Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-25
PLUCK|NG BOARD
OF NAVY SCORED
Efficient Officers Retired on
Pensions to Create Promo
tions for Favorites.
PRACTICES ARE DENOUNCED
BY TRIBBLE AND HOWARD
Georgia Representatives Cite Cases
Where Capable Men Are Ousted.
Abolition Is Demanded.

Abolition Is Demanded,
The annual violent attack upon the navy
| ''plucking board" was staged in the
House Of Representatives yesterday after
noon. representatives Tribble and How
ard, both Of Georgia, aroused the House
to admiration for southern oratory by
demanding in no uncertain tones that the
board should be abolished
| 'Tt Is an outrage on the taxpayers of
| the country to take officers out of the
| service and place them on life salary
| averaging $4,000 a year said Repre-
| sentative Tribble. He referred at length
to the plucking Of Capt. Potts and Capt.
Chambers.
"A swiveled chair admiralty" declared
| Representative Howard. dealt with gross
| injustice in the case of Lieut. Commander
Burt. The plucking board and ats twin
brother, voluntary retirement" said Rep
| resentative Tribble, take thirty or forty
officers every year from the service. few
of whom are more than fifty years old.
Efficient Officers Retired.
Although it costs the United States
$4,000 to educate an officer at the Naval
Academy and the government is entitled
to their services said Representative
Tribble, yet hundreds of officers, some
Of them less than thirty years old, Wig
| orous and anxious to serve, have been
retired by the plucking board for no other
reason than to promote other officers"
Speaking of the comparatively recent
case of Capt. Potts, he said:
Recently he was taken out Of the serv-
ice by the board. He was aid to the
Secretary. In every step of his career
his record was perfect. He was in line
of promotion to rear admiral.
The Secretary decided that he needed
| more sea service. The plucking board,
in order to get rid Of him and pro-
mote hundreds of others in line. took
him out Of the service and retired him to
private life on a salary of $4,125.
Now. is there man on the floor of
this House who will rise in his place
and tell me that Capt. Potts is not cara
BILE of filling some useful position in the
navy?'
Navy Close-Mouthed.
'Is it not true" asked Representative
Gardner of Massachusetts, that it was
action in telling the plucking board that
Capt. Potts came within their jurisdic-
ton that brought him into that 1unforsu-
just stated?''
| ct will say this replied Mr.. Tribble,
that If you can get anything out of the
navy or out Of its officers, and any in
formation from any source in that crowd,
l would like to know where you got it.
I have tried it, and / have not been
able to get it,
paid a compliment to the abilities of
Capt. Potts.
"Other people have been retired on a
/ salary of 5000" Representative Tribble
continued. THE people of the country
| pay these taxes. Is it right that we
should sit down here and allow these
| things to go on and never protest against
them?
| Let me call your attention to this
fact, that the same plucking board that
| retired Capt Potts also retired Capt.
Chambers. l am not going to run the
| risk of making any mistakes in the
| record, because II l did these officers of
course, would come on the floor of this
! House. through some one. and show
| that had falsified the record. But here
| is the record.
| Capt Chambers is retired on a salary
| of $4,125. Listen: He is forty-five years
| old, and one of the very best aviators.
He had charge Of the aviation station OF
| thegovernment and the government is not
only entitled to his expert knowledge,
| but needs him very badly for this po-
sttion
still he is plucked to satisfy the de-
mands of the plucking board. He is re-
| tired. and another officer is promoted
and takes the sa.ary Of 5000. win
never get through with the plucking
| board, SO far as am concerned, on the
floor of this House until it is abolished
Case of Commander Norton.
Il call attention to another man that
the plucking board recently pIucked-
Commander Norton-who was relieved on
a salary Of $4,000 per annum. He was
relieved because he was of small stature
l-too small to be commander. There
fore. he is pfucked by the retirement
board and the people of the country are
burdened with another salary during his
natural life, and a new officer is ap-
pointed to All his place In the torpedo
station at salary Of 5000.
Il Why not leave him at that torpedo
station? He was the best man in the
partment to produce another man in the
United States who would fill that posi-
ton as well as Capt. Norton did.
Now 1 will take up the fourth man
fair with this House and I want to be
fair with the naval committee. Above
all, want to be fair with the taxpayers
Of the country and with the people OF
| my OlstrlCt.
1.-THE next man is Capt. Stone He
was retired at a salary of 5000. The
| voice of calumny never touched his hon.
orable and efficient record from the be-
ginning of it until the present time. His
| record at the Navy Department is flaw
less and yet he is retired to private life
in the middle of his career to make
place for the promotion Of some one else.
II challenge the Navy Department to
show that he is not eminently qualified
to remain in charge of the naval militia
or in some other position in the navy ]
challenge the Navy Department to pro-
duce another man who is more capable
of taking charge of the naval militia
than Commander Stone. retired
Representative Hensley of Missouri
asked how much money is being pa to
retired naval officers in Washington.
Representative Witherspoon replied that
IL was Sc 600 600. and of this, supplement-
ed Representative Tribble, one-third goes
to rear admirals.
II have introduced nere year after year
a bill to abolish the plucking board
REPRESENTATIVE Tribble continued. 81
have never had a hearing before the
savaI committee. much less favorable
report.
Il Officer 90 Years Old Retired.
'srhe pluclxing board retired man by
the name Of Lieut.. Walker, who was
twenty-nine years old. If he lives his
| three score wears and ten he will be on