The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-08

After careful consideration. the frame OF
a bill for reorganizing the line OF the navy
has been offered by Secretary HERBERT
to the joint Commission OF Congress ap-
pointed to consider this subject. 1t will un-
doubtedly prove the basis on which the de-
alterations OF the Commission will hereafter
| proceed. whatever the extent to which It's
details may finally be adopted.
| This measure has twofold object. One.
which. OF course. appeals directly to the
officers concerned. is that OF increasing the
| flow OF promotion or. in other words. bring
ing higher rank and more pay to those who
| get the advantage Of that flow. The other.
which may be called the public considera-
ton, is that Of advancing officers earlier in
| life to the command Of vessels. and so max
| ing them accustomed to assume RESPONSE
bilities before the habit OF dependence be-
comes fixed.
Keeping this In mind. IL will be found easy
TO understand the means which Mr.. HER
BERT employs for carrying out his purposes.
| To begin with, he increases the number OF
officers in the higher grades. The Captains
are to number 60 instead OF IS as now, and
the Commanders 100 Instead Of IS as now.
Then the grade OF Commodore is to be abol-
ished. or. rather. merged In that OF Rear
Admiral. which latter will still further be
increased. That is to say. there are now 10
Commodores aud Rear Admirals. while
the new bill allows 20 Rear Admirals. which
is a net increase OF four for the two highest
grades. besides the jump in rank and pay
given to Captains by being promoted d.
rectly to Rear Admiral.
These are the only grades whose num-
bers on the active list would be increased.
yet these changes alone would greatly in
crease promotions. As thus reorganized.
the active list would consist of 20 Rear
Admrals. 60 Captains. 100 Commanders, "a
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $50 Lieutenants.
rs junior grade Lieutenants. and as many
Ensigns as would be sufficient to maintain
the present total of that list Thus the
change is that OF greatly decreasing IN
numbers the lowest grade. leaving intact
the middle grades. and increasing the re-
naming or highest grades.
The PHYTHIAN Board. In a former study OF
this same problem. also redistributed the
existing number OF officers without increas-
ing 1t; aud it may be Interesting to compare
its schedule with the one now proposed by
Secretary HERBERT. IL provided for 10
Rear Admirals Is Commodores, 60 CAPTAINS.
20 Commanders, 100 Lieutenant Command
ers, go Lieutenants. and las junior grade
Lieutenants and Ensigns Thus these latter
were to be diminished by 10, and the Com
manders by Is. while all the other grades
were increased so as To make the total num-
Der the same, but giving higher rank and
pay all around. One further comparison OF
interest may be made with the bill lately
introduced into Congress. at request, by
Senator HALE. which provides. exclusive of
officers from the volunteers. for 90 Rear
Admirals, Is Captains. 80 Commanders, 1875
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 26O Lieutenants,
and not more than 2l5 junior grade Lieu
tenants and Ensigns. That bill abOlishes
the CommodOres. like Mr.. HERBERT's. but
increases the total number Of officers, and
also provides different grade totals.
The next point to notice is the system of
retirements proposed by Mr. HERBERT.
This also aims at a greater flow of promo
tion and earlier arrival at command rank.
To begin with. officers originally appointed
from the volunteers may apply for honora-
BILE retirement at three-fourths OF the sea
pay Of their grades. while all other officers,
il in the grades Of Captain. Commander. and
Lieutenant Commander. after thirty wears
VI sriNlSc' may dISo Apply LOT voluntary re-
tirement. Those from the volunteers are
not TO be retired unless they wish, and there
are certain special provisions respecting
them. AL other Captains. Commanders,
and Lieutenant-CO however. be-
come subject 10 compulsory retirement,
whenever, in any fiscal year. vacancies
enough are not otherwise created IN
permit sixteen promotions to the grade
Of Commander and nineteen 10 the
grade Of Lieutenant-Com This
provision is alsO forecast by the HALE bill. |
which, however. requires eighteen and
twenty-one vacancies respectively. And
the mode Of selecting officers for this com
PulsoTy retirement is also that Of the HALE |
bill, being effected by Board OF five Rear
Admirals. let not more than four Captains |
and Commanders aud three Lieutenant
Commanders can be forced to retire in any |
one year. They have the pay aud privi- |
leges Of age retirement. But officers dis |
qualified through misconduct are dismissed |
without pay. as now. while others deficient |
professionally for promotion 70 the higher