New-York tribune., 1908-03-15
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
Choplnins Projects Opposed By the
Nary Department.
From the Tribune Bureau J
Va Oh ", yfnr1 Y

From the Tribune Bureau.I
Washington. March "A.
SAILORS SPIRITUAL WELFARE.-Some Of
the cnapIains Of the navy been active in pro
noting some pending legislation which seeks to in
crease the corps and authorize by law the wearing
! by chap1ains of the uniforms now worn oy sea
going officers of corresponding rank On both
propositions the Navy Department has filed ad-
verse reports. the first place, it is considered
that there are enough chaplains 70 meet all the
demands, and if there not, 1t is announced oy
the chief the bureau of navigation that all the
chaplains shore duty may easily be ordered
to sea. This announcement is bound to be of IN
terest TO chaplains who serving navy yards,
and it is given the Navy Department that
enlisted navy yards and stations may at
tend churches in the neighborhood, or may have
religious exercises by visiting clergyTnen The
Secretary of the Navy is in favor OF having tenn
porary chaplains If It Is considered by Congress
necessary to increase the corps II is pointed out
that any change in the uniform Of the chaplain
would be fnadvfsabIe and inappropriate. and that
the establishment of the uniform by law would De
a restriction on the Navy Department which would
be unWise.
SCRUTINY OF MILEAGE ORDERs.-The War
Department has adopted a rule which is restrict
ing the amount of travel which must be done by
army officers under orders There has been in the
past little regulation of this travel The
orders for il been issued at various military
department headquarters, and this has resulted IN
a serious draft the funds for mileage; indeed
ii has become necessary ask for a deficiency
appropriation in order to meet the accounts COW
ering the mileage allowance of army officers VINO
travel on official business. Hereafter all these or
ders will come TO Washington in one form or an
other and the issue of them must be approved in
the War Department, where close track Will be
kept OF the of the mileage fund. in order that
it may be preserved from the disastrous inrodds
made by the uncontrolled issue of orders
CAN PROBLEM ON wARsHIPs.-The Navy
Department is conducting some experiments with
a can opening machine. and II is expected that the
government will purchase at least one of these ma
chimes for every ship of the navy Some idea may
be gained of the extent TO which the opening or
cans forms a part of the necessary mechanical
work preliminary meal on shipboard On the
batteships, especially away from port where there
is much dependence on canned food and vegetables
there are nearly seven hundred cans OF material
opened for every meal. This entails considerable
labor, be done without the delay which IS
ordinarily involved in the task of prytng of the
sealed covers of these Ordinarily the cans
are opened by blow two from g hatchet or
cIeaver.
PRICES HAVE GONE CP.-The War Depart
ment has encountered great difficulty in obtaining
satisfactory bids for the mine planter which II
was intended use the New York artillery dis
trict in connection with the distribution of IA
ciities for submarine defence. The bids recently
received for constructing the boat show that the
contract could not be awarded for less than 1885,
This is s74 900 than the same sort OF Doat
was built for three four years ago The IN
creased cost is due 10 the advance in the wages
of labor the shortening of the working day 10
eight hours and the higher price for material.
The bids will have be rejected and the specihca-
tons modified by omitting some OF the features
of the boat. then bids will probably be IN
vited again. In the time. a similar fate
awaits obtain bids for the constructor
OF cable steamer for the army
SPECIALISTS IN THE NAvY.-NavaI staff Off
GERS are much exercised over reference made to
.pavmasters doctors and chaplains in an official
,,oc11nieut which has been sent the House Naval
Committee by the chief of the bureau of nav1Sa-
ton The memorandum is likely TO engage the
attention of Senator Hale and the members OF his
committee when il takes the subject of naval
personnel in its investigation of the alleged de
fectfve organization The document was furnished
TO the House committee at the request Of It's
chairman and contained statistical and other IN
formation relating to naval pay. II dealt, among
other things. With the duties and pay of petty
officers and the following was submitted; The
work OF the snip also requires specialists, cleo
tricians. carpenters, boiler makers coppersni'hs'
bIacksmiths, printers and painters, yeomen nos
rital corps men, musicians. cooks, stewards etc.
Most of these men employed in parties by
themselves doing the work allotted, out exer-
clstng no command. Because of their importance,
however and the fact that they would not serve
without recognized status they are regarded
as petty officers of the first, second and third
classes in a somewhat similar manner that pay
masters doctors and chaplains given com
rntssioned rank because they would not serve
without it. Thus. a boilermaker who is one of
the best paid enlisted aboard ship. receiving
,s5 month on first enlistment, Is ruled petty
officer first class although he works only ar his
snecia,tv and gives orders TO one. While ship
of the Connecticut class has total enlisted COM
nlcment of s43 men 1873 OF them cassed as
.pettv officers including the ninety-eight in the
HE who regularly exercise command. In the en-
tie navy there are about 10Os6 petty officers as
exnfafn.d. the total enlisted force is IS, 800
Mus the number undergoing punishment in prison,
annroxirnatelv 400 and those doing duty with the
naval militia about 100 more who by law are IN
a,c.sa Of the allowed complement, $500"
PROMOTION AFTER RETIREMENT - the
NAVY Department has taken a firm stand against
the legislation which proposes TO promote retired
officers The policy of the department is in the
other drection-that retired officers shall not De
empIoyed on active duty-and they are being re-
,faved from such duty rapidly II is found
nossJhIe 10 obtain active officers TO I'LL their places.
Some Of the retired officers who have been en-
Moved on active duty now seeking TO be pro-
NOTED This is step toward realizing a reserve
,ts, the members OF which shall be promoted and
tho duties Of which are confined 10 shore stations
7, s held nv Secretary Metcaf that legislation of
,bis sort would tend 70 make the retired list very
attractive TO offcers who desire 20 escape their
legitimate duties at and It is considered th~A