The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-07
4 NArr prnsnNnrL ELL
a rrsumips-y Proposal rcr BrinrinE Abo,,
ErotEnntzatIou.

Er0tERnizattou.
wAsH1YaroN Feb. Ex-senator Hale nae n.
trodueed by request a measure 20 reorgap,g |,
! the personnel Of the navy. without waitiu. mi,
| the Investigation Of the subject when is q, NJ.
conducted BY the Joint mmission Of Congress,
appointed for the purpose.
This scheme. to begin with. rroposes an In.
crease in tho number Of iins officers. no.
ticeably In tho higher grades. Ins;eal 90
present Rear Admirals on the active r.,.
the new bill allows 20: but. on the other h,ni
instead Of the 10 Con- N odoree. this ,,..r
grade is abolished. thus making a net incte,ss
OF 4 officers in the two highest grades ms o,d
Of ~ Cartains. it proposes u; instead OF s.,
Commanders. it would have 80. instead ~ II
Lieutenant Com mandors. 1875; instead ~ IA
Licuteuants, Il would give 2pO; and instead nj,
2JJ Junior Licutenants and Lnsign. CON.
bined. IL would have 2lJ. The total res,It
would DO T1j officers. instead OF 72a
as now. tho 10 being exclusive ais, ,,
those appointed from the volunteer nay,.
II may lie remembered that the thy,b.an
Board also proposed to rearrange the preson.
personnel but il did so by retainin: tho OK.
listing number OF Officers making ,o.ta}n
changes which would produce promotions AMI
n general averag 90 OF higher rank ard pay il
proposed 10 Rear Admirals. instead ~ -: IS
Commodorea. instead OF 10: 40 CAPTAINS M
stead OF 10; 1870 Lieutenant ommander, In.
stead OF 20; and 300 Lieutenants. instead q,
2ju. Then. as an Offset. there were H. no -
Commanders. instead Of 81. and Ia junior
Lieutenants and Lnsigns combined, instead
OF 255 as now.
In order to carry out the new plan. voluntary
retirements will be allowed among Cautain,
Commanders and Lieutenant Ccmmand en
who have served thirty years. And wheneysr
in any fiscal year there shall be fewer than
eighteen vacancies above the grade oi Lieu.
one above that Of Lieutenant, a board OF I'VE
Rear Admirals is to choose from the list OF
applicants for voluntary retirement enough 81.
ncers to create the required vacancies. Should
there be not enough names on the list. II mar
complete the required number from the active
grades. and the officers thus chosen shall he
retired. II the President and Secretary Of the
Navy approve. with pay as IL retired FOR age ia
That the lower grades may be kept reduced
as proposed. not more than forty Enslgns are
muse he In tht grade ah or rfs es
promotion: An officer. on reaching the head
Of his grade becomes eligible 70 the first va.
Gated by him is not to be treated as a vacancy
and filled. The provisions for changing the
lie referred to in detail at his time n'f m mSs
be noted, however. that the blll proposes
that Hereafter the gradual f p shs Is
to nine Chief Engineers. ranking as Com.
mnnlers. and fourteen as Lieutenant Com-
neers ranking as Iieutenants. and twenty-five
Assistant Engineers as Junior Lieutenants
But this 10 not all When the Engineer corps
is thus reduced it is to perform tho duty u
designing and constructing engineers. while
being detailed by the Secretary to superin.
tend the machinery Of seagoing vessels A. he
may direct. corps Of warrant engineers IA
meanwhile to he formed and will gradually
relieve the mmissioned corps in standing
watch duty over the engines
The Marine corps would be abolished under
this bill. by allowing no further appointments
OF officers TO It nor any more enliating Of mon.
SO that 1t would be gradually withdrawn from
seagoinI vessels With it, gradual hisap.
pearance the enlisted men OF the navy would
be increased by 300 4 year until AN increase %
not more than 1000 had been effected. TIE
grade Of Colonel would lapse when vacated by
the present incumbent.
other details in the bill might be m mentioned
including Its proposed term OF enlistment ~
four years and its prohibition Of further on ist.
ment OF sailmakers. boatswains. carpenters
and mates. But there 10 very little doubt that
the scheme Of REORGANIZATION acted upon ~
Congress- will not be this hill but some m cas-
ure at least founded. TO start with OH the in
vcstiGations and conclusions o. tho Joint COM
mission appointed from the naval committees
OF Congress.