The Washington times., 1902-12-10
BONUS OFFERED NAVAL
CAPTAINS TO RETIRE
Peculiar Provision of Per
sonnel Bill Discovered.
LAW MAY BE SUSPENDED
Nearly Seventy Officers on Active List
Could Quit Service as
Rear AdmiraIs.

Officers Of the naval service are anx-
iously awaiting the decision Of the Court
Of Claims in the case submitted by Rear
Admiral William c. Gibson. who held
that while on the retired list he was en-
titled to three-fourths Of the pay allow
ed major general. rather than three
fourths Of that received by a brigadier
general
Rear Admiral Gibson retired from ae-
tive service about thirty months ago
while holding the rank Of captain. AS
a veteran Of the civil war he was en-
titled TO retire with the rank and three
quarters Of the pay OF the next higher
grade. which was that Of rear admiral.
The naval personnel law Of March ?.
1899. distinctly provided for eighteen rear
admirals on the active list: Provided.
That each rear admiral embraced in the
nine lower numbers Of that grade shall
receive The same pay and allowances as
arc now allowed a brlgadIer general in
the army"
Seventy on List.
Il Is claimed by the counsel Of Ad-
miral Gibson that the only admirals IN
the navy who shall receive the pay Of q
brigadier general are embraced in the
nine lower numbers on the active list.
a favorable decision in regard to the
contention OF Admiral Gibson will be
tar-reaching I'm its effect Nearly all the
seventy captains on the active list per.
formed service in the civil war and
have been forty. years in the naval ser
vice. Practically every one Of them
could therefore have the opportunity O..
retiring as a rear admiral and wouId
thus receive S5.625 per year. The paw
and allowance Of a captain in the navy
when doing shore duty practically
AMOUNTS TO about S4. 60O By going or
the retired list, therefore. each captain
would practically receive bonus a..
Yl'VVV more pay each year on the re-
ured than he received when doing dutv
on the active list.
such action, h is claimed. was never
contemplated by the trainers Of the ner-
sonnci law, and II the Court Of Clains
gives a favorable decision. IL is feared
tAeTe VIII be decided hocking of can
lalhs 20 the retired list II would seem
rather strange That while the great
scarcity Of naval officers exists there
should be wholesale application for vol
untary retirement upon the part Of on
GERS such officers coatend. however. that
the claims Of their families are entitled
10 consideration, and that they will be
simply taking advantage OF existing law.
Congress Action Probable.
II is certain that heroic remedies win
be taken to prevent such a state Of ar
fairs. II is extremely probable that a
concurrent or joint resolution will be
pushed through the Congress suspending
every retirement feature Of the personnel
law TO prevent such wholesale action.
Those who retire before the decision Of
the Court OF Claims Is given cannot have
their pay touched. for IL is not likely that
any retroactive measures will be taken
IL rs highly improbable that any law will
be permitted 10 remain on the statute
books allowing any officer on the retired
list 20 receive about 20 per cent more
pay than when doing duty on the active
list.
The naval personnel bill offered a,
great many surprises, but this latest
claim Is, in some respects, the most start
ling. and will certainly compel the Naval
Committees OF both Houses to give espe-
cial consideration to the question Of re-
pealirg some OF the exceedingly generous
provisions that now prevail in regard to
naval Fetirements