Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-04
CHAPLAINS IN NAVY
THEIR sA1AR9 AaD STANDING
DISCUSSED.
An Interesting Letter From Former
Secretary Long On ahe Complaint
of Unfair Treatment.

y v
The subject of the salary and standing OF
chaplains in the United States navy has
called forth an interesting letter from for
mer Secretary LonSs This letter was ad.
dressed to a naval chaplain who wrote to
Mr. Long concerning what he regarded as
unfair treatment. Mr.. Long says he does
not think 1t would be fitting for the clerical
profession in the navy to wear the full uni.
form Of a naval officer, including sword and
military buttons. tn
.tAs to pay" the former Secretary con-
tinues, there are many points in that re-
gard which have escaped your attention
The, question Of pay must depend some
what upon the usual considera ton Of supply
and demand and upon the rates paid for
like service outside Of the navy. For in
stance. in all our navy yards the rates OF
pay for skilled labor are based upon the
rates of pay of private establishments in
the neighborhood. Something of the same
principle necessarily applies to naval
officers.
Salaries in Civil Life.
with regard to chaplains, for instance,
1 should be glad to, have you advise me
what is the average pay Of ciergymen at
large throughout the United States, and
also what was the highest salary paid any
present naval chaplain prior to his appoint
ment. The pay of a chaplain Is now, as
you say s. 100 on shore and 81 500 at sea
after his first five years. Am wrong In
assuming that this Isl two or three times
the average salary of clergyman at large?
l believe 1t to be more-eSpecially counting
the retired pay for life. medical attendance
and some other matters-than the average
pay, not only of clergyHaen, but of teachers
some classes of judicial officers and many
other professions. We have in the navy
yards some Of the most sl1illful ma .ster me-
- a x,,f
pensation. We have "a numerous clerical
force of expert, skAlful. competent men,
some of them graduates of colleges, and
yet very few of them have 81, coo a year.
Nor do any of these classes have retirement
pay for life, which the corps of naval chap
lains has and which is a great pecuniary
return. This retired pay they have not
only after arriving at sixtytwo years of
age. but at; any time before that age If re-
tired for impaired health.
Comment on the Complaint
Il regret. therefore, that You should
speak of the present pay table as re-
Fiction upon naval chapiains and blow
at their self-respect.' 1t seems to me that
this is a frame of mind which is not to be
commended. Thelcharacter of the chaplain
and his self respect certainly do not depend
upon the question whether his salary is
somewhat more or less than that of other
officers, or whether It is paid on an un-
changing scale or on system Of longevity
Increases. If there were anything in his
position that is regarded as rejecting upon
him or his self-respect.- it would be inn
possible to account for the fact that the
department is overwhelmed with appIica-
lions for 1t. of which there are hundreds
on file. while the medical corps. which you
represent as better treated, has not been
full for years. In, thel1 corps of chaplains
1 have not known of a resignation from it
on the ground that the pay Is insufficient or
that the position impairs self-respect
Have you further-had in mind, both as
matter Of commensurate pay and as. at
fectfng thAtquestion f 'Self-fespect, thar
navy chaplains havs eeRsderably larger
salaries than the army scSapiafns who be-
gin with 81 ,S60. and aftertwenty years re-
ceiye a maximum of $3.50. while yours is
g.. S002 ;If.ahes dsssA&t .a1aSine Corps the
sea pay of a second lieutenant Is 81 400, a
first lieutenant 81 800. and captain 81 800;
a major 500. All fEhEH officers, even
with the five years 1eR&Akity increases,
which cannot pass beyond certain limit,
receive at the most iess-rha the sea pay
of chaplain. who has only one longevity
increase Moreover az the list now stands
many lieutepants EH never REACH the rank
of major, and some not even fiat of cap
tain, before their retirement,