Idaho Semi Weekly World

Top-Heavy Navy
The Naval Register for 1885, just issued at Washington, contains interesting and instructive reading. It shows that there are borne on the active roster of the service, one admiral, one vice-admiral, 7 rear-admirals, 16 commodores, 45 captains, 85 commanders, 74 lieutenant commanders, 257 lieutenants, 82 lieutenants of the junior grade, 183 ensigns, 82 naval cadets, 158 medical officers, 535 engineer officers, 37 professors and chaplains, 31 naval constructors and 200 warrant officers, a total of 1,613 in addition to 94 officers of marines.

On the retired list there are 137 officers of all grades, but mostly of superior rank, and consequently in the enjoyment of superior pay. The list comprises 48 admirals, drawing $4,500 a year each, and 39 commodores, who receive $3,700 per annum, each, and with those on the active list make the total number of officers on the navy pay-rolls, 2,144, exclusive of the cadets at the Naval Academy.

The number of serviceable ships in the navy is 35, of which one is first rate, 11 second rates, 19 third rates and 4 fourth rates.

The Register further shows that the admiral lives in Washington, and has nothing to do but draw his salary of $13,000 a year. The vice-admiral is chairman of the Light-house Board which is in session about an hour every month, and of the seven rear-admirals, but two command squadrons, the others being assigned some nominal duty ashore to enable them to draw duty pay, while not one of the sixteen commodores is at sea. Of the forty-five captains, six command ships, twenty-eight have nominal duty ashore, while eleven live quietly at their homes, and of the whole staff corps of 580 officers, but 79 are at sea.

Some means ought to be adopted by Congress to relieve the Navy of its top-heavy load of officers, as it is unjust to the people, who have to foot the bills, to pay fat salaries to 1,200 men in one branch of the service, who render the country no equivalent whatever for their pay.