The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-01-22
Strength to Be Increased
Over Five Thousand Dur
ing Next 5 Years.
PAY WILL ALSO
BE INCREASED
Higher Pay Is Allowed in
Navy For the Same
Class of Work.
ARTILLERY CORPS NOW SHORT
FROM THIRTY TO FORTY PER
CENT BECAUSE OF INABILITY
TO SECURE RECRUITS-OFFI-
GERS ARE BECOMING SOME
WHAT DISCOURAGED.
Special to The Journal.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. 21.-The
Coast Artillery bill now under con-
sideration by Congress provides for
an increase during the next five years
of 296 officers of all grades and an
increase of 5,043 in the number of
coast artillerymen, together with an
increase of S5S field artillerymen. The
number of electrician sergeants is
increased from 100 to I4S. These
one hundred electrician sergeants now
draw s34 per month each with allow
ances. The one hundred and forty
eight provided for in the bill are di-
yided into two classes; seventy-four
OF them will draw S35 per month, and
seventy-four will draw s45 per month
each, allowances being made for both
classes. The total increase in cost
for these special services will be $780,
240. An additional master electrician
is provided at a cost of 5000. Sixty
engineers are provided at $3.50 each
per annum, q total of $46,S 500 Forty
two master gunners at $500 each, are
provided for, the total cost being
SIT ,136; also sixty firemen at $3.50 per
annum, a total of $21, 500.
Slight increases of pay are given as
follows: Al casemaker electricians,
les per annum; A chief planters $S4
per annum. A chief leaders, sS4 per
annum; 10 observers, second class,
$S4 per annum; 37S gun pointers, $S4
per annum, all in addition to their
present pay, which is that of a ser
geant or corporal. or SIS and SIS per
month, respectively, with certain al
lowances for length of service.
In this connection it is worth not
ing that gun commander in the coast
artillery receives s24 per month,
while q turret captain in the navy
gets $50 to $40 per month. Gunners
in the coast artillery stationed at guns
of eight inch or larger caliber. re-
ceive 81 per month extra for the first
class, and 81 per month for the sec
ond class. For guns of four to seven
inches in the navy the gun pointers
receive So per month for the first
class and IS per month For the second
class, and for three inch or smaller
caliber, first class gunners get 81 per
month and the second class 81 per
month extra. The gunners for the
coast artillery for all calibers of guns
receive only 81 per month extra for
first class gunners and 81 per month
for second class. These figures show
that the most poorly paid naval gun
pointers receives the same additional
compensation as that given to the
most highly paid coast artillery gun
ner
'Of the forces authorized by law"
said Senator Warren, Chairman of
the Senate Committee on Military Al
fairs. tine Artillery Corps is short
from thirty TO forty per cent because
Of the inability of the recruiting de-
partment of the army to keep the
artillery supplied with recruits. This
is due TO the fact that these men
are called on to do so much in con-
sequence of shortage of men. and
get such little compensation for their
labor that they will not re-enlist. Many
OF them desert before their time eX-
pires and the officers are becoming
somewhat discouraged. Congress has
been adding TO the defenses from time
TO time and turning over to the artil-
lery new Notifications and new works.
new accessories, new power plants
Jaw electrical installations and new
searcISi~hts until it is about to give
way T. 3er the burden It can not
properly meet the responsibility that
is accommodating about it