The sun., 1919-09-11
PAY OF NAVAL OFFICERS.
A wife Tells of Hardships Caused
By Present Conditions.

Dy fTebeut OOnuihOuu. ...
To TEE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Stt: That
a navai-officer's wife shopld write such
a letter as this is the greatest possible
proof of the seriousness of the navy pay
situation. 1t is a part of the navy creed
to bear ones troubles quietly and with
dignity, and we have borne. quite a bit,
especially the wives; but the present
dilemma is too much.
am going to outline my own case,
knowing that there are others much more
serious We were married shortly after
the 1908 pay, increase and saved money
on an ensign's pay for several years
Then costs began to increase and we
began to get very anxious Then came
tho war and my husband went over at
once with the destroyers
Frightened at the cost of living 1 took
a friend whose husband had gone to
France and her three children to board
and thug came out even the first year.
Realizing that I could not make any
money in this way. with constantly in
creasing prices, took a position myself. =
Well, the war ended-or has it?-and
six months after the armistice was
signed my husband came home. 1 had
saved very little money and he had
some ION the books" 30 we felt that at
last life held something for us. Then
came his orders to Annapolis. Upon re-
porting there my husband found the
Government quarters filled and. frantic
officers searching everywhere for homes.
A number Of them went to Washington
to ask for other assignments, but were
told all the places were filled. The Su-
perintendent at the Naval Academy was
most sympathetic and very anxious over
the situation, but helpless, as there are
no appropriations for the necessary Gov
ernment quarters.
The Annapolis citizens have taken ad-
vantage of the opportunity to raise all
prices enormously. Just through chance
my husband finally obtained species
of house, a great old caravansary with
dark basement kitchen not fit for any
ono to work in. The rent of this dwell
ing is unthinkable, but as the owner
naively remarked. "Of course 1t isn't
worth It, but I can get 1t. SO you can't
blame me-" The present communication
for quarters will be a dainty little patch
on the complete fabric of the rent Tor
that house.
BY our closest calculations, made in
advance-and any one knows that they
never come up to the reality-we can
not, simply cannot, live within our pay.
People of our own rank who were lucky
enough to get there earlier are comfort
ably ensconced in Government quarters
But the great majority will go in debt.
Alas! my husband has to get $500
worth of uniforms at once-he had been
compelled to let things go during the
war-and his shoes cost S25 pair, one
foot being difficult to At owing to his
economically trying to wear regulation
shoes. My own complete wardrobe fof
the next year has cost $3.50. This pro-
portion Is not conducive to peace OF mind
on the part Of an unselfish husband.
Now there is a point above and be-
yond any of these walls of mine. and
that point is morale The naval officers
are in a panic. They love their profess
sion, but they see no future. Instead OF
interested discussions OF professional
matters, such as they used to have, they
talk only of their hopeless SITUATION
The wives, who have tried always to
buoy them up, are completely discour-
aged and are necessarily begging their
husbands to leave the service for the
sake of their children's futures. There is
no braver, finer class of women than
navy wives. but we have reached our
limit II this is to be our reward for
our war service.
There is talk ORA 80 per cent IN
crease in pay. or $500 annually added to
each salary. Does the public know that
the carefully made out report from the
navy pay department states that to
bring salaries TO the 1908 basis 1os
per cent. increase is necessary?
NAVAL OFFICERS WIFE.
NEW YORK, September 10.