Evening star., 1905-11-11

hygienic living and sleeping quarters to be
found under the sun. Even the New Eng
land housewife must throw up the sponge
when II comes to vying with the cleanliness
of housekeeping aboard ship. Moreover
the most scientific OF engineers install In
each new naval vessel the most advanced
systems Of ventilation and sanitation. Daily
each ship Is converted into floating ath-
letic field whereon the most health-produc-
ing exercises are compulsory. Thus 1t Is
seen that every imaginable provision IS
made for the buejackets physical welfare.
Compare him, then, with the land toiler of
equal wage who cannot afford new, or even
clean clothes, who probably must eat the
adulterated food of the small grocer shops,
must sleep in a dark, musty tenement room,
must neglect his cough because unable to
pay the doctor (or because afraid to go to
the free dispensary and be experimental on
by medical students), and who knows no
exercise except the swing of the pick or
lift of the spade
Jacks mental and moral health quite
as amply provided for Upon every ship
and in every station there is a carefully
selected library of classic literature and
reference books, the meanest of them far
more ample than that on which Abraham
Lincoln educated himself to become Presi-
dent of the United states. Then, TOO, each
ship and station has its chaplain, who not
only ministers to the spiritual wants of the
men. but serves as their schoolmaSter; and
what greater practical education could
young man have than a view at all of the
great ports of the world while he is yet
young and inquisitive? Thus, in addition TO
q doctors office, hospital, drug store, church
and gymnasium aboard each of our great
floating fortresses there is a free library
and several free schools.
Each sailor also enjoys retirement after
thirty years service, and in computing this
period service during the civil or Spanish
American war is counted in as double time.
AS soon as he faces actual warfare all sorts
of extra allowances are made. Not only the
victorious admiral, his captains and other
off the most humble of his
listed men is showered with prize money,
advancement in rank and pay, medals and
honors galore, also advanced rank on the
retired list And If the bluejacket fall in
battle his dependent family are PEN
stoned, his funeral expenses are paid and he
has a salute fired over his bones every
memorial day. If he is disabled he enjoys
q pension himself.
From Petty to Warrant Officer.
We lost track of our hustling chap wnen
he was Chief Petty officer Smith, at $40
per month, plus extras. His crowning am
btion is now TO become a warrant officer.
To bridge the gap before him he must take
care to step over the grade of mate
strangely anomalous class. bearing with IT
the rank neither of enlisted man nor officer,
but some of the advantages of each. The
mates are men who have served long and
faithfully petty officers who are held
to be worthy of something better than the
latStf. Dut VINO are yet barred from pio-
motion to the grade of warrant of1cer by
reason of age or otherwise. Their rating
to all intentS and purposes places them
with warrant officers, and 3 for their pay,
those appointed prior TO August, 1894 re-
ceiVe 81 200 at sea and $500 on shore, While
those appointed since that date receive only
$500 at sea and 500 on shore. In common
with warrant officers they receive quar-
ters" or Communication" thereof at S2i a
month, the same as alloWed-a Junior grade
lieutenant in the navy or a second heuten-
ant in the army or Marine Corps. Not
content with giving this betwiXt-and-be-
tween class the perquiSites of the commits
stoned officer, the navy allows them also
the 50 per month ration money of the en-
listed man. Then. again, their active serV-
ice being done, they enjoy the retirement
and pension privileges of commissioned ana
warrant officers for the remainder Of their
lives But as we said, hustling chap
does not want to be thus shelved. He Is
out after commission.
He becomes a warrant off1cer-a boat
swain, gamer, carpenter. Sailmaker, war
rant machinist or pharmacist, and his pay
ranges from 81 800 to 1,S00 per annum,
with commutation for quarters at Ss4 per
month and the regular fuel allowance when
on shore. When serving on shore, beyond
the limits of the states comprising the
Unon'-that is in Alaska, Porto REQ, Sa-
moa Hawaii or the Philippines-they real
iZe a 10 per cent increase in pay
Eight months and twenty-four days after
enlistment one man became warrant Off
Ger with the rank of hoaswain. Three
others became warrant inachinists IN less
than a year. Twenty-three others became
warrant officers of some grade or other IN
record cas- OF the gunners, more than
half have served as bluejackets under ten
years.
Warrant officers who have served six