New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-19
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
IFRoM THE TRIBUNE BuRnAu.l


Washington, December IS.
NAVAL APPRENTICE BOUNTY.-The Navy De-
partent will be obliged to obtain legislation which
VIII permit the Withholding OF bounty in the cases
OF apprentices who did not than six
months 6 year. The recent decision Of the Con-
troller to the effect that this bounty could
be withheld from the apprentices who had enlisted
with the understanding that they were to receive
$40 in clothing Those who were discharged for
disability ana other causes within six months have
been required to surrender the s45 and those who
were discharged after six months and within the
year We're required TO forfeit one-half the amount
men thus preI9atureIy leaving the service, II hav
ing been found that there is no law to exact the
naval regulations have been amended and instruc-
uons nave been given the navy paymasters not to
tees who leave the service within year after their
the full bounty Il they served one yeaT or one daV
me Nay Department authorities say that this is
a CONDITION which should not be allowed to exist.
hose wbo 6sv YOU'D al ead to the ri Of
the service within a year and obtain the bounty
This makes II necessary change the law so as to
practice for many that Of sng 16on the
refund Of the whole or part OF the bounty.
ARMOR NEEDED FOR sHrPs.-The Secretary
Of the Navy has invited bids to be opened on jan
uary z for furnishing for one battleship
and two arrnOred cruisers. proposals for the con-
Navy Department. The arnor for the battIeship
vii have q maximum thickness OF twelve inches,
belt Ss a i T be seven inches thickness within
arnored cruisers Includes main belt 32S feet long
and five inches thick. The turret arrnOr will be
inches thick. 1t is expected that the arTnor viii be
delivered at a rate of not less than four hundred
the sdpula ted time is imposed by the government
NAVY PAY CORPS PLACEs.-There are nuner-
Gus vacancies in the grade OF assistant paymaster
in the navy. and it is proposed that the exani-
nation OF candidates, which is likely be held the
later part Of January or early IN February, shall
dates who permitted to appear before the ex-
aiming board were designated by the President.
There are several hundred applications on file in
the bureau OF navigation and il is now proposed to
before the boards Of examination several of which
WILL nave to % convened 4 the competition is to be
that it would be to The advantage Of the service to
The examinations have increased in severity. and
II is proposed 10 maintain high standard Of
qualification.
NAVAL PAYMAsTERs TO AWARD CON-
TRACTs.-Navy Department officials have deter
mined to return to practically the old system OF
obtaining bids naval supplies and placing the
contracts through the naval pay officers
The recent decision OF the Controller to the
effect that there could be purchase in the open
market except in those cases where an emergency
existed. and as such a condition rarely existed
IL followed that the bulk Of the naval supplies
advertisements for biis and neV,sDaper 1ubIiclty
attached TO the making OF the contract. This led
plies and accounts from the naval ray Offices in
the principal cities where hitherto for many years
the work has been carried This change OF sys-
TEN resulted in q big increase in the volume Of
bidding at Washington, and this week no fewer than
as bids were received for contracts ranging from
few dollars in extent for unlnportant Items TO
So00 for large quantity Of aIchol required in the
making Of smokeless powder. Now It IS found
that the bidding such extensive scale will
involve the labor of additional clerks, and that
the mere opening Of bids entails the work Of four
five persons for period of twelve hours. 1t
required Two days this week TO get at all the bids
received. It mas become necessary TO make some
q
be the return to the system Of opening bids at the
naval offices. TO that end the Controller has de-
cided that while It is lawful to make pur-
chases in the open market except IN cases Of eneT
eency, Il Is possible to make contracts at the pay
Offices and that sending out invitations to few
firms, to give competition, viii be regarded
s the required publicity. Some Of the officials be-
leve that this IS mistake and that it limits bid
ding and leads 10 favOrltisID.
WIRELESS STATION AT SAN JUAN.-The Sec
rotary OF War has authorized the Navy Department
10 establish q wireless telegraph station on the
L. L.