The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-09
RAISES The PAY.
Navy Personnel Bill Introduced by
Senator Hale

washington, Jan. ga Dill whose
passage, it is expected, will work
many important changes in the per-
sonnel of the navy and greatly in
crease its efficiency has been intro
duced by Senator Hale, chairman of
the senate committee on naval af-
fairs. 1t proposes a settlement of the
vexatious question as to whether the
members of the staff corps shall have
rank with the line officers, puts an
end to the creation of bureaus by the
secretary of the navy and gives a SUBJ
stantial raise in pay to every commits
stoned officer and enlisted man of
the navy and the marine corps.
There is an important section re-
lating to the appointment of mid
shipmen to the line and staff corps
and also a provision calling for the
retirement of officers of certain age.
The first section of the bill deals
with the bureau question by granting
authority to bureaus now existing to
continue to transact the business as
reports and recommendations shall be
made direct to the secretary of the
navy. There is then added a provi-
sion that mo permanent board of any
kind shall be hereafter appointed by
the navy department or continued In
for by law. but. from time to time,
the secretary of the navy may con-
vene boards for temporary service
connected with the pending business
of the department.
That part of the bill which relates
to the assignment of line rank to Of
flcers of the various divisions of the
staff corps provides that they shall in
no instance assume command of any
vessel. 1t is as follows:
1.-The officers in the various staff
corps of the navy shall hereafter have
actual rank and title as now estab
lished for the staff corps of the army.
Such officers of the staff corps of the
navy shall at all times have the title
and the designation of their rank. and
new commissions in accordance there
with shall be forthwith issued to
them: Provide that this provision
shall in no case carry with it COM
mand over any vessel of the navy de-
partment; but such command shall be
exercised only by line officers
A large section of the bill deals with
the appointment of midshipnien to posi-
tions IN the line and staff. and reads as
follows:
That the midshipmen who successful
ly complete the six years course at
the naval academy appointments shall
be made as be necessary and in the Or
der of merit at graduation to fill vacau-
cies in the lowest commissioned grades
of the line and other corps OF the navy
to which such graduates are eligible
that the number of said appointments
which shall be made to the various
corps of the naval service in any one
year shall not exceed 10;
Provided, that the foregoing provision
limiting the increase in any fiscal year
shall not apply to midshipmen who may
have entered the naval academy prior
to January l, 1904, and have completed
their four years course at the academy.
That the order of merit of graduates
of the naval academy upon final gradu-
alton and the eligibility to appointment
in the navy shall be determined as now
provided by existing law and regula-
ton and the assignment of graduates
to the various corps shall be made by
the secretary of the navy.
The bill makes provision for honora-
BILE discharge and one years sea pay
for those who do not receive such ap-
pointments. Midshipmen may upon
their own application be honorably dis
charged at the end of the four years
course at the naval academy with
proper certificate of graduation. July
l of each year will be regarded as the
beginning Of the year for reckoning
vacancies for the purposes OF this act
The bill provides that when an Of
ficer has been 80 years in the service,
he may upon his application in the
discretion of the president be placed
upon the retired list. Also that when
an officer has served forty consecutive
years as commissioned officer he
shall If he makes application therefore
to the president be retired from ac-
tive service and placed upon the re-
tired list
The bill requires that any naval
officer now or hereafter serving as a
chief of a bureau of the navy depart
ment shall upon retirement have the
rank, pay, and allowances of such
bureau chief. Under the bill the pay
of all commissioned officers. war
rant officers midshipmen and pay
clerks in the navy and marine corps is
increa sed 25 per cent; non-commis-
stoned officers, mates ana other petty
officers, musicians and other enlisted
persons in the navy and marine corps
increased 40 per cent; this pay" be-
ing exclusive of allowances and COM
mutations.