The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-30
FOR REVENUE CUTTER MEN.
Savannah to send Strong IndOrse'
ment of Their Bill to Congress.


ment of Their Bill to Congress.
Savannah will send to Congress a
strong endorsement of the Revenue
Cutter Service bill which will come be-
fore the Commerce Committee of the
House tomorrow. The Board of
Trade passed resolutions yesterday ap-
proving the bill. The Cotton Ex-
change will add its Endorsement and
the City Council will take similar
action at It's next meeting. The Morn
ing News has editorially endorsed the
bill.
The resolutions adopted by the
Board of Trade are as follows:
Whereas, The Board of Trade of the
city of Savannah, state of Georgia, be-
lieving that the passage of the bill,
Senate 1925 and House of Representa-
tives 1896 to promote the efficiency of
the Revenue Cutter Service, is a just
measure and calculated to increase the
efficiency of the public service and to
relieve Service which has long been
Disseminated against, therefore be 1t
Resolved, That this board is heartily in
sympathy with the proposed legislation
and urgently petitions the Senators
and Representatives in Congress, from
this state, to give S. 1925 and H. r. 5796
their active support, to the end that
the measure may be enacted into law. ;"
The bill has been favorably reported
to the Senate by the Committee on
Commerce and there Is every assur-
ance that 1t will be passed by that
body. Nearly all of the boards of trade
and commercial exchanges in the coun-
try have passed resolutions asking
their congressman and senators to give
the bill their support. In this legis-
lation, 1t is claimed, a measure Of
justice, long deferred, will be given
to a deserving service. Organized in
1880 1t formed at that time the armed
marine defense of the country. The
officers have always had military rank
and the discipline and training have
made the service an efficient one in
time of war The cutters McCulloch
with Admiral Dewey at Manila per-
formed efficient service as fleet dis
patch boat, and her commanding off,
Ger. Capt. d. B. Hodgsdon was COM
plimented by the Admiral and was,
by special act of Congress, retired
with the rank and pay of his grade.
This was a simple act of justice and
every other officer of the McCulloch
or of the service, 1t is claimed, is just
as much entitled to consideration.
The cutter Manning, under the COM
mand of Capt. Munger, was in active
duty in the blockade off Cuba, and with
the Window and Hamilton, engaged
the shore batteries on several occa-
sions The Hudson, under command
of the fearless and gallant Lieut.. New
comb, rescued the Winslow from cer-
tain destruction while exposed to the
same CALLING fire that had killed half
the crew of the latter vessel and the
death of the only officer killed in action
through the war with Spain.
Those who contend that this service
is a branch of the civil service, it is ar
gued are lily Informed. Section 1857,
Revised Statutes, says: THE revenue
cutters shall. whenever the President
so directs. cooperate with the navy,
and the expenses thereof shall be de-
frayed by the Navy Department" No
branch of the civil service is called
upon to take up arms against an en-
envy. The record of the service is an
honorable one in peace, as well as in
war. One of the latest achievements
was the relief of the whaling vessels
in the winter of 1913. The officers Of
this service made an overland trip from
ST. Michaels to Point Barrow, Alaska,
a distance of 100 miles, over Arctic
snow and ice, in the dead of winter,
and the supplies, hauled on dog sleds,
were the means of preventing starva-
ton of the imprisoned crews. Explor-
ers going to these sections in the sum-
mer, erecting houses and shelter. and
passing the winter, are read of, but this
was the first time that an overland
expedition, the members exposed to
the rigors of climate, with no house
or camp for protection, was ever I'M
dertaken, and what is more, carried
to a successful end, in the dead of
winter.