New-York tribune., 1907-07-01

Since january lSSs there have been only two en-
gire"rs In chief. Rear Admiral George w.
Melville. now retired. OF Arctic fame, and the
other is Rear Admiral Rae. The combined admin
stratCu OF those officers covers the period OF mod
ern development Of naval engineering. with such
important changes as nave marked t'e pToRteSS ol
the design and construction OF methods of propul-
sion OF ships of war. In Rear AdmiTa' Raes term
OF office, since August, 100" there nave been Sucn
notable events the development OF oil fuel
the larger ships OF the navy and the introduc-
tiou Of the turbine i'm place of the reciprocating
engine. This latter Is now the most important OF
the problems confronting the naval engineers Rear
Admiral RAJ. was n member OF the Roosevelt board
ON naval personnel. whose recommendations re-
suited in the legislation which, among other things.
amalgamatcd the old engineer corps with the line.
lie was in favor of that amalGamatson. and has
been a consistent ana persistent advocate OF ,he
proposition OF having line officers perform naval
engineer duty. II not until h. became en-
eucer in chief that th" opposition to carrying out
this provision Of the naval personnel act was fully
removed. As long it lasted it WAS block in the
path of the efficient adjustment OF the conditions
to the service Rear Admiral Rae viii continue In
his present office until he is retired for age. on
June ~. 1862.
ARMY FINDS PRICES ARE HIGH.-Thc con-
strucuug quart erm2stcrs have IN charge at present
something like million dollars worth of WORK
in the way of buildings ana improvements at
the military posts all over me country ne appI"-
priations for this work wer" made mostly in the
last TWO sessions Of Congress. and the work Is
advancing largely under contract in u'e reports
which were received from army ouart"rmasters
however. II appears that the War Department will
encounter difficulty In having similar work accom-
tIisbcd at army posts for anything like the rate
thar has prevailed for the last three four years
Indeed i'm the estimates which go to Congress in
the next session apparent that there will have
to be mach changed I'm those which were submitted
a year or more ago and which We're laid aside for
future Congress considerations The price of every
,bfne has advanced materially in the last year, and
II is estimated that the 20 the government by
the delay in appropratoE at the last session the
sum which was ]" "Hmen"rd ior construction at
that time will be fully - per cent rms IS con
dition which it IS said by the military authorizes
prevails in all the departments, even 10 forage for
the army animals, wh"r" the climatic conditions In
most parts Of the country have served 10 put up
the price of hay and grain to such an extent that
many annual contracts. which IL is usual To make
at this time of year have not been made; but pur-
chase IN that class arc to be made in the open
,larlet for the next three months and nine months
contracts to complete the fiscal year Will be made.
or course, in the line of food, especially In meats
the prices have also gone up.
UNIFORMS LACK UNIFORMGTY-The army
/ inspectors who have visited the various military
posts have made reports ON condition which,
while of small consequence in its relation To mill
tary efficiency. is considered of sufficient effect to
have been taken UP by the General staff of the
War Department. Army officers purchase their
own uniforms and have the right to select the
material composing them so long as they conform
to certain prescribed regulations of pattern. in
signia etc. Ii was assumed, of course, that there
would be adherence to the color of the cloth
which is adopted the standard material for
army apparel. This is not the case however.
especially In the matter OF the olive drab uniform
and il is observed that there is a considerable
difference in the shade This difference would not
be observed under ordinary circumstances, except
when officers are assembled together, when there
is variation which does fail to escape remark
To avoid this 1t has been decided that the quarter
master general shall send to every army post
, ward of the standard olive drab cloth, which silal
serve as a pattern to which all cloth composing
ofHcers' uniforms of that class shall conform
MAGAZINE FOR NAVY "MEDICS"-Naval Of
dcers are observing with considerable interest the
annearance of a periodical bulletin from the bureau
of medicine and surgery of the Navy Department
This publishes professional papers and Will now
have added 10 1t section devoted to comment
Inade bv naval medical officers who wish TO venti-
- +l,eir views and who feel that they have some
thing worth saying which should be embodied 10
tbeir associates in the service. The government
Nae bitherto refrained from permitting any depart
,ent Of this sort although, of course the assoca-
lions and societies made up of military and naval
- Tho medical bureau bulletin is an official
Sonoent TO the extent that it is published al the