The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-29

place before IN tnat oIlcc anu 1" ~
manner
In April the Secretary went TO New
port. He there tnat the
men were not getting sueh
as had been promised tnem
they entered the navy ne
added that his ambition was 10 MAKE
Of every battleship a school n every
officer a schoolmaster. he proteeu
ed in a few weeks to eStabish al
Newport. r. T.. a training station for
recruits. a school for elementary IN
struction to all such young men as
had not had good educations before
they came to the navy. Officers were
detailed to each the three rs, ana
the new classes are now under way.
This he said was to be but n begin
ming.
Upset in the Pay Corps.
Returning to Washington he an
nounced tina he had learned that
there are ten vacancies in the Pay
Corps. Officers in this corps are reg
ularly commissioned as paymasters.
| Mr.. Daniels announced that he had
ordered that none but enlisted men
would be allowed to take
tons for admission to the Pay Corps
in the ten vacancies. Furthermore,
he announced that the examinations
would be so lowered in their require
ments as to fit the abilities Of the en-
listed men. No b~luejacket would be
barred from admission so long as he
showed proficiency in the special work
Of the pay department Of the navy,
which is really the cOmmisSary and
purchasing department. The exami-
nations were postponed until October
in order to give aspiring enlisted men
time to study for them. Meantime
young men who had previously been
designated for these exams found they
were suddenly ineligible to take them
and were forced to abandon their
studies.
Mr.. Daniels by this time also had
engaged in a tour of the Eastern navy
yards. At the principal yards of the
North Atlantic he announced that he
was In favor of supplying facilities for
big battleship construction at every
, navy yard and said that he hoped the
time would come When there would be
; a battleShip under way at every yard,
1t has previously been the custom to
, give private yards enough Of the bust
| ness to pay them to keep up their
' plants to the navy requirements.
; Accused Steel Men Of ''HOldup."
/ About the same time he issued state.
ments ~denouncing the steel trust
] for it's bids On armOr and gun fOrB
: ing contracts. The close proximity o.
e all bids received from the Bethlehem
the Midvale and the Carnegie comps
: MES proved, said the Secretary, tina
8 there was collision among them ant
that they were holding up" Uncl,
y Sam on all contracts. In broadside
n to the press he that it wa
his intention to seek the establishment
OF a Government owned steel mill a n
# armor plant to keep the commercial
) companies from mulcting the Govern
j. ment any longer.
T. Again the question of promotion
is came up. There are now suspende
o the promotions OF two young ensign:
one Of whom has been for severs
le years On detail in Japan, learning tn
IS language Of that country. The othe
le has been engaged successfully in a sc
rs tries OF exhaustive experiments i
Is wireless or radio communication, i
IN Especial courses at the naval post
s. graduate school of marine engineerin
ty and in a special course at a 6 rec
lie technical school,. Necessarily, becaus
lis Of their special service details, the tW
n young men have not had the usual Sc
service. Under the Daniels new ru
o. ing the promotions are held up, wit
the possibility that the officers wi
s. be deprived Of their promotions uni
n they can serve at sea whatever add
to tional period the Secretary may d
he termine upon. Thus in effect thu
he are penalized for their special servic
Only last week the Secretary WEI
ee still further with regard to prom,
lily tons. He promulgated a new set
he rules governing the promotion OF Ca
e tains to be Rear Admirals, setti1
d. forth that in each given case the e
st, aiming board must state specifcal
ny why they thought the candidate w,
u fitted for a Rear Admiral's duti@
'xt wherein he had shown proficiency a,
n aptitude. the opinion OF each memb
d. OF the board in his case and the has
to Of such opinions. In other words,
served notice on all Captains, futu
re- and present. that hereafter they MI
on "show" him why they should be pr
Iry NOTED to the highest grade in Z
to American navy.
p Sticklef For Sea Service.
m Other announcements Of rath
Use startling interest with regard to De
ng sonnet questions were that he wou
.ar not accept designations of young OF
ok GERS who wish to leave the navy: tn
rv- applications OF officers for yolunta
wy retirement. under the "plucki
ar board" act, would not be favorat
considered if tho nffoorc IN n,ae<;