last an
act Of indemnity for the Inequalities OF pro-
motion should be passed, but fixed on the
period OF fifteen years as the right one. for the
maximum during which there should be no
results OF these inequalities is striking:
are 10 v SST hOdnG comm'SOnS in the
seven Captains Who Wsto Captains twenty or more
@ ti n e @ :$ssS iSs
1 I'm hsd aSS in the late
=, Accordingly Gen. Miles recommends that
Tor 1neen years continuous service In the
srnss SANE rank an ScSr .bo shall 6o Spe
system already prevails In the lower grades OF
the medical engineer and ordnance CORPS.
the Division Of the Atlantic, making up a COM
ppthtion perhaps at different time from that
Of Gen. Miles, and differing slightly from the
latter reaches these results:
r. of Saptnns Who have held their commisSions for
srm ten sssrS ns1S s.Vsn IN hs
2. E1.; ho have held their com
In the artillery. seven in the infantry two
oi LiSg'sSaos: who have served for over twenty
iSs.: sScs, PSia:y and Is:y ;ss
afssry forty I n Tie nfantTy one the eavary
The IgiSy Of on ienEth Of ser
n., SagGSs!sd itssI % sonpains tlS
sss i4 E..
yiee fer bu. stands beST 2o9 a The
ESsss Fo.d:n ss:%s. f.s ssss R'a !ss
over twenty years LoutenAntS, but below their
contemporaries
The remedy of lineal promotion for Lieuten-
ants as well as for higher officers would un-
doubtedly guard against Inequalities for the
future. although specific remedy is required
present injustice exists is that the statute
. which prescribes promotion by seniority i9
S mot 10 s
SSs RS f9 hs
srede thSs arm and While
same rule calls for the promotion Of the high
Colonel and Of the highest cavalry Captain to
e e he %
the list Of cavalry Lieutenantsin length OF SER
vice. his own company Second Lle4tenapt In
tenantcy. This difference Of system being the
main cause of the trouble. change which
other officers would Of course furnish a rene.
Two other proposed, remedies are the In
psnies each; with three Majors for each reEi-
ment and the increase Of the artillery to seven
measures, now embodied IN the bills OF Senator
MbandeTSodn aPd Senator aaWiey would bring
promotion in inferior grades. Still Col. Hughes
hnds that these measures would not be sufii-
Section 2Oe of tho Revised stAtutes Justify
period that officer should remain Lieutenant mas
much as It provides special way for LeutenRnts Of
the Corps OF EnRineers 10 above In case hoy
not promoted in tho natural course OF events
1t is only fair to quote the reasons which
Gen. Sheridan gave, under date of March 6.
1885, for opposing bill much less sweeping
than the one now introduced. He wrote to
Secretary Endicott as follows:
ANY oeer who desires 70 eject changes for his per
Der Of either Honse succeed p obtaining tho introduce
ion Of bill for the purpose In opinion such action
Is contrary to all methods OF military procedure and
subverSivo OF discipline
The accompanying bill has for is only object tho In
crease OF the paw OF ocers who have served
personal In ls nature otherwise NO benent to the
service or to the great majority OF the ohcors Of the
army. Under present conditions Il would bensnt four
ColonelA sixteen MaorB eRhtytwo CRptainA and ave
First LieutenRntS and would increase BY 10000 per
annum the amount required for the pay Of the army
besides possibly transferrng 70 tho retired list many
iuty. |
Accordingly an adverse report was made up. |
pm the bill By the Senate Military COMMITTEES. |
the House afterward passed Q
similar bill lndemnifyinR those who had served |
twenty years in one grade as has been seen,
Zen. Miles strongly favorB making this com.
pensation even at the end Of fifteen years, and |
perhaps a compromise measure OF some sort |
Will be enacted.
Judge Kelley DID Not Dislike thelHgleks