The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
MEETS With OPPOSITION
A Fight on the Revenue Cutter
Service Bill in the House.
The Proposal to Give the Officers Al
most Equal Rank With Those in
The Navy Attacked by Mr.. Mann
Danger Forcseen in the Precc-
dent of Pensioning Civil Employees.

ueht OF fehsionius civil Employees.
The advocates and opponents of the bill
for the reorganization of tie 4evenue Cut
ter Service yesterday in the House began
their warfare, which promises to wage at
length strong opposition to the kill
was evident, and some strong denuncia-
ton of he service as it now is was in
dulged in by members. Representative
Mann delivered quite lengthy philippe
against what he considered the abuses
likely to come in the train CT a reorgani-
zation such as was recommended by the
committee, and he was not alone in the
opinions he held.
The bill provides for the organization of
the service with captains. first. second an
third lieutenants, captains of engineers,
chief engineers, and first and second as
sistant engineers. Captains and lieuten-
ants, according to their grade. are to be
OF the same rank as officers of similar
name in the navy, taking rank however
Just below naval officers when the two
happen to come in conflict
A provision for retiring at two-thirds
pay, included in the BILL brought about
the greatest discussion because il was
feared that it would prove an entering
Wedge for civil pension list, which could
be logically developed in all civil DEPART
ments of the Government. since the Reeve
nue. Cutter Servi- e is considered to lie part
of the civil service being under the Sec
rotary of the Treasury.
Mr.. Hepburn called up the bill, and Mr.
Sherman explained its features He said
that the Revenue Cutter Service was
under the Secretary of the Treasury, and
was in existence for some time before the
navy was created. The men in it were
specially educated to the service. Never
theless. at present the officers in the
Revenue Service were much lower in rank
than the officers in the navy. The bill
under consideration was intended to cor
rect this in some degree. II was intended
TO give the officers of the Revenue Service
the same rank as those Of similar title in
the navy, ranking next after. when a navy
and revenue officer of same title should |
be together. The proposition to place the
service under the navy had been rejected
several times.
Mr. Sherman pointed out that the Rev |
enue Cutter Service was extremely active |
during peace and that it was always called |
upon to assist the navy in time OF war
Mr.. Scudder of New York made a |
speech in which he attempted to prove !
that the members of the Revenue Cutter |
Service are in the military and naval es- |
tablishment rather than the civil branch |
He desired. he said, to explain away any
fear that the pension and retirement pro-
visions in the bill would be taken advan-
tage of to create a civil pension list.
Mr.. Mann vigorously attacked the meas
ure. saying that as a rule the Revenue
Service men knew as much about seaman
ship and fighting as the mates and cap
tains of the coasting vessels.
Under the provisions of the BILL he |
said, AN incompetent captain of the Rev
enue Service would be able TO command a
highly trained naval lieutenant More
over, you are proposing to give more pay
to these newly promoted officers when
they are retired than they are getting for
active service now. Further, IL will be
possible for men in the service to be re-
tired at forty-fve right in the prime of
life, with captains pay. If this law
should go into effect twenty-six out of
twenty-seven captains in the service
would be retired next year. and all first
ieutenants and one second lieutenant be
made captains. None of the captains in
the Revenue Cutter Service would have
within five years of the same amount of
service as the captains in the navy. The
increase in pay for the service under the
new bill will be about $3.50 GEO for the re- ;
ired list and about $1,000 for the active
list. The corridors of the House have
1een har-ted by the men who would be
benefited by this bill. If you start sys-
EN- OF retirement by pension in this SER
vice you will have TO carry it all through ;
he civil service of all the Government :
departments.
The service which the men in the Rev
,nue Cutter Service are said to do, if we
ire to believe the report which the COM
nittee makes, is most adventurous, ar Z
luous, and requires the utmost bravery. :
The report says many things about their ,
having to get up at midnight. turn out of ,
heir berths half clad. and hurry at the
'isk of their lives to the assistance of ,
vessels. They are supposed to
.long the Maine coast and the horrors of
ne tropics at Florida, and for this il is
aid they should be rewarded.
Now l want TO say that this is all the
yrossest exaggeration. The Revenue Cut
er Service does not issue a report every
'ear; perhaps il is afraid to. / have in '
ny hand the last-for the year 1897. In it
he Secretary of the Treasury makes J
,reat claim for the value OF the service !
md gives great figures OF the amount of
property it has saved. He makes it out {
o be a wonderful preserver Of the safety !
4 the merchant marine.
Let me show you by quotations from
he book itself that the revenue cutters
,ouId hardly be said to have ever saved
ANYTHING Here is the case of a st am
schooner. which ran aground in river
mouth on the coast of Florida. With !
,reat despatch the revenue cutter goes Z
o its assistance. finds already there tug
IF some sort, throws rope to the tug. :
md the two pull the vessel off the shoal-
The boat proceeds to its destination and
he Secretary of the Treasury puts down
n the report that, by the prompt action
II the Revenue Cutter Service, $iCO,C00-
he value Of the ship and cargo-wGs say
ID. There are many other examples OF ,
similar nature that l could quote from
his same report.
There is not much bravery in that; ,
md about the only brave act that can
.redit TO the members OF the Revenue
Gutter Service is that cruise Of the reye-
Tue cutter Bear 10 relieve the imprison- ,
ID whalers in the Behring Sea. Yet that
las been so much traded upon by the adj ,
Yocates of the Revenue Cutter Service ,
hat it is now at discount. The mem :
,ers Of this House themselves discount ,
ID It when they failed to pass a resolu- :
ion presented TO the last Congress, for :
striking medals TO be given to the crew (
ind officers OF the Bear" :
Mr. Mann's remarks were interrupted
by the arrival of the hour for eulogies,
md he asked leave TO extend his remarks ,