New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-03
PROMOTION IN THE NAVY.
TO REMOVE THE PRESENT sTAGNAT1oN.
A REPORT BY THE NAVAL BoARD-oFF1cERs TO
REACH COMMAND RANK AT AN
EARLIER AGE.

Washington Oct 2.-The Naval Board appointed py
Secretary Tracy to examine into and report upon te
present stagnatIon Of officers in the hhe OF ue s''
and recommend measures to regulate promouon WIN
viqw TO the increased efficiency Of the Navy mas SUI
mltted its report.
An argument is made 10 show the absouc oepenoon0'
nj the admiral upon his subordinate Officers anu '"o
necessity for development in them OF the habit OF CONF
manding and directing the movements OF SNIP
habit that can best be acquired during youth inee
fore It is held that there should be prescrpea ii
mum age at which command rank should be reached as
we'll as a sufficient number OF vessels TO ahoru 'hs
practice Much might be accomplished by giving COM
nand at an early age and insurng the necessary ao
ouchIng the remedies for the present stuauon' the
Board finds that 1t is necessary TO relieve the lists
from the depressing and stagnang effect OF the large
number of appointments to the Navy before ana Our
ing the war The Board advises that at as early q
date as possible examination OF the Ists DC hauo
for the purpose Of preparing new organizanon upon
the basis Of the grades and numbers as hereafter pro-
posed nder the head Of general remodies), ana wch
are as follows: Rear.admirals, 90; commodorcs. 10
captains co: commanders TO- lieutenant commanders
100: lieutenants 900; leutcnants 0unior and en-
signs 145; total, 100. Board should Seiect uie
most efficient in each grade the order Oh SENIORITY
should not be changed but otherwise there should Do
no restriction 10 the grade In the new ORGANIZATION
open to any officer of the present.
new organization the Board shall nominate reserved
list qualified for duties known as shore or other
duty" Officers not placed the active or reserved
lists shall be placed upon the retired list on three
fourths, half or furlough pay, or wholly retired
Having reduced the costs to the normal and having
adopted three guiding principles the Board MAKES oi
them the following application, which will 1t believes
give q Navy OF grades suitably proportoned 10 escn
other and at the same time insure proper now OF
promotion on q peace establishment TIE grahes anu
numbers should be as follows: Rear-admiralS, ~;
commodores, Is; captains, so; commanders, TO- lieu
tenantcommandcrs, 1870 leutenants, 29o leutenants'
Junior grade, and enagnS, l43. .,. - Al.
The board fixes forty six years OF service as Se
perod of compulsory retirement and recommends that
no lieutenant commander be promoted VINO hae
less than eighteen years to serve. ana no captain
10 commodore who has less than five. Ihese pro
motions should be made annually by board by select
ing from the head Of the list of captains twice as many
names as there vacancies together with the names
of captains who would unless promoted pass the re
firing limit and from these names the vacancies are 10
he filed Captains twice considered and those having
less than five wears to shall be at once retired
The same rule generally Is to apply to eutenantc0m-
manders except to compulsory refinement Otner
grades be filed BY promotions made by senionV'