Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-05
REVENUE CUTTER SCHOOL
 DOING VALUABLE WORK
Graduates from Government Institu- ton on the Thames River Have Saved Lives and Property.

The annual report of the secretary or the treasury, in whose department is the revenue cutter service, sub- mitted to the president, says:
 There are at present IS cadets un- derg0ing instruction at the school of instruction on the Thames river, Con necticut Of these, 13 will fill va cancies which existed prior to July 1, 1911, so that there are at present but five cadets available to fill the vacan- cies which have occurred since July l, 1911. There remain ten vacancies that cannot be filled because the sun- dry civil bill for 1913 contains the following provision:
 No additional appointments as ca dets or cadet engineers shall be made in the revenue cutter service unless hereafter authorized by congress-"
 If the inhibition of the further ap- pointment of cadets continues, the ef- ficiency of the service must suffer be- cause of an insufficient number of of ticers to perform the duties required. The total number of officers author ized by law is PAP, and in such a small number the existence of ten Vacan- cies which cannot be filled under the law, with every prospect of additional vacancies from death and resignation, is serious condition, and it is earn-' estly recommended that the matter be presented to congress for relief.
 Revenue Service Worth While.
 The following is a summary of the results of the operations of the rev. enue cutter service during the fiscal year 1912:
 Lives saved (actually rescueO from drowning, 106.
 Persons on board vessels assisted, 2,212.
 Persons in distress taken on board and cared for, PTS.
 Vessels boarded and papers exam ined, 24,91S
 Vessels seized or reported for vio- lation of law, 1,20S.
 Fines and penalties incurred by ves- sells reported, S224,21000. Number of regattas and marine pa- rades patrolled in accordance with law, 31.
 Number of vessels to which assist ance was rendered, 260. Derelicts and Instructions to navi- gation removed or destroyed. 45. | Value of derelicts assisted (includ- ing cargoes), $1o,545,573.G0. Value of dereIcts recovered and delivered to owners, s166,175.0O. Appropriation for 1912. including ap- propriation for repairs, s2,463, ,00O.00. Net expenditure for maintenance of the service. including repairs, S2,45S,- l 246.56.
 | Estimated unexpended balance s4,- | 753.44.
 i Thus, for every dollar which the ! government invested in the mainten- ance of the revenue cutter service : there has been a return of $4.36 in i the form of property saved from the perils of the sea, and this in addi- ! tion to lives saved and other benefi- : cial acts in the interests of mankind l To accomplish this work there have ] been 25 cruising cutters and IS harbor vessels and launches actively em- ployed during the year.
 Summary of the Work.
 The summary of the relief work performed during the year shows that assistance was rendered to 260 ves- sells, S7 more than in 1911, and nearly 1 double the average number of years previous. One hundred and six lives were saved. as compared with 55 the previous year. Forty-five derelicts and other Instructions to navigation were removed, being A more thar the year previous. The total value o1 the property saved amounts to $10,- | 711,748, as compared with $9,488,56: for the year 1911. The total cost ol the service for the past fiscal year was $2,45S, ,246.56.
 How the ltasca Is Used.
 The revenue cutter Itasca has beer withdrawn from the school of instruc
 tion at New London, Conn, and il
 now utilized as a relief vessel for sucl
 portions of the year as she is not act
 ually needed for the annual cruise fo
 the practical instruction of cadets
 By this arrangement the cruising cut
 ters on the Atlantic coast can be over
 hauled and repaired in turn withou
 suspending the patrol on their partic
 ular cruising stations.