The sun., 1894-01-04
ron PRoMo11oS IN TIE VAR.
Hevv ~ Happens that Ri.lrs rro-. ere Lower
Grades has Novr Rscor,n : slow Frnrnss

arsaes has New Become = slow Process.
WASHINGTON Jan. 3.-The hope IL expressed
that on reassemblinR the Senate may concur
in Mr.. Meyers resolution. already passed By
the House. for the Investigation Of the navy.
The resolution. as is known. provides for a
Joint committee Of three Senators and three
Representatives. Mr. Meyers report stated
very fairly the needs and the difficulties OF the
questions involved. For example. as to the
Engineer Corps, there must certainly be an
adequate force Of capable mon In charge OF the
splendid machinery OF our modern war ships.
Chief Engineer Melville has put this point
with Irresistible vlGor. Tho question arises.
however. as TO how II shall be supplied.
Among some foreign services tho tendency or
the actual practice seems to be- according to
one view. to use tho most skilled engineers
mainly for constructive and scientific work
ashore and to have "A separate corps Of sea-
going engineers, drawn from the most com pe-
tent members OF the mnchinist grade" The
great ocean steamers. says Mr.. Meyers report,
like the Paris and Campania. arc handled
most successfully and ut the highest speed not
by the scientifc. but by men who have been
trained as and have the practical skill OF ma
chinists" England. It is added now pro poses
TO make the machinists on her war vessels
warrant officers
Gated officers are needed to run modern en-
glnes. and that instead Of reducing the number
OF commissioned engineers and ubstltutlnG
high class OF machlnists as warrant officers,
we ought to have many more OF the former.
The engines OF n modern war ship are vast ana
complex. needing Intelligent and trained
minds to insure n perfect working OF all the
parts failure In any one Of which may be fatal
at q vital moment" while the physical and
nervous strain upon tho en- glneer officer is very
great II this view Is correct. IL is false econ
omy to provide an insufficient number Of en-
gineer officers. and hazardous to rely upon
any but men OF tho highest and most thorough
training" 1t may be urged that these Views.
when taken by engineers, are an expression
OF the tendencyto magnify ones own calling;
rerts, or rather such OF the experts as show q
calm. fair and judicial temper2
Then, as to the line officers. Mr.. Meyers re-
port shows that promotion Is very slow, and
that officers arrive late Ia life at iag rank. IL
may be replied that navy and army officers arc
promo to sock greater rank and ray. and that
there has never boen a year for long time in
which they have not sought It. That how
IN en- are am bitious to increase their gains and
their position and status in the community
show Is wR 6sg SSeh to have hsSsy Rsg
position and pay, their views should be con-
sidered And In the present instance the line
reasons ior their plans.
Three causes arc mentioned by Mr.. Meyer
for the existing slowness OF prom otions. One
is that an excessive number Of appointments
as mldshipmen having been made In lSi1, iew
followed from that date to lSaE. and these few
have wholly disappeared. The survivors of
tho lSi date having very recently retired. a
cessation ,,of, retirements has naturally fol-
to promotion has about disappeared" Yet he
finds an analogous difficulty In the fact that
and & nSM oH wdG the aese
owing to tho civil war. con siderably less than
would normally survive. Hence the retire.
below, normal" and promotions correspond
Tho second source Of trouble is that by the
act OF August. 1857. a reduction Of twenty-nin
was made in the number of Rear Admirala.
Commodores. CAPTAINS. and Com one
lowed, so as TO make the reduction ea sier. yet
naturally the effect was felt through every
ers was also reduced by six. With the grades
smaller tho promotions from them are fewer.
and MI Meyer further alleges that the number
proper proportion TO the whole navy. This last
IS a point that should be looked at. taking to-
Eether the total size OF the personnel and the
bor Of vessels kept in commission. and II
L IS found to be correct Tho number Of flag
H Eat there is fhTd Ir SnG most eectiv. cause
q the lack OF the desired HOW Of promotions
from 1852 to 1881, inclusive, the number
han tho annual waste in the navy, During
his period occurred the scrutiny Of the list in
put passed midshipmen in their places. This
the number OF Officers below the
graduated midshipmen. while from these lat
er. wheh the war came with It's great number
lions. Those were halcyon days for navy ON
sers' In 1880 there was great rushing up
mother. and thereaiter the BAT battle casualties Of
he service. though not excessive among OIL
,ers.. considering the length Of the war. yet
Fn &c had linn nl of
But the war ended more than quarter Of a
century ago. and those who have during tho
'uch chances at promotion as their predeces. % a
'ors; IL is true that they have had also less
1eril In those times Of peace and less arduous
From 1861 until 1857 the mum ber OF cadets
st possible limit and they were pushed
hir9ngh with rnpldity. the classes even being
iiyded according to scholastic ability for the
Graduated made up 4s,i who had entered
here we were 456 9; whom @ T T4F Mere reAi in Se tSe
0wSst fslafs; and e graduates entered the
i. whom 81 graduated in June. June OF these
'ftcars evidently not all were needed. yet the |
'teps we're slow In stopping the supply. For |
'5a1au1tedt s1 ti9 i9 1s''s y , bsca@e LIEUTENANT il
var service. This. oi course. was an excess OF |
rood luck In promotion, which has since been |
@ BY the fact that, as Mr.,
.nts at an age OF 40" The admission OF a |
lumber OF officers from the volunteer navy as
reward for their services and ability helped |
o make the overcrowding OF part OF the list
nore serious,
1t Is believed that II the Joint com mittee Is
ppointed, Mr.. Herbert win lay before II .
Ian which could be the basis OF a betteror-
antzation. No doubt there are officers who
eceved very rapid promotion Ia war times
tsipg TO certain grades at a much earlier age |
han is now possible. and thus obtaining |
total rank and pay In the service such as
he younger officers cannot now hope for.
Tut In other parts of the list reasonable pro-
notion has been correspondingly .imDeded,
nd Il a new system can look out for those
tho hive been too much kept back, and con-
ider the needs Of tho future II will deserve
he careful consideration OF Congress-
Attacked aad Rosbsd by HIGhwaymea.
Troy, Jan. 3-Philip W. scully OF Glens Falls.
ollector.for the ThaYe- Portrait Company OF
uburn. was attacked by highwaymen last
veninG Just outside OF Glens Falls He was
etuTning from a collecting visit and two man |