Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-20
NAVAL OBSERVATORY
Senator Chambers Reorganization
Bill Reported.
ASTRONOMICAL FORCE SPECIFIED
Nautical Almanac to Come Under
Same Rules.
B GA RID OF VISITORS

Mr.. Chandler, from the committee on ma
val affairs. today reported favorably TO the
| Senate a bill introduced by him January 3
| providing for the reorganization of the ma
val observatory and providing for a board
of visitors
The bill is amended to provide that the
astronomical force shall be under the direc-
ton of the Secretary of the Navy and the
naval officer who may be detailed as super
intendent of the observatory. 1t is also
amended so that everything contained in
the bill providing for a board of visitors
| shall apply TO the Nautical Almanac office.
Astronomical Force.
The bill, amended, provides that the
permanent organization of the astronomical
force at the naval observatory. under the
direction of the Secretary of the Navy and
the naval officer who may be detailed as
superintendent, shall consist of an astro-
nomical director with an annual salary Of
$1,000; a first astronomer. with a salary Of
$1,000; a second astronomer, with a salary
OF 5000; a third astronomer, with salary
of S3..on; Il fourth astronomer, with a sal
ary o. S2,So1; first assistant astronomer,
with a salary Of S2,i00; second assistant
astronomer. with salary of 81 200; a third
assistant astronomer, with salary OF
S2,oOO, and such computers, clerks and other
employees to be hereafter authorized by law:
also that the astronomical director and the
four astronomers provided for in the act
shall be appointed from time to time as
they may be required to fill vacancies and
that hereafter there shall be no new ap-
pointmentS of professors of mathematics in
the navy for duty at the naval observatory.
Jhe astronomical director. the astronomers
and the assistant astronomers shall be ap-
pointed by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of The Senate.
There shall be appointed by the President,
by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, director of the Nautical Almanac,
who shall receive annual salary of
$1,000: Provided, however That the Presi-
dent may, in his discretion, defer making
this appointment 50 long as a professor of
mathematics is available for such position
of director. and all the provisions of the bill
providing Tor a board OF visitors shall ap-
ply to this Nautical Almanac office.
4 Board of Visitors.
There shall also be appointed by the
President from persons not officers of the
United States board of nine visitors to the
naval obsery atory, six to be astronomers of
high professional standing and three to be
eminent citizens of the United States.
Appointments to this board shall be made
for periods of three years, but provisions
shall be made by initial appointments for
shorter terms, so that two astronomers and
one member of the board not an aStrono-
mer shall retire in each year. Members of
this board shall serve without compensa-
ton, but the Secretary of the Navy shall
pay the actual expenses necessarily incur
red by members of the board in the dis
charge of such duties as are assigned TO
them by the Secretary of the Navy are
otherwise imposed upon them The board
of visitors shall make an annual visitation
the naval observatory at date to be
determined by the Secretary of the Navy.
and may make such other visitations not
exceeding two in number annually by the
full board or by a duly appointed commit
tee may be deemed needful or eXpedient
by a ma jority of the board.
The board shall report To the Secretary
of the Navy at least once in each year the
result of its examinations Of the naval OBJ
servatcry as respects the condition of build
ings, Instruments and apparatus. and the
efficiency with which its scientific work is
prosecuted. The board shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary of the Navy regu-
lationS prescribing the scope Of the aStro-
nomical and other researches Of the naval
observatory and the duties of its staff with
reference thereto When an appo.nIm5 mt or
detail is to be made to the office of aStrO-
noEnica1 director, director of the Nautical
Almanac, astronomer, or assistant astronp-
ner, the board of visitors may recommend
to the Secretary of the Navy a suitable
person to fill such office. hut such recon-
mendation shall be determined only by a
majority vote Of the members present at "A
regularly called meeting Of the board held
in the city of Washington.