Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-11-09
QUA susT COAST suaao.
NJ AeAievsmea.s and The Nsess q lie
Ressnue nariae.

w.suiN.s roy. Nov. Stew efabcnes 81
the executive service of the Government
have more 10 show proportionally for their
expenditures than the revenue marine.
ON an average ii costs eonsiteraeE iess
than ,.liilior dollars year, and WITH tnis
amour, ii generally keeps in commission
aboa, .hirty-six vessels, which perform
great variety ot work
During the last fiscal year, as eap..
Safeguards report shows, these vessels
covered an aggregate OF 'Sa.9f- miiss'
being an increase of nearly 3i,up ever the
wear before. They boaaaed and examined
1882 merchant vessels. an increase OF
/ Ii, $50, and ,2:,;;, of these were found 70
have violated the Law in some way, while
the fines and penalties incurred amounted
to S3es,'I sS.so. In a.iiiion, 81 vessels IN
distress. valued with their csrgoes az
81. 4lT,4l5, were relieved, while 20 persons
were saved from drowning.
/ The extent of this service. considered
ceerraph;eaIlv and o,berw is remarkable.
| Far north in BEARING Sea the Corwin, the
Rnsb. ami the Bear have shared with the
navy the wears patrol duty, and perhaps
the most important seizure of the summer,
| that of the Coauitian. mas made by the
revenue marine, as also were the seizures
of the British schooners Henrietta and
| Winnifred and the American bark Lydia.
| This was in addition To the customary
assistance. rendered to whalcrs IN Arctic
waters. The revenue marine habitualiy
takes part in the maintenance of quarantine
REGULATIONS, an. seven of its vessels rem
| dered assistance during the recent peru OF
| cholera invasion.
| But in addition to its special TO its special
| services it has steady career of great use
/ fuIness on both oceans. the Gulf AMI the
lakes. II protects the revenue from SNUG
I glers. suppresses mu,inics, enforces the
/ neutrality laws sometimes guards the
1 coas, timber lands, aids the life saving
/ service, and executes the numerous
maritime regulations in regard TO the
! hcense inspection. enrolment and registry
/ of vessels migration. buoys, lighthouses,
aud SO on.
| A single one of its vessels, the Wood
bury. ten wears ago on the coast of Maine
aided seventy distressed vessels, receiving
| the thanks of the Legislature. Another
revenue steamer, the Dexter, more
recently received the thanks of the House
| of Representatives for aid rendered in a
marine disaster. Bevenue vessels assist
ed in the search for the jeanette survivors,
while in all our wars, during its existence
of nearly century, this service has taken
an honorable part.
| As is well known. efforts have been made
in the present Congress, as in the preced-
ing, to put the revenue marine on an
equality with the navy in certain respects
where it is now at disadvantage. At
present it has no retired list for its officers
and men and no longevity pay, while sys-
TEN of deductions for absence cuts down
| rate of pay which is at best inferior to that
of nav officers of corresponding grades,
| So for as retirement is concerned. the
difficulty has been oecasioned by regarding
the revenue marine service as purely civil,
on account of its being placed in charge of
the treasury department.
| 1t is argued that precedent ought not
| to be created by comforting the privileges
already spoken of as belonging to the
military and naval services upon any branch
| of the civil service. But practically the
revenue marine is military and naval. Its
officers are regularly educated, and, in fact,
of late years cadets at Annapolis for whom
places have not been found in the navy
have entered the revenue marine. The
batteries of the vessels, the arms, uni
forms. and equipments of officers and men,
the drill, the discipline the regulations, all
| show the analogy of this service to the navy,
and, indeed, the most prominent of the
schemes for remedying the inequalities al
ready spoken of is that of transferring the
revenue cutter service to the navy.
The record of the years work will form
a strong argument for abolishing by some
means the differences between this service
and the army and navy as to the privileges
| of the personnel. The system of longevity
pay seems equitably to belong to one as well
| as to the other, while a retired list would
bring about healthy flow of promotion by
the transfer to it of officers who now remain
on the active list after they are incapacitated
through age and other causes, for service.
| and yet have now here else to go. There
might also be some relief from the bookings
of pay for absences on leave such as the
navy officers enjoy to fixed and regular
extent
Another need shown by the years
record is that of several new revenue cut
tiers. Congress has now under considera-
ton two new vessels for the Pacific and
two for the great lakes. In addition, Capt.
Sheppard asks for one to replace the
Gallatin, wrecked on the Massachusetts
coast last winter. If these vessels are
built they should be powerful and fast, and
regard should be had to their possible use
in time of war, by placing upon them
proper batteries, for which provision could
be made.