New-York tribune., 1908-01-10


2
probability that the committee would 80 to
certain extent into the subject.
Il realize he said. that we cannot go
through this session without a pretty general
airing OF these subjects However. the question
of Just how far the investigation shall proceed
should be left TO the committee
Senator T1lnan replied by reterating his de-
sire to have certain witnesses brought in and
examined in order to throw light on the Brown
case. The subject then dropped for the
tine. and the Senate adjourned until Monday
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL
The first section of the Hale bin grants au-
thority TO bureaus now existing TO continue to
transact The business assigned them and re-
Quires that all reports and recommendations
shall be made direct to the Secretary OF uie
Navy. The provision is added that no per-
manent board of any kind shall be hereafter ap-
pointed by the Navy Department or continued
in operation unless expressly provided for oy
law but from time time. the Secretary OF
the Navy may convene boards for temporary
service connected with the pending business OF
the department
That part of the bill which relates 10 the as
signncnt of line rank TO officers of the various
divisions of the staff corps contains provision
that they shall in no instance assume COM
naand Of any vessel The section is as follows;
ofHcers in the various stan corps of the nav
shall hereafter have actual rank and title as now
asr @ the ter @ eor of the navy shall at all
the title and designation of their RAM
and new commissions in accordance tnereHltn
shall be forthwith issued TO them. Provided, that
5s yeT nS Shs aesse e nS S he Sa
offcers.
A large section of the bill deals with the ap-
pointrnent Of midshipmen to positions in the
lire and staff This reads follows:
Hereafter from the rnidshipmen who successfully
complete the six years course at the Naval Acad-
s 9 n tbe oTr Of @ e at to
nj vacancies in the lowest commissioned srades 81
graduates are eligible for appointment under exist
g law and that the he number Of & ss az b nspa
service in any one year shall not exceed seventy-
the increase in any fiscal year shall not apply 10
losnipnen who nave eo entered d eTe ee canef ther
four years course at the academy -,
upon final graduation AND, the eligibiIity, to APP
pontnleslt in the navy shall be determined as now
assignment of graduates 10 the various corps shall
further that If there be a surplus of graduates
above that necessary 10 fill the vacancies IN the
manner and 10 the extent hereinbefore authoT1zeo
those who CO not receive such appointment sna & De
aT exep s me Eear sea nav: and hereafter any
fnidshipman whose position in his class entities hin
application. be honorabiy discharged at the end Of
a proper certificate of graduation The appoint
-nents herein AUTHORIZED shan be maze on JulF
ginning Of the wear fo- reckoning vacancies for the
purposes Of this act
The bill makes provision for the retirement
Of officers by stipulating:
When an officer has been thirty. years in the
service he. NAV, his application, II the
discretion of the President be retired from active
when an ofoer has served forty consecutive years
as a commissioned officer he shall, If he makes ap-
active service and placed upon the retired list
The bill requires that any officer of the navy
who is now serving who shall hereafter serve
as chief OF a bureau of the Navy Department.
and shall subsequently be retired. shall be re-
tired with the rank, pay and allowances au-
thorized by law for the retirement Of such bu-
reau chief.
The following section of the bill provides
substantial increases of pay to men throughout
the navy and marine corps:
The pay of all commissioned officers, warrant
officers midshipmen and pay ee5hs n N IN, e nan
and marine corps rs herepy sncledsed ~ per stes
and other petty officers. musicians and other en-
hereby increased 20 per cent Provided ed, that at the
WORD as gseo IN IN ms b d of sa oWenees
and communications
Rear Admiral John z. Merrell. now president
OF the Naval War College at Newport. has been
assigned to additional duty member of the
army and navy joint board, which is charged
with the duty of devising plans for the defence
OF the United States against foreign invasion
The Joint board meets only at stated intervals
during the year This detail of Admiral Mer-
reiI fills the vacancy on the board caused by
the recent detachment cf Admiral Brownson
following his resignation chief of the bureau
of navigation
A formal order issued by the Navy De-
partrrent to-day put the hospital ship Relief
into service as a naval auxiliary. Just where
the money is TO be found TO defray the expense
OF this undertaking is not disclosed at the Navy
Department though il is known that more than
$4,000 will be needed for the purpose-a sum
not easy to find in view of the practically ex-
hausted allotment for the current month on
account of naval repairs TO auxiliaries- Under
the terms of the order the ship is to have
civilian sailing master and crew. To provide
the latter it will be necessary to lay up four of
the naval colliers. The hospital ship must have
a crew Of about sixty men, while the collers
have been able to get along with about one
fourth Of that number for each ship excluding
the officers. To-day's order provides that the
ship shall he under the command of Surgeon
Charles T. Stokes, and if is contemplated that
she shall be ready for service by February l.
MOVEMENT TO siDETRAck BRYANT