The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-10

thority to bureaus now existing to con-
tinue TO transact the business assigned
them and requiring that all reports and
recommendations shall be made direct
ly TO the secretary of the navy. There
Is then added the provision that no
permanent board of any kind shall be
hereafter appointed by the navy de-
partment, or continued in operation un-
less expressly provided for by law, but,
from time to time, the secretary of the
navy may convene boards for tempo
rary service connected with the pend
ing business Of the department"
Staff Officers Cannot Command.
That part of the bill which relates
to the assignment of line rank to off,
GERS of the various divisions of the
staff corps contends that they shall in
no instance assume command of any
vessel. II is as follows:
THE officers in the various staff
corps of the navy shall hereafter have
actual rank and title as now established
for the staff corps of the army. Such
officers of the staff corps of the navy
shall at all times have the title and
designation of their rank and new com
missions in accordance Herewith shall
be forthwith issued to them; provided
that this provision shall in no case car
~ with it command over any vessel of
the navy department; but such COM
mand shall be exercised only by line
officers"
Position of Midshpmen.
A large section of the bill deals with
the appointment of midshipmen to DO
sitions in the line and staff, and reads
as follows:
That the midshipmen who success
fully complete the six years course at
the naval academy, appointment shall
be made as may be necessary, and in
the order of merit at graduation, to
fill vacancies in the lowest commits
stoned grades of the line and other
corps of the navy to which such grad
yates are eligible for appointment IN
der existing law and that the number
of said appointments which shall be
made to the various corps of the naval
service in any one year shall not ex-
coed seventy-fve: provided that the
foregoing provision limiting the in
crease in any fiscal year shall not ap-
ply TO midshipmen who may have en-
tered the naval academy prior to Jan.
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 grad
hdNiOAl anu tic 10 dppOlllt-
ment in the navy shall be determined
as now provided by existing lay and
regulation, and the assignment of
graduates TO the various corps shall
be made by the secretary of the navy.
Honorable Discharge.
The bill makes provision for honor
able discharge and one years sea pay
for those who do not receive such ap-
pointments. Midshipmen may, upon
application, be honorably discharged at
the end of the four years course at the
naval academy, with a proper certif-
icate of graduation.
July l of each year will be regarded
as the beginning of the year for reck-
oning vacancies for the purposes of this
act
The bill provides that when an Of
fcer has been thirty years in the SER
vice 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 con-
secutive years as a commissioned Of
fcer, he shall, if he makes application
therefor to the president, be retired
from active service and placed upon
the retired list.
The bill requires that any naval Of
fcer now or hereafter serving as a
chief of a bureau of the navy deparl-
ment shall, upon retirement, have the
rank, pay. and allowances of such bu-
reau chief.
Increased Pay.
Under the bill the pay of all COM
missiOned officers. warrant officers.
and pay clerks in the navy
and marine corps is increased 25 per
cent; On-cOmmissiOned officers, mates
and other petty officers, musicians and
other enlisted persons In the navy and
marine corps increased 40 per cent,
this pay being exclusive of allow
ance and combinations.