The Washington times., 1910-05-27
Secretary Meyer Evolves
Plan to Improve Service
and Cut Expenses.
ENORMOUS SAVINGS
ARE HELD POSSIBLE
Encouragement Would Be Given
Best Sailors to Retain
Positions.

Bluejackets in the United States navy
will be well provided for in their old
age and the Government will be saved
hundreds of thousands Of dollars each
year II Congress passes a bill suggested
by Secretary Meyer and reported favor
ably from the Senate Committee on Ma
val Affairs.
Secretary Meyer for some time has
been at work upon a plan which would
insure permanent and efficient force,
but which also would take care Of the
sailors after they had given the best
years OF their life 10 the Government.
II is not possible TO do this under exist
ing law and the result is that an enor-
nous sum is being expended annually
for the purpose of recruiting, outhtting
and transporting men to take the place
OF efficient men who leave the service
because of the uninviting prospect when
they become old.
Under the terms of the bin suggested
by Secretary Meyer and reported favor
ably by the Senate committee, an en-
listed man who has been in the service
sixteen years may apply for retirement,
with pay equal to two-fifths Of the
amount received by him at the time ap-
plication for retirement is made.
Pay for Incapacitated.
Bluejackets who serve twenty-five
years shall be entitled under the bill to
retirement at three-ffths pay and those
who serve more than twenty-five years
shall be entitled to retire with three
quarters pay $3.50 per month. in lieu
OF rations and clothing, and 81. Is a month
in lieu of quarters. fuel. and light.
Provision also is made for men vic
remain in the service ten years and less
than sixteen years and who are in
capacitated through injury or disease in
cident to their service. Such men, &C
cording to the Meyer plan, may be
placed on the retired list after examina-
ton by a board Of survey, their pay to
be determined by multiplying 800 Of
the pay they receive at the time of ap-
plcation by the whole number Of years
Of honorable service 10 their credit.
Secretary Meyer is confident the pro-
visions outlined above would hold the
men in the service, thereby insuring
an efficient and permanent force and al
so would remove from the service men
who have Outlived their usefulness. sta
tistlcs gathered by the Navy Depart
ment disclose thai the average blue
Jacket is of little use after he has been
IN the service twenty-five years.
Laws Held Inadequate
In providing for the men who serve
ten years and less than sixteen years
Secretary Meyer points out that while
the pension laws for total disability
are generous they are totally inadequate
for the men who become partially dis
abled because of disease or injuries
due directly to their service in the navy
and he calls attention to the fact that
it is frequently necessary to reject for
re-enlistment men whose disabilities are
the result Of their service to the Govern
ment. Such men, he says. are forced
to retire at time when they are IN
fitted for other than naval work and
on pension which is too small to prop
erly provide for them.
Some interest .ng figures are given by
secretary Meyer in support of his con-
tention that the passage Of the bill
would not only be a great benefit 10 the
bluejackets, but also would result in an
immense saving to the Government He
estimates that the cost of transporting
recruits would be reduced, after three
years, from S275,000 to $4,000 The cost
Of recruiting at present is $3.50. 600 an
nuaIly.
Savings Enumerated.
In three years il is estimated that II
would be possible to do all necessary
recruiting In three Offices. one IN New
York, one in Chicago. or St. Louis. and
q third. in the Southwest. This reduc-
ton IN the number of Offices which
II rs now necessary to maintain would
result in saving OF at least $4,000.
An enormous saving would be made
IN Quitting the bluejackets 1t now
costs about 81, 100000 a year to provide
recruit with all Of the paraphernaIia
necessary on shipbOard II is estimated
that with the new law in force, the
number Of recruits necessary to take
the place of men retiring would be so
small that the cost for equipping them
woul. be reduced to $4,000. a saving
o. SSS0,000
For recruits whose places would be
taken by continuous service men. who
would remain in the service because of
the attractive retirement law, the nav
would be Increased from 1896 TO IS g
per man per month. or en- average of
30 per month. The additional nav
would aggregate $4,000
secretary Meyer believes that tho
maximum cost 70 the Government 10
elbow liberal retirement law would he
10000 year, as against which there
would be saving Of AZ least SS45.00O a
year on the various appropriations nee
essary IN recruiting under the present
system.