Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1910-06-22
Bureau Chiefs To Be Rear
AdmiraIS While On Active
Duty
THE AGREEMENT REACHED
Naval Appropriation Bill Put Into Final
Shape Ship Building Program
Agreed To.

Officers of the line of the navy are
/ up in the air over the act of the con
/ ference upon the Naval Appropriation
/ bill Monday afternoon in deciding that
staff officers detailed for duty as chiefs
/ of bureaus in the Department may
enjoy the rank of rear admiral while
on the active list after leaving the de
/ partment as bureau chiefs.
As the law now stands these officers
only obtain that rank and pay when
they retire while holding the office of
bureau chief. a captain detailed for
duty as bureau chief holds the rank
of rear admiral while so serving, but
if he leaves the department before
going on the retired list, he retains
his actual rank.
The agreement reached by the con-
ferees is a victory for the staff officer
and for Senator Hale, who was fight
ing their cause Agreed upon in con-
ference, the provision is worded-
differently from the Senate amend
ment which was in dispute, and pro-
vides that bureau chiefs may retire
with the rank of ear-admiral, junior
grade, and that if they remain on the
active list after leaving their bureau
jobs they may retain the rank of rear
admiral.
The conference report is now ready
for the action of Congress. The final
session was held late Monday after
noon and resulted in a complete agree
ment whereby the Senate gained most
of its points. The report was submit
ted at the night session of the House
by Chairman Foss, of the House Com
mittee.
AS finally agreed upon in confer
ence the bill carries a grand total of
$131, $50, 854. SO for the fiscal year
commencing July next. The appro-
priation available for the fiscal year
just closing was $136, 935, 199 so
that the total amount given for the
coming year is about $500. 900 less
than that carried in last years bill.
1t was the hope of President Taft and
the department that this years bill
would save about SO, 900, 900 as COM
pared with the current year. The
net amount taken off the bill in con-
ference was 1929, ,000
The House also receded from it's
disagreement to the Senate am end
ment providing for the distribution
of the duties of the Bureau of Equip
ment, one of the chief bones of con-
tention but in doing so the House con-
ferees insisted upon redrafting the
provision. AS agreed upon in confer
ence the bill authorizes the Secretary
of the Navy to abolish the Bureau of
Equipment and make a distribution of
its duties among the other bureaus as
an experiment for one year, at the
end of which time he is to report
what he does and how it works The
conferees added provision in confer
ence to the effect that line officers
may be detailed for duty under staff
officers in manufacturing and repair
departments of navy yard and naval
stations.
The building program as finally
agreed upon will be: Two first-class
battleships of $4,000 tons each; four
submarines and six des troyers.
The Senate receded from its amend
ment carrying $45,0 for topedo
vessels, with vitals below the water
line, authorized in last years act, but
not yet contracted for, and they will
not be built. They are special ex-
perimental type of vessel.
The Senate also receded from its
objection to the House requirement
that contracts for furnishing armor
for the new battleships in a reason
able time at reasonable price and
of the required quality can lbe made
with responsible parties before they
are let and this provision stays in the
bill. Baltimore Sun.