The morning call., 1891-11-23
REVENUE CUTTERS.
Captain Shepard's Report Condition aBd
Requirements Of the Service.

the Treasury the annual report Of the rev.
enue cutter service for the year ended jane
80, 1891 From the report it appears that
thiTty-six vessels have been in commission
during the year. These thirty-sIx vessels
have cruised for the protection of the Fey
enue distance of 30l. .416 miles, and have
bearded and examined 26,962 vessels. OF
which number 1912 were found violating the
law. The fines incurred by these Violations s
amounted to 1854. .046 "a. In addition j2a
distressed vessels were assisted; the vafle
of the vessels and their cargees amouniih G
TO So, 5000 The cutters have rescsifd
from drowning 26 persons. The expeFai-
tures on account of the service for 1891 have
been 1884 1895 %, of which S26,S SO Ware
used in enforcing the provisions of the Get
OF Congress, regulatlDgtie anchorage OF YES
sells in tne bay and harbor of New York.
IN NORTHERN WATERS
I'm the early part Of April of this year
the revenue steamship Bear made a speSl3l
cruise to Western Alaska for the purpFse
OF arresting criminals and securing Wit
nesses who could not be reached withous a
special vessel. Later she conveyed to Icy
Bay the Russell exploring expedition sent
ont under the auspices OF the National Geo-
graphical Society Of Washington. d. c., ald
she is now on guard duty around the Sal
Islands, where she will remain until after
December 1st.
THE revenue steamer Rash sailed from
San Francisco on Hay 9th for the Ssal
Islands, aud during the summer cruised n
the Behring sea for the protectiou OF tne
Government interests in that region. The
Rush, returning from her cruise, reached
San Francisco OIL October I'd, and saaed
again on October 18th, to remain in theyi-
cinity of the Seal Islands until Deem
Der lst.
San Francisco lima 1Tfh Rabrt N ~
Sea. During the season she seized two YES
selS-the American schoouers La Ninphe of
San Francisco and Ethel of San Diego,
Cal, for non compliance with instructions
to leave the sea. These cases have silce
been tried in the United States Dist let
Court Of Alaska, and tine vessels were con-
demued.
MORE VESSELS NEEDED.
1.-Two new steamers have been en-
structed during the past year and are in
commission and doing duty; one. the ;fi-
mona, at Newberne, y. C., and the Other
the Galveston, at Galveston. Tex. The
rapidly increasing commerce on the Great
Lakes, the Pacific Coast and Puget Sound
require new vessels; the large numbea of
Chinese subjects unlawfully landing on our
shores and lie enormous quantities OF opidm
believed to be smuggled into the United
States from contiguous foreign territory
the additional service demanded of the rev.
enue cutter fleet in protecting Government
interests in Alaska, all demand new md
more efficient steamers.
There is immediate and urgent need for
two able cruising steamers for the Pa4ific
Coast and two for the Great Lakes, the lat
ter for Lakes Michigan and Ontario, re-
Spectlyely. The revenue cutters at present
on the Pacific Coast are not adapted TO the
arduous work which of late has been as
signed to them in Alaskan waters ane in
BehrinR Sea. Stronger and abler ves ,els
are needed to replace them, F2essels b IN q
good steaming powers, liberal coal-carrylng
capacity and ample quarters for officers aud
crew.
PACIFIC COAST REQUIREMENTS.
"Of the two vessels required on the Pa
cific Coast one Is needed for Puget Sound
and one for San Francisco and the CalifO r
mia coast. These two new vessels would be
available for annual cruises in Behring Sea
in the protection of United States interests,
and do away with the necessity which
arose during the past year OF calling for
support from cruising vessels Of the navy.
1t would further become practicable on re-
ceiving two new vessels for the Pacific Coast
TO supply The port Of San Dsgo and the ex-
treme southern coast of California with one
OF the present steamers. This provision
would greatly lessen the cruising ground
OF the vessel regularly assigned to San Fran
cisco, and assure in general a more efficient
patrol of the California coast.
There Is further need at San Francisco
Tor new boarding steamer. The present
vessel engaged in this duty is too small for
the efficient performance of the work as
signed to her.
PERSONNEL OF THE REVENUE MARINE.
The personnel of the Revenue Marine
consists OF 220 commissioned officers 2S
pilots and S15 enlisted men. Promotion in
the Revenue Marine is by seniority, on the
passing OF satisfactory physical and pro-
fesslonal examination. Officers who fail on
the hrst are given second examination a
year later. An officer who fails a second
time is placed at the foot of his grade and
deemed out of the line of promotion. Va
cancrs in the Engineer Corps are filled from
civil life. Commissions as Second Assist
ant Engineers are awarded on the result of
competitive examination.
RELIEF NEEDED.
There is urgent need for some form OF
relief Tor the personnel Of the Revenue Ma
Iine. Owing to the peculiar status of the
Rev nue. Marine its officers and men have
been refused the benefit of retirement, lon
gevity and pensions. The present condi-
tlon OF the service is little short of stagna-
ton. Promotion is at a standstill. The
senior grades are filled with officers old in
years. who have spent the best part Of their
lives in the service of their country, and are
now, through advancing age and years of
hardship and exposure r,iincapacltated ! for
active duty. Officers are now no orne on the
who have served their Government in every
naval war since that of 1912 in which the
United States has participated.
DUTIES REQUIRED.
The officers are required to be proficient
IN military drill and possess thorough
knowledge of the use of both great and
small aims. The crews are required to be
instructed fr0m day to day in ali Oh Ills such
us are carried on aboard regular ships Of
war. Commanding officers are required, if
1t be found necessary to nse force n heav-
ing vessels to, and within the past two
years various vessels Of the revenue cutter
fleet have been called upon to land regular
organized infantry commands and protect
United States interests on shore. In addi-
ton to uncertainty in the future the pay of
the officers of the Revenue Marine is wholly
inadequate 10 their needs. The improve
ment of the condition of the personnel has
OF late become matter of grave necessity,
and demands early and liberal legislation on
the part Of Congress