The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-25

the manufacture of hundreds Of articles
of everyday USE
mo doubt is entertained as to the abil-
ity of the Three Rivers cotton mills to
successfully compete with those already
existing in Canada. There are now
thousands of people from the Three Riv-
ers district employed in the New England
cotton mills who would be only too glad
to come back to their native land were
they guaranteed steady employment and
good wages. These operatives are among
the most industrious, skillful and con-
scientious in the world"
The senate and house committees on
naval affairs now have under considera-
ton q bill providing that all officers of
the navy with creditable records who
served during the
To Advance Civil war and who
NAVY Officers, were placed on the
retired list prior to
March 3, 1899, shall be advanced on the
retired list from said date to the rank of
the next higher grade, and all commits
stoned officers of the navy with creditable
records who served during the Civil war
and who were placed on the retired list
prior to June 80, '99, shall receive the same
pay from said date as the officers of the
same rank who have been retired since
the date named, provided that nothing
shall operate to reduce the pay Of any Of
ficer now on the retired list of the navy.
1t appears that about 200 officers will
be affected by this act 1t is designed to
remedy a gross injustice, by which junior
officers were given rank and pay higher
than their seniors. 1t is matter which
has caused much agitation in naval cir,
cles A distinguished naval officer states
the case as follows
by the Personnel bill of March 8, as
reported by both houses, 1t was evident.
~ the intention OF congress to place al
commissioned officers Of the navy on the
same footing IN regard to pay, and allow
ances, except forage, as officers of cor
responding rank in the army. This OBJ
iect was partially defeated by the con-
ferees injecting into the bill new legis-
lation.
while the bill was being considered by
the conference committee the proviso was
added that nothing in the act should OPP
crate to Increase or reduce the pay of
any officer then on the retired list This
change drew an invidious distinction, not
only between the retired officers of the
navy and those of corresponding rank in
the army, but between the older retired
officers of the navy and their juniors re-
tired under the operation of the bill
Reported during the last hours Of the
session, the retired officers and their
friends had no opportunity to be heard
upon the bill containing this unintention-
ally unjust discrimination 1t is believed if
a hearing by the respective naval COM
mittees be accorded the representatives
of the retired officers, the latter will be
able to establish the justice OF
their grievance and secure through
congress its prompt redress. The
officers transferred to the retired
list of the navy prior to the pas
sage of the Personnel bill simply ask that
the stigma debarring them from the con-
sideration extended by the bill to their
Juniors be removed, that they be placed
upon the same footing in regard to rank
and pay as those officers retired by the
operation Of the act, and that this meas
ure of justice may be made to date from
the time the proviso complained of tooa
effect namely, March 8, 1899. The Older
retired officers are moved to make this
appeal:
First, because 1t is not to be believed
that congress intended to cast this slight
upon body of officers in good standing
Second, because the redress asked for is
not perpetual in extent. 1t is of tempo
rary character, as in the ordinary course
of nature the class of officers affected
will in a few years have passed away,