Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-15
A BOARD OF SELECTION
ACTION TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE
WITH PERSONNEL ACT.
Secretary Longs Letter to the Chief
of the Navigation
Bureau.

In pursuance of the provisions of the
personnel act, the Secretary of the Navy
has ordered board OF selection for retire.
ment to meet at the Navy Department next
Monday morning for the purpose OF select
ing for retirement. in accordance with the
requirements of law. two officers IN the
grade of lieutenant. The board is COM
posed of Rear Adrairals ]. A. Howell, Sllas
Casey, ]. w. Philip, F. ]. Higgnson and
G. W. Sumner. with Lieutenant Commander
Henry McCrea as recorder.
TT shall be the duty of the board says
the order constituting it. without preju-
dice or Partially, and having in view solely
the special fitness Of officers and the eff1-
cheney of the naval service, to examine as
far as the proper performance OF It's duties
require, the service and medical records on
file in the Navy Department of all oncerS
in the grade of lieutenant which records,
or such of them may be necessary. are
at the disposal of the board lnasmuch
as the retirement of two lieutenants VIII,
in the present condition of the navy list
meet the requirements OF law SO iar as
the current fiscal year Is concerned. tne
board will find it unnecessary to examine
the records of officers in other grades
Policy of the Department..
The policy of the Navy Department in the
matter of compulsory retirements, as indl-
Gated by the appointment of the board OF
selection for retirement is announced in
letter written by Secretary Long to the
chief of the bureau Of navigation, in which
he says:
The questions presented in the bureaus
memorandum CT the Both ultimo relative
to retirementS under section OF the act
ITO reorganize and increase the efficiency
of the personnel of the navy and marine
CORPS Of the United States" approved
March 3. 1899. have received the depart
ment's attention.
1t appears that 1.-The average vacancies
for the fiscal year subsequent to the pass
age" of the act above cited. above the
grades of commander, lieutenant command
er lieutenant and lieutenant Junior grade),
respectively, have been less than the num-
beers prescribed in section = of the act,
and that after the close of the fiscal year
1899 and up to the date of the bureau S
memorandum the following vacancies had
occurred in the active list of the line OF
the navy:
Above the grade of commander. II: above
the grade of lieutenant commander, IL;
above the grade of lieutenant, IS: above the
grade of lieutenant Junior grade), ID
Vacancies to Be Created.
Under the foregoing conditions 1.-The Pres
ident NAV in the order of the rank of the
applicants, place a sufficient number upon
the retired list to cause thirteen vacancies
above the grade of commander for TINS rs
cal year. The senior two officers In the
grade of captain on the list of those who
have made application for voluntary fetlre-
ment, may in the order of their rank be
accordingly retired under the provisions OF
section $ of the personnel act
Adding the two vacancies to be thus crea-
ted by voluntary retirement to the sixteen
occurring during the current hscai year,
gives as the number of vacancies above the
grade of lieutenant commander, eighteen
In order to cause the twenty vacancies
above the grade of lieutenant commander
authorized by section s, the senior two Of
ficers in the grade of commander who have
made application for voluntary retirement
may, in the order Of their rank, be SO re-
tired
Adding to the eighteen vacancies above
the grade of lieutenant, shown by the bu-
reau's memorandum to have occurred dur
ing the current fiscal year. the four add
tional vacancies to be caused as above set
forth by voluntary retirement gives as the
number of vacancies above the grade OF
lieutenant, twenty-five. In order TO cause
the tWcnty-nine vacancies above the grade
of lieutenant authorized by section of the
personnel act" seven officers in the grade
of lieutenant commander from the list of
those who have made application for vol
untdry retirement may, IN the order OF
their rank, be retired.
Retlrements Compulsory.
Adding to the twenty-five vacancies given
in the bureaus memorandum as having oc-
CURED during the'current fiscal year above
the grade of lieutenant Gunior grade). those
recently caused by the death of Lieuts.
Elliott and TisjiaIe and the eleven vacan-
cies to be occasioned by voluntary retire
ments as hereinbefore set forth gives as
the number of vacancies for this fiscal year