The Prescott daily news., 1917-03-24
THE FUTURE FOR YOUNG
 MEN IN THE NAVY
(By John E. Berns, Chief Yoeman. U
 s. Nayy.)

| derived from service in our Navy. It would be impracticable to even at tempt to enumerate all the benefits and advantages of naval service here, so l try only to set forth few details regarding the future held out to young men,
 Much has been said and written re- garding the gates of opportunity that have recently been opened so widely for the enlisted man of the Navy Co attain the rank of a commissioned of ficer, either through appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis from the ranks, or by working his way up- ward through the various grades of petty officers and warrant officers. The opportunities in this respect are prac- tically unlimited A young man is offered every inducemeut to study and prepare himself for future positions. Officers and petty officers are always willing and anxious to help those un- der them in their studies, and regular classes are formed on board ships to assist those ambitious for advance ment.
 Now, in every walk of life there are some (there must bel who do net reach the top, no matter how great the opportunity. This does not neces- sarily mean that they do not apply themselves or that they lack ambition. We cannot all become President. We are not all fitted for so high and res ponsible a position. So it is in the navy as we'll as in civil life-some are not altogether fitted for the highest positions; their place is probably somewhere part way up the ladder. What about this element in the navy? l say most emphatically (and any other man-o -warsman will tell you the same) that the navy offers men of this kind far better future than ninety-nine out of any hundred com mercial institutions in civil life
 l will cite my own progress-which is not by any means extraordinary or even unusual-and some of my pros poets for the future as an example I enlisted at the age of eighteen with the pay of an apprentice seaman ($17.60 month"; My present pay, as chief petty officer on second enlist ment, is $S4.00, plus all expenses eX- cept clothing. How many positions in civil life equal such an increase in only six years, beginning entirely without experience. 1 know my pay is certain, is not affected by strikes, hard times or sickness, and in case of the latter. doctors bills do not worry me as I am entitled to free medical attendance and medicines.
 As to the future l will say first that there is nothing whatsoever to pre- vent me from applying for eXamina- ton for warrant rank at any time l choose to do so, but herein we will consider only my prospects on the supposition that l do not make even another single advancement. Every four years (on each reenlistmen0 l can expect an increase of S6.62 m pay, besides a bonus of four months pay in one lump sum. If care to remain in active service for thirty years will retire at three-fourths of my total pay, plus $l5.75 month. or $l03.O4 steady and sure income for the remainder of my life. This at the age of anly forty-eight, when most men have ten or more years of ''the daily grind" to look forward upon.
 Should choose. instead of remain | ing in active service for thirty years, to transfer to the Naval Reserve Force (which is practically the same as retirement except in ease of war or national emergency, can do so after sixteen or twenty years servlce and receive monthly retainer pay at $4S.57 and S72.45. respectively. Ihls pay will go on until total of thirty years service (active and reserve) has been completed, when l can be trans ferred to the retired list at an in- crease of s15.7' over my reserve pay. This s15.75 paid to retired men IS in lieu of quarters and rations. Can any one show me more than one man in thousand in civil life who is working for salary, whose future holds out anything like this to him?
 You fathers. can you place your