The San Francisco call., 1899-10-07
ENGINEERS ARE
NOW Up IN ARMS
Object to the Personnel
Law of the Navy.
RESERVATIONS THREATENED
LINE OFFICERS ARE SHOWN
THE PREFERENCE.
Engineers Claim That the Ruling of
the Secretary Does Not Follow
the Intent Of the
Law.
RESERVATIONS THREATENED
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CALL HEADQUARTERS YELLING
TON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, Oct. g.
The operation of the new personnel law of
the navy, which went into effect on July
l last, does not meet with the approval
of a large number of the former engineer
officers. One able member of that corps
has already resigned, and others are likely
to follow. The Engineer Corps, it will be
remembered, was merged with the line
corps, taking rank with the latter, and
the Engineer Corps has ceased to exist.
The duties hitherto performed on board
ship and ashore by engineer officers solely
will in the course of time be distributed
among officers who, without being spe-
cialists, show an aptitude and preference
for such service. In other words, 1t will
be attempted to make the line officer fit
for all-around duty on deck and in the
engine-room, and there are already mis-
givings as to the practical working Of
this plan.
OF the 10 officers of the defunct Engin
eer Corps there were on July l ten who
became captains and sixteen ranking as
commanders. The average ages of these
two grades were so and Sc years, respect
lively; their tour of sea duty has termin-
ated, and they will henceforth perform
engineer duty on shore only. Twenty
eight lieutenant commanders of 49 years
average age are to perform engineer duty
for general duties of the line by examina-
ton, in which latter event they Will be
eligible for command and other duties or
the line. Next follows forty-five lieuten-
ants, of which the first twenty-five aver
age 43 years and the other twenty about
40 years, who are IN the same category as
the lieutenant commanders. SeVenty.one
lieutenants of the two grades and enslgns
are slated to perform line duty, put are
required to qualify by examination Tor
such duty after March g. 1901.
nrHnr n NaN-V
Department formulates and defines the
duties of former engineer oftcers, and
also those of the warrant machnistS, or
which latter corps OF one hundred war
rant officers is in course of formation. A
certain number of the former engineer
officers, embracing seventy-three lieuten-
in arms against the new law, claiming
that the Secretary's ruling is contrary
to the intent of Congress. The Secretary
has already issued orders to about thirty
of these officers to prepare for sea. duty
and for a course of instruction in line
work 1t Is evident that none of the lieu
tenant commanders and at least twenty
five of the lieutenants are suited for such
change of work, and that it will simply
be waste of time for men on the shady
side of 40 to attempt to learn a new pro-
fesson. On the other hand, no line officer
has as yet been ordered to qualify for en-
gineering duty, but upward of seventy of
the recently appointed warrant machinists
have been assigned TO ships and will per-
engineer officers. The line officers are evil
IDENTIFY getting even with the former en-
gineers for the latter's assurance to de-
mand positive rank, and the Bureau of
Navigation is doing some artistic Italian
work. The engineers were only after the
rank of line officers, but did not wish TO
perform the duties of line officers. Much
against the wishes of the greater number.
they are now forced to go through a
course of line duty instruction, for which
they have no taste, and failing in the
qualifying eXamination-wnich the major
ity are sure to do-their position is some
what humiliating.
1t has always been contended by the ma
iority of line officers that the duties of a
high priced and highly scientific officer on
board ship could be equally well per-
formed by a warrant engineer at 800 per
month. This is now being done, and
places the scientific commissioned en-
gineer officer on level with the warrant
machnist 1t would appear as If the
whilom engineers made a bad bargain
when they bartered their substantial ex-
istence as special corps for the empty
honor of military titles. AS for the war
rant machinists corps, composed Of prac-
teal engineers competent to care for and
to run and repair their engines, it is only
q matter of q few years when it will
clamor for commissions as regular officers
in the navy, and it is sure to succeed just
as the recent engineer corps had pro-
gressed from plain ''greasers" to commits
stoned officers.