Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-12-18
M|DSH|PMEN MAY
GET GREATER PAY
Admiral Eberle Makes This And
Other Recommendations To
Naval Affairs Committee
SUGGESTS NEW CHAPEL

Rear Admiral Eberle, U. s. N, SUI
perintendent of the Naval academy,
appeared before the House Committee
on Naval Affairs at Washington, last
week nd give gratifying report of the
work of the academy to that body,
also making certain recommendations.
At the outset he stated that the new
class of midshipmen would number
more than 500. He again emphasized
his recommendation of previous years
that the pay of midshipmen be in
creased to $500 year. This increase,
he said, had been urged repeatedly by
him when before the committee and
he thought it more important now
than ever before.
Midshipmen Pay Too Small
The midshipmen out of their pres
ent pay of $500 are obliged to meet
yearly certain obligations which at
times are embarrassing. Each student
is compelled to pay his proportion of
the mess bill, pay for laundry, for
breakage of crockery charged against
him, pay pay his share of the mess
hall laundry, pay for his books and
uniform as we'll as for athletic gear,
etc. He must also meet his share of
the expense for entertainments. He is,
in addition, supposed to save Sl5 each
month for his reserve pay. In many
instances after he takes out this re-
serve pay he rarely has enough to pur-
chase his graduation outfit. The adj
miral said all these might be called
necessary expenses and when paid
leave practically nothing for the stu
dent at graduation. In other words,
he is really in debt when leaving for
his cruise
Members of the committee seemed
disposed to make some increase in the
pay of midshipmen, but it was agreed
to leave the matter for future consid-
Grafton and discussion. Representa-
tive Butler was particularly interested
and intimated there should be some
remedial legislation that might re-
lieve the midshipmen of debt.
Admiral Eberle said the ration al
lowance should be increased to sew
enty-five cents day. 1t is now forty
cents. AS an illustration that this fig
ure was too small the admiral cited
the case of the paymaster of the sta.
ton ship Reina Mercedes After
three months trial on his ship it was
found that the actual market cost of
the ration per man was sixty-eight
cents.
Increase In Ration Allowance
Admiral Eberle referred the cpl
demic of influenza, saying that they
had a little upset at the beginning of
the year, but the academy was fortu-
nate in losing only one case out of
l20 on an average. which was perhaps
the lowest percentage in the country
There were among the midshipmen
about 1000 cases and of this number
only ten cases we're fatal. There were
few cases among the enlisted men
and n the families of offers. One
officer died. The steps taken to pre-
vent the spread Of the disease were
most thorough.
Many Large Classes
The attention of the Admiral was
then directed to the work done at the
academy in training reserve and other
officers. He said since he was before
the committee last-February, 1915
the academy had graduated class of
500 reserve officers and a few days
later had taken on class of $50.
There had been also turned out
class of $50 special electrical engi-