The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-02-10
HOW PROMOTIONS OCCUR
DANIELS FAVORS ELIMINATION
OF PLUCKNG BOARD.
Secretary Shows How Midshipmen
Are Gradually Trimmed Out and
Promoted to Higher Positions.

SCS1 SISLA D1AlSAo VI tAS A3S~f oS
partment Wednesday in discussing
the passage by the House of legisla-
ton providing for the abolition Of
the so=caIled Plucking Board, assert
ed that he favored the action, but
hoped congress would, ct this session,
provide by law some substitute to
take the place Of that body. Secre-
tary Daniels said that he was strong
ly in favor of the creation of an ac-
tive reserve list of officers, as pro-
vidde in the personnel bill, drafted
by the navy department, now pend
ing before congress.
Secretary Daniels attention was
called to the fact that the House had
stricken out of the naval appropria-
ton bill humber of proposals favor
ed by the department, and he was
asked what he thought about it. He
said that when the naval appropria-
ton bill reached the Senate he would
urge the plan for the creation of an
active reserve list of officers and also
an appropriation of s10,000,000 for
aeroplanes. Mr.. Daniels said he real
lied that it would be impossible to
obtain all the things he desired for
the navy.
LAS long ago as last July" said
the secretary, II advocated the aboli-
ton of the Plucking Board. At that
time took steps such as were neces-
sary to remedy not only the condi-
tions the Plucking Board was intend
ed to overcome, but also all other
questions concerning personnel which
had developed in recent years.
"a board, composed Of Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt, Rear Admiral
Blue, Chief Constructor Taylor, and
Lieut.. Austin, was appointed last
summer to investigate the whole
question and recommend a measure
which would cause a reasonable flow
Of promotion, by competitive meth
DDS.
The competitive test proposed will
involve three factors: professional
knowledge, the service record of past
performance, and service opinions OBJ
tanned from the recommendations of
officers senior in the service. =;
Under the system we propose a
midshipman on entering the naval
academy becomes member of a
class varying in number from ESQ to
800. After four years work, with
the consequent elimination Of the
least fit, about $50 should be taken
into the service as ensigns at an
average age of about %. After three
years service as ensign a competitive
examination will be held, establish
ing the order of merit OF the origi-
nal $50, then reduced by natural
causes to about 135, 100 will be con-
tinued in the line of the navy and ap-
proximately 25 others in the Pay,
Construction, Civil Engineer, and
Marine Corps. The remaining en-
signs, approximately ten yearly
those at the bottom-will be honor
ably discharged with one years pay,
as was the case for many years in
the past with surplus midshipmen.
'The 100 ensigns remaining in the
line will be commissioned lieuten-
ants (junior grade). At the end of
six years those remaining will be pro-
NOTED to the grade of lieutenant,
subject to the usual examination.
They will remain in the grade of a
lieutenant for similar period of six
years. Those remaining will become
candidates for promotion. At this
point will begin the process of pro-
motion by selection and the transfer
to the active reserve list Of those not
promoted.
Normally two out Of every three
lieutenants will be promoted to the
grade of lieutenant commander, and
the length Of service in this grade is
also six years. At the end Of that
period those remaining will become
candidates for promotion to the grade
of commander. About one-half will
be promoted and the other half
transferred to the active reserve list
Those promoted will serve as COM
manders for six years.
About one-half will then be pro-
noted in the same manner to the
grade of service prescribed for cap
tain, and the class originally COM
posed of $50 ensigns will, on arriv-
ing at the top of the list of captains
at the end Of "a years service, be re-
duced to approximately 10 on the ac-
tive list. Of this number, five will go
up to the grade of rear admiral and
the remainder will be placed on the
active reserve list.
1.-THE foregoing outline applies to
the normal course after the proposed
system is in full operation. Existing
humps in the personnel of the SER
vice will take a number of years to
smooth out, but it is believed that
the process laid down will be carried
on with the greatest possible fairness
to the officers affected. For num-
Der of years to come the transfers to
the active reserve list will be less
than when the bill is in full opera
ton, especially transfers from the
lower grades. The same general
principles applied to the line of the
navy will be applied to the various
staff corps"
PUT BATTERIES IN WHITE.