The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-30
BLISS FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
COntinued from First Page.

great bureaus in the navy department
have the pay and relative rank of rear
admtrais, so the active list has really
twenty-four men upon it,
There are no less than thirty-six retired
rear admirals At the head of them
stands Thomas 0. Sefrldge, who entered
the navy on Jan. !, 1915 when he was IA
years old, as a midshpman and served
until April "A, 1866. This remarkable old
sea dog remembers when the frigate of
a few hundred tons was the grandest
fighting machine that the American navy
possessed From the time he first drew
pay from the treasury until he quit ac-
tive service he saw every step of the
development from the type of vessel
which won the great naval victories of
the Revolutionary and War of 1872 to the
beginning of the modern steel navy, as
typihed by the ironclads which did such
great service toward the end of the Civil
War Although he is 96 years DID, the
old Admiral still takes great interest in
naval affairs, and one of the wishes he
has expressed within the past few years
was that his physical condition would
permit him to take command of a mod
ern battleship. even IL only for few
days. Roger N. Stembel, the next oldest
retired admiral, entered the navy In 1882.
and was retired after forty years of ac-
tive service.
The other thirty-four retired flag off,
GERS are youths compared with those vet
Grams. one of the younger of them Is
Thomas o. Selfrldge, Jr. He is a SON
of the dean of the retired list of the navy.
He reached the age limit over two years
ago When he hauled down the two star
red flag the most remarkable fact In the
history of the navy took place. 1t was
that of father and son both being on the
retired list in the same grade. The elder
Sefridge entered in 1878, and the younger
in 1851 There is another Selfrldge, a
NJ Of "a ptdpr Admiral who is a
commander i'm the navy, and one OF his
sons is a cadet at Annapolis.
How the Pay Increases.
The Congressman, who had commented
upon the size of the retired list, called
attention TO the fact that while the ordi-
nary man is struggling along trying TO
get a competence for his old age, the
army and navy officer is taking life ex-
ceptionally easy. The least, a second
lieutenant in the army earns, Is 81 400 a
year He gets that from the time he
graduates when he is q or % years old,
until he becomes a first lieutenant, when
he receives an Increase OF $500. His next
increase when he becomes a captain, Is
also $500 When he reaches his majority
the jump is 800. When he becomes "a
lieutenant colonel, the increase is $500,
and an equal increase comes when he
becomes a colonel. That grade being
reached, he becomes the critical part of
selection and not by seniority. Unless
the Colonel impresses himself upon the
President, he is liable to remain colonel
for the rest of his days, and go upon the
retired list as an officer In that grade.
But even If that misfortune be-
falls him, he Is much luckier
than the average man who has
spent his life in business and
lent his best thoughts and endeavors to
save enough money to keep him out of the
poor house when he is no longer able to
work In addition 10 his salary, each five
years spent in any one grade gives the
officer an increase of 10 per cent of hts
salary. That Is what is known as long
evity pay. If he has served twenty years
as a colonel from the time he has been
put on the retired list, he gets $3.50 plus
40 per cent. of that sum, making q total
of S.. 900 a year. If he has served twenty
years as colonel when he is retired his
pay is $3.50. Most men would be very
glad 10 retire from business at the age
of GA with an insured income
of $3.50 per annum. All an
officer in the army navy needs
TO do to earn such comfortable annuity
is to behave himself and preserve his
health, and by doing the former he Is IL
able to do the latter. And that is what
causes the average congressman 20 fling
rocks, oratoricaly, of course, at the army
officers who ask promotions and increase
of pay.