The times., 1899-02-05

under military discipline and ready for
use in time of war"
During the Fifty-third Congress the
House unanimously passed a bill to trans
/ fer the Revenue Marine Service from the
| Treasury TO the Navy Department. The
bin was reported favorably by the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs. but was de-
| feated by those Senators who opposed the
transfer
No Provision for Retirement
The service at present is composed OF
222 commissioned officers upon che active
| list and Sl5 enlisted men. Under the law
as it now stands. should an officer become
disabled his place cannot be filled by pro-
| motion, but he must be continued upon
the active list. no matter what the neces-
sites of the service may be.
The annual report of the Secretary of
| the Treasury for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1895. contains the following:
There is no branch Of the public service which.
IN time Ot peace requires such ntiEugu-, labor
IouS and hazardous services a. this. nor is there
any other branch in which the compensation is 50
inadequate IN comparison witIthe character and
extent OF the work performed The duties i'm
posed upon the officers engaged in this service
often subject them to great exposure and hard
ship and require the exercise a high order
OF skill and discretion, and il Is therefore OF the
hrst Importance that the mental and physical
qualifications Of the force should not he i'm
paired by the retention OF old inirm, OF other
wise disabled members. The simple power. which
now exists, TO place an officer waiting
orders but with no authority To fill his place
on the active list by promotion, Is sufficient
to preserve the efficiency of the scrvicn, and
les further legislation Is granted the injurious
effects Ui the present - stem will be severely
elt
The report of the Committee on Com
merce on the bill introduced by Senator
Frye contains many strong arguments in
favor of its enactment. II is held that the
Revenue Cutter Service is purely techni-
cal service and that no person NOT trained
in the technical profession of the sea can
hold a commission in the corps That the
service is part of the armed force of the
country and its officers devote their lives
TO The public welfare. Its officers and men
may be called upon at any time 10 peril
| their lives. The cutters are detailed TO
cruise along the coast during the most in
clement season of the year 10 afford aid
TO distressed navigators. Its vessels are
armed cruisers, ofiicered by men bearing
the commissions (uuder military titlesl of
the President. by and with the advice and
| consent OF the Senate and manned by duly
enlisted men; its officers and crews are
uniformed in accordance with regulations
prescribed by the department; naval dis
cipline and routine prevail on board OF
all its ships: the officers and crews are
required TO be proficient in naval drills
and TO possess practical knowledge of
the use of arms: all these things are mill
tary.
The service is required by law not only
TO aid in the protection of the revenue. but
TO enforce nearly every statute affecting
the maritime interests of the country. BY
acts of Congress the service is required
to aid in the suppression of piracy, in the
enforcement of the quarantine laws. and
in preventing the violation of the neu-
trality laws. TO suppress mutinies on board
merchant vessels and to use the armament
OF their ships and force on board, when
necessary, to bring vessels to for exam
inaton.
In patrolling the coast, inspecting incom-
ing vessels in order to prevent the intro
duction of yellow fever. i'll life saving and
property saving the cutters are always
busy.
Service During the War.
The President may by simple order re-
qure the service to cooperate with The
navy. During the late war nearly all of
the serviceable cutters were turned over 10
the War Department as auxiliary cruisers.
The rescua of the torpedo boat by the reve-
nue. cutter Hudson when Ensign Bagley
was killed is but leaf from the annals
of the Revenue Marine Service. The his
tory of the service. as set forth In the re-
port. shows its thorough military charac-
ter as follows:
II was organized under the provisions OF the
act of August 1. 1890, and in the act approved
March -, I79i, providing for naval armament.