Evening star., 1905-11-11

years as boatswains, gunners, carpenters
and sailmakers are commissioned chiet
boatswains. chief gunners. chief carpenters
and chief sailmakers, and are ranked with
but after ensign" This provision VIII
doubtless in time be extended to Include
warrant machinsts, comprising that conf
paratively new corps, established just be-
fore the Spanish war 10 provide engineers
for the navy when the former engineer
officers were consolidated with the line
officers. Nominaliy, the line officers OF the
navy are still assigned TO engineer duties
aboard ship, but in point Of fact these war
rant machinists are the men who are re-
sponsible for. who watch over and who
live in constant contact with the marvel
ously complicated machinery OF our moo-
ern fighting leviathans.
Chief warrant officers commence at s1,4O0
per annum. to which is added 10 per cent
for each five years service up to 40 per
cent In this estimate they are given
credit for any past service in the army,
navy or Marine Corps, and their pay there
fore, actually reaches 1890. TO which is
added a number of other extras. There is'
for instance. the 10 per cent Increase for
shore service outside the states, which
raises the total to s2,156 per annum Then
there are the quarters or allowance there
fore, at S24 per month, also the fuel allow
ance.
Another item is travelling expenses. CHIEF
warrant officers, warrant officers ana
mates, in common with commissioned
naval officers, receive cents per mile FOR
all travel under orders, including that 20
their homes on leave or back to duty. They
are being constantly transferred from one
station or squadron to another, from tue
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the United
States to the Philippines, the South At
lantic or European squadrons. and. or
course, this allowance for mileage Is above
actual necessary expenses; hence IN the
case of the economical traveller on long
trip the amount saved is no small item
From Warrant to Commissioned Officer
straining every nerve to become Ensign
Smith. L. S. N, a regular commissioned
officer, In direct line for promotion to the
highest grade-to captain or real admiral,
depending upon his age and the rapidity
of occurrence of vacancies ahead of him.
The last Congress provided for the annual
appointment of twelve warrant officers
of six years service to be enslgns. Under
the former law only half of this number
were annually eligible, and the necessary
service as warrant officer was ten instead
of six years. Thus. each year twelve OF
the 500 warrant officers I'm the IVY can
reach the line. OF course there Gunner
Gus restrictive qualifications intended to
guard against admitting TO the commission
ed class men whose lack of refinement unfit
them for the delicate duties constantly de-
volving upon our naval officers. For in
stance, the commander of a squadron or
even single ship must represent his country
In a semi-diplomatic capacity at the various
foreign ports at which he calls. He must
return the calls of the nabobs who visit him
In port and often must rub elbows with
royalty. Therefore his knees must have
learned to be at ease under whatever ma
hogany they may be thrust. He must have
mastered his own language. at least, and
have become proficient in the etiquette OF
bowling and scraping and gushing and
blatherskiung with great lords and their
great ladies. This would be impossible to
a large per cent of the enlisted men upon
our fighting ships and probably small
fraction of per cent has ever enter
tanned such an ambition, even ir their Wild
est dreams Nevertheless the door is now
open to the enlisted men abtitious to at
tain the highest grade in the navy and the
prospect is that it will be opened wider
and wider In ensuing years. 1t is a matter
of Jack Tar's own efforts and ability, his
necessary time and opportunities-all four;
and We might add that II is partly A matter
of his inherited culture.
l have 1t from naval officer, who has
figured it all out very carefully. that the
enlisted man can earn a commission I'm the
line as full lieutenant by the time he is
thirty; and according to this authority,
even though Jack never receives the COW
eted commission, he can when old age over
takes him retire with a snug little fortune
in addition 10 his continued allowance. After
remaining only an enlisted man for thirty
years he can, if unmarried, have saved
50 600 by retirement time, and this he can
Put away without p!nching himself a Jot.
One-third of this would buy him am ample
home in which he could lounge away his
last days In comfort ever surrounded by
a gaping circle Of neighbors awestruck by
the fund of anecdotes OF one who has sailed
this jolly world over
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.