New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-31

to choose out the men who are least fl, to perform
promotion This does not mean that they unfit
to perform these duties but merely that among
all Of the officers who are 1T they are less ut than
their fellows
SCHEME FOR SELECTION.
Thus 10 choose them out of COURSE does imply
the exercise OF human intelligence and whenever
human intelligence Is exercised 1t is always pos
sible that 1t will err but It does not seem to US
that We can safely assume such errors 20 be the
normal results Of Its exercise II are to go for
thus d s .TssS h nat e the choice Ss Of The
from among Tie btsi OF their profession brethren.
undonhl,edly the friends OF any mar who Is , N
for his retention; and the pressure most to. be
feared is that which IS Ioli,isal THIS can best
grade. who II Is reasonable to suppose. would.
as required by their oaths. disregard IT, for, ms
cal pressure and ara singlc-mirded In their dcvo-
ton to the service. 1t Il highly undesirable that
way Of restrictions uror the methods Of cxercisins
their power To limit them IN end red ssh
that intelligence upon wh!cn combined Win DIS as
zeal for the sgrvc w. 10 n1 he n Sg
Their decision should. recover. be maj ana WIN,
on, appeal but rs hh rr Gey 10 so Gnt but
merely because tho others were more ht NOR n
,eres,s being thus sacrificed 10 the interests OF the
scrv,cs n. r whole II Is deemed desirable that
anlends be made them. 80 faT AS nay be- Tor me
sacrifice thus exncted ard ma; tneE oS hev Ts
VI '~
81 Course he board which make. these selections
viii orr from time to time this being siLIp.y an
other method Of stating that they are hu'nm' 9n,.
nj, h. as bad NJ II II had ali been left 10 chance ana
when they do not orr the result. WI ue Fo!Sy
pch be,cr ,han tne icast good OF those that
ara left in but II IL safe N say ma w " od II
WIN never be pa, T sr, a s ehanc" the
tervention OF lntelleercc ann "a, hs Ieas. A.
nr',ha leas- At The ne, result Will represent
a very great improvement
INCREASE or PAY.
Tn,rd-In providing for the rearranse" e.' =.
salaries II has been necessary TO nahN Az "a =.
in The amount paid by tho Government 10 W.. ~
c.rs ~ ,hs new line az II viii be when the o.d INC
and engineer. are united INTO ona. Pa't OF me ~
crease Is due to the fact tina; we proV'ue NC 90
d,,ioral officers imoe-at!yc,y called for by te n,e.s
OF the Navy. We have n9t smouS ssro ono
- them are laid up IN ordinary n, nSt '..,saips
that go TO painfully shoii OF the" coN'P'~
Furthermore. the pay OF NJ o"Gers mas y, ,ps
graded 40 as 10 N ke u eqna 70 Wv eryrared N
similar duties At present ne HE OF me say o ~
the most poorly pad hra ~, a 81 nortornId and
fho responsibilities involved II !s aiihlu 20 800
below the paJ Of AL similar 20, cr y, me
crnment the scanty salaries OK nor men 20 o.. ~
yaioT enersy ana g Gns 1'e ~. IN. SS are I'D
at G" much higher than the m ofGeT. a ,ni
n .ne 80 des,rnbl. to raise IN. pay OF the Old
line officers rather than TO diminish te pay VI Inv
'' All TIA, pa, been don. 70 TO eauaze matters by
syPs ne G @sr S s ne ne PAY xn ~" hs
anomalies IN the navy nrs gro;esaie ,o Oli OF ~.
given hn go into -. iin~'he men OUT q Wton We
arc to make tho Perrys. Foo,e. and Hun OF ,nc
who take charge o; 'hs marine. are pa.a NOR ara
mos, Of all q paid TO nost .h' .Sg A. In ono 20
~ tte onlces OF the Savy Department At present
her. is or duty rradaa,e o, ,Ana5"P99 . q ;ns
funor assistant constructors. also on shore ~ :.
!. hi. ocsTs son 1'G S issG hi. aesr srsd
uaied They will both receive raise % pay next
year. and their raies OF pay will then be precisely
VIZ In H.. Department, here Mt wa-hins,on one o.
,ne v.er, ago On. OF tho assistants who
IL In the Constru euon Department graduated SIX
sH who was his Instructor at the Academy during
ihe period that he var there Mos, emph ancAI y
ANY o. tho other officers. but those o. The line
officer should be raised II mus be rsine.nperea
greater calls made uron them " Len our AhIp' are
abroad. OF when foreign snips are N Io'o; onr
esh ~ sn,.r,aiuing in the way that II should
Ie done though st forms very serious drain upon
their slender TuTscr
GRADE OF COMMODORE ABOLISHED.
The trade Of commodore is abolished. save FOR
the special temporary purposes o. command OF a
small squadron ant the chIcishp o. bureau To
send one o. our fleets abroai with II commodore
IN command. as Is now frequently done. OF neces-
s,,y means tha; We put the American commander
IN n position o. nieriority In point o. rank TO the
commander OF every European feet which he en-
counters and this certainly shoul1 not b" zone
fourih -Thc Board has sought TO raise the stand
ard Of the enlisted men IN Two ways. IT. ne tirst
place We have. A. above Outlined poVIGcd iot war
rant officers among The mach nists who totn so
consiferaLls portion OF thu ships crews This is
r~1orm VIII. n has just been adopted IN the British
In ne
a. rcxards retren"l' ard pens. on upon the raj ors
ieng.hering a. tE- sam, time the period o; cnlis'-
ment OF late years the DEPARTMENT has steadily
coughs, and with "A constantly incrcasin. measure
~ srccess TO raise tie tone @. tho enlisted mcn.
Year by year the percentage OF the native. BON
Gov. larger while the number OF those Hho ara
neiher native bonn nor naturalized Is being grad
uay eliminated. The character OF The enlisted men
,,ncs OF crisis is improving steadily. The appien-
ice syysiv worth While Tor the Government to at
traci 10 the fervicc. and 10 keep In 1t, the very
best matera, The men VINO are boi neS Sb o.
the Navy as their lie career ana the warthp rs
their sea IN WON nn, n@o snS O. who
grow 10 handle the great guns ana the complicated
e"iab,ishment OF the grade OF warran Officers We
have ncld out the chance o. 5000 emotion ana
eli alike who DO their duty faithfully We shout
nroyidc a proper pension and proper chance for re-
iremcnt.
REVIVAL OF MIDSEIPMEN.
r,,t,,-Th, only other change OF importance in the
h,u Is TINT which provides for a four years tern
for the cadets restoring to them their ancient anc
.nnropr.ste tito OF 'mids hipmen'-a title connect
cd with the Navy by n century's honorable use
and one which by mmemorial association has come
10 havo a meaning in the service such as cthho
,,, o,,act m the word cadet" Tho bill pro
proscs "a dc away with the two years term o. snr
Vice after graduation before appointment, Ih'
49,, ma iorGy of tho naval officers consulted heart
H. n yor this proposition They state that az pres
n45, he Young fellows who are Oh their TWO years
en-, w, S,er eayng Anna polls do not get the benc
NJ OF thai cruise because they are absorbed IN pre-
pa i"s "a, tbcy will learn their duties far NOR
nmckiv and better and will more rapidly 6ecoW !,
11rac,icaI sea officers II they are only required &c
pc a ,bn necessary pedagogc examination AZ ~
end of the four years term in the INSTITUTION b fdon
~ ether oficcrs IN the service. Al present mere
oractically no wedding out b. these examination on
y. 10, The Two years AT sea Is In no sense pro
no t,nnnry period and all that Is gained Is that our