The record-union., 1891-08-03
OUR REVENUE MARINE.

The United States Revenue Marine ves-
sells are now performing active naval
services on both the Atlantic and Pacific
The cutter Woodbery is in the vicinity of
st. stephen, n. B., looking after the well
fare of American fishing interests, while
the Rush, Bear and Corwin are in Behr-
ing Sea performing similar service in
connection with the seal fisheries diff
Guilty. In fact the revenue marine is
about as much engaged with inter
national matters as the navy itself
Remarking upon the subject the New
York Times says:
This approximation in duties between the
two branches of our executive service on the
waters finds counterpart in some recent
changes IN equipment, armament, and drill,
designed to make the Revenue Marine still
more nearly Identical in these respects with
the navy.
Still another step in this direction is
the recent order of Secretary Foster by
which graduates Of the six years course
at Annapolis We're made capable of filling
the fifteen vacancies then existing in the
grade of Third Lieutenant. In other
words the Naval Academy furnishing
officers to both services, will bring them
into such close relation and so assimilate
the services that the distinctions hereto
fore existing between and to the
injury of the Revenue Service-ought to
disappear.
There is no reason why the pay of the
Revenue Marine should be smaller, the
qualifications of the officers fewer and
the hopes of promotion less than in the
navy. The revenue cutters are exposed
TO more arduous and constant service
than are the ships of the navy, and let US
hope that such may be the continuing
condition. The officers of the Revenue
Marine donot do service in foreign waters
frequently, and therein only are they
favored. But in that service there is no
possibility of advancement above the
rank of Captain, while in the navy a man
may become Rear-Admiral. The cap
taincy Of the revenue service is but about
level with the naval rank of Lieutenant
Commander.
In the navy, by cumulative process,
the pay advances as the service lengthens,
but no such system obtains in the Rev
enue Marine. The officer OF the navy
who reaches the age of 81 is retired, and
thus promotions are stimulated and faith
ful service acknowledged; but to the
Revenue Marine no retired list is known
This fact blocks promotion, officers o.
middle age and long service are thus
kept in a low grade and on small pay
and there opens before them only the
prospect of vacancies through death.
The truth is as the Times puts it:
The Revenue Marine, as our busy and eff
ncient coast guard, seems to merit better
treatment. IT has a remarkable record of in
dusrious cruising from the tropics to the
arctic circle. 1t arrests smugglers, seizes
pOacherS, maintains the quarantine and the
neutrality laws, prevents piracies and sup
presses nutinies looks after the imniprant
ships, enforces the license and registry statutes
succors the shipwrecked, and every year pre-
serves many lives and much property. Sec
retary Tracy has well said OF the navy, com
pared with the revenue marine, that zone
polices the ocean, the other the coast: the
seizure of smugglers is precisely similar TO tht
duty OF naval officers in sezing vessels en-
gagged in contrGband trade in time OF war
other duties of the Revenue Marine, such a,
the enforcement OF the neutrality laws, anC
the suppression Of piracy and of mutinieS or
merchant vessels, are now actually imposed
on and performed by the navy In common
with her sister service The pres
ent Congress should aid the Revenue Marin,
service, either by transfer to the navy or by :
statute giving the benefit of retirement anC
longevity pay 10 the officers OF the marin,
while leaving il in the domain OF the Treas
urN lepartnent.