New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-10
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Rear Admiral Mason May Lose
$1,000 a Year.
From The Tribune Bureau. J

Washington. July g.
BUREAU CHIEFS PAY-The chief OF
ordnance OF the navy, Rear Admiral N E
Mason. is confronted with the dire pros
pecr Of having to sacrifice 5000 of his an
nuaI pay so long as he continues on duty
as a chief of bureau. The question has
been referred 10 the Attorney General for
an opinion. The occasion Of this probable
ity is a clause inserted in the latest naval
appropriation act in an effort TO protect
Paymaster General Z. B. Rogers on his re-
tirement al his own request, following the
controversy between that Official and the
Secretary of the Navy over naval admins
tration. L was the intention Of the friends
of Paymaster General Rogers that he
should be retired with the pay and allow
ances OF rear admiral of the lower nine.
and in order to accomplish this It was
specified that officers who had served as
chief Of bureau should. after thirty years
service, have the rank, title and emolu-
ments of chiefs Of bureaus. This has Gre
ated much confusion and requires an inter
probation OF the law. which is evidently
faulty constructed
The new provision would apparently Gre
ate new places filled by those officers who
had once been chiefs CT bureaus. and who
after serving thirty years and remaining on
the active list have the rank, title and
emoluments Of bureau chiefs.
This question is independent OF the one
which involves the chief of ordnance. how
ever. whose pay appears TO be reduced by
another clause providing that the pay and
allowances of chiefs of bureaus of the
Navy Department shall be the highest
shore duty pay and allowances of rear
admiral Of the lower nine. Preceding leg
islation specified that this rate of pay
should prevail in the case OF officers who
were junior 10 the rear admirals Of the
lower nine II was evidently overlooked
that there might be a chief Of bureau who
was in mis- own right rear admiral of
the upper nine This is the case with
Rear Admiral Mason. It may turn out that
by reason Of this specific provision of law
there is a limitation on the pay and allow
anaces Of a bureau chief in which event
Rear Admiral Mason would. while serv-
ing as chief of ordnance, suffer a reduction
of pay which would amount to about & 600
a year.
Il is evident that the awkwardly worded
provision will have TO be amended at the
next session Of Congress II was originally
intended that the chiefs OF bureaus should
have the pay and allowances Of a rear ad-
3
with the rank OF major general of the army
AS chief Of bureaus in the War Depart
ment are brigadier generals, II was fore
seen that the proposed legislation in behalf
/ of naval bureau chiefs would lead to in
crease the pay OF War Department bureau
chiefs, and Senator Warren. chairman of
/ the Senate Military Committee, called at
/ Jention to the possible sequel, so far as the
army was concerned. In the change which
was promptly made the legislators forgot
that rear admiral of The upper nine might
be q bureau chief and that he would not
/ be excepted from the restriction of pay as
1t was provided in the naval appropria-
ton act.
/ DISMISSED FROM ARMY-Following
conviction on charges of drunkenness while
on duty on parade at Camp Gregg, in the
Philippines, last March, Captain Frank
! skievaski. Of the Philippine Scouts, has
been dismissed from the army by direction
Of the President Skievaskt is from Wiscon-
sin and was formerly sergeant in the cd
! Infantry
! SCOUT CRUISERS TEST.-with a view
! 10 determining the relative efficiency OF