Case: ULYSSES S. G. WHITE v. THE UNITED STATES
Abbreviation: White v. United States
Decision Date: 1903-12-21
Docket Number: 
Citation: 39 Ct. Cl. 544
Volume: 39
Reporter: United States Court of Claims Reports
Court: Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction: United States
Parties: ULYSSES S. G. WHITE v. THE UNITED STATES.
Judges: 
Pages: 544–544

Head Matter:
ULYSSES S. G. WHITE v. THE UNITED STATES.
[37 C. Cls. R., 365; 191 U. S. R., 545.]
On the claimant's Appeal.
The question in this case is whether the provision in the act of 1899 to reorganize the Navy operates retroactively, so as to give to engi. neers who have been appointed from civil life a credit of five years, which will increase their pay for past services, or whether it is prospective, to take effect after June 30, 1899.
The court below decides:
1. The proviso in the Act 3d March, 1899 (30 Stat. L., pp. 1004,1007, sec. 13), providing that “all officers, including warrant officers, who have been or may be appointed to the Navy from civil life shall, on the date of appointment, be credited, for computing their pay, with five years’ service," is governed by the initial clause of the section, “after June 80, 1899," and is to be so construed that it will give increased pay to such officers appointed from civil life as were not receiving their maximum pay on June 30, 1899, but to exclude those who were receiving their maximum pay on that date.
2. The statute being intended, as indicated by the title, “to reorganize and increase the efficiency of the personnel of the Navy, ’ ’ should not be construed so as to give a gratuity to certain officers for past services.
3. The decision in relation to the prospective or retroactive effect to be given to statutes examined.

Opinion:
The decision of the court below is affirmed on the same grounds.
Mr. Justice Day
delivered the opinion of the Supreme Court, December 21, 1903.