[No. 132] TO EQUALIZE THE PAY OF CERTAIN OFFICERS OF THE MARINE CORPS WITH THAT OF OFFICERS WITH CORRESPONDING SERVICE IN THE NAVY (H. R. 9464) OA/L16-4(6) (270118) L. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 7, 1927. The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN. Replying further to the committee's letter of February 24, 1926, inclosing a copy of a bill (H. R. 9464) to equalize the pay of certain officers of the Marine Corps with that of officers with corresponding service in the Navy, and requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to advise you as follows: The purpose of this bill is to give to officers of the Marine Corps appointed from civil life the same constructive service as is given to officers of the Navy under the act of March 3, 1899 (30 Stat. 1007), which provided 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. Under this act civil appointees to the line and the staff corps of the Navy (Medical Corps, Supply Corps, Dental Corps, Civil Engineer Corps, and Chaplain Corps) were given credit for five years' constructive service to place them on a pay footing with line officers appointed from the Naval Academy. The act of March 3, 1899, cited above, was repealed by the act of March 4, 1913 (37. Stat. 891), as to persons commissioned after that date, but those then in the Navy still retain the credit for constructive service. Officers appointed to the Marine Corps from civil life have never had the benefit of credit for constructive service, with the result that such officers appointed on or before March 4, 1913, find themselves with five years' less credit for pay purposes than officers in the Navy with the same length of actual commissioned service. The personnel act of March 3, 1899 (30 Stat. 1007), gave to officers of the Navy the same pay and allowances as received by officers of the Army and Marine Corps, except that the pay of Navy officers was reduced 15 per cent when serving on shore. Prior to that act the pay of officers of the Navy and Marine Corps was not computed on the same basis. By the act of May 13, 1908 (35 Stat. 127), the pay of Navy officers was made the same as that of officers of the Marine Corps for shore duty, but Navy officers received an increase of pay of 10 per cent for sea duty, which increase marine officers did not become entitled to until the act of March 3, 1915 (38 Stat. 948). Prior to March 4, 1913, officers of the Army and Marine Corps were in the same status with respect to pay. The bill H. R. 9464, if enacted, will result in an additional estimated cost to the Government for the first six years as follows: The cost after the sixth year would then gradually diminish as officers become entitled to maximum pay and allowances or as they decrease in number. The bill H. R. 9464 was referred to the Bureau of the Budget with the above information as to cost, and under date of January 18, 1927, the Navy Department was advised that the enactment of the proposed legislation was not in conflict with the financial program of the President. In view of the foregoing, the Navy Department recommends the enactment of this proposed legislation. Sincerely yours, CURTIS D. WILBUR, . A BILL To equalize the pay of certain officers of the Marine Corps with that of officers with corresponding service in the Navy Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in order to equalize the pay of certain officers of the Marine Corps with that of officers with corresponding service in the Navy, all officers now on the active list of the Marine Corps who were appointed to the Marine Corps from civil life on or before the 4th day of March, 1913, shall hereafter be credited, for computing their pay, with five years' service: Provided, That no back pay shall be allowed by reason of the passage of this act. [No. 133] AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE BY THE NAVY DEPARTMENT OF A SITE FOR AN AVIATION TRAINING FIELD IN THE VICINITY OF PENSACOLA, FLA., AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES (H. R. 16994) NA9/N1-9 (270207) U. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 9, 1927. The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: With reference to the bill (H. R. 16994) authorizing the acceptance by the Navy Department of a site for an aviation training field in the vicinity of Pensacola, Fla., and for other purposes, which was introduced by Mr. Smithwick, of Florida, on February 7, 1927, and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, I have the honor to advise you as follows: The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to accept on behalf of the United States the title in fee simple to a tract of land containing approximately 500 acres in the vicinity of Pensacola, Fla., for use as a site for an aviation training field to continue land-plane training from the United States naval air station, Pensacola, Fla. At the present time the Navy is using a site known as Corry Field, containing 250 acres, more or less, for an aviation training field. This site is located about 8 miles from the naval air station. It was made available to the Navy without cost to the Government under leases from the owners which expire on June 30, 1927. It has been in use by the Navy as an aviation training field since the summer of 1922. The leases contain options to purchase at any time prior to July 1, 1927, at an approximate cost of $56,000. The Chamber of Commerce of Pensacola intended to exercise these options to purchase and convey title to the United States without cost. Past experience at Corry Field, however, has demonstrated the desirability of acquiring a larger area of approximately 500 acres for land-plane training. The owners of the 250 acres adjoining Corry Field are demanding a price for their land which the chamber of commerce considers exorbitant and it therefore does not feel justified in purchasing those 250 acres as an addition to Corry Field to make up the 500 acres which it desires to convey to the United States without cost. As an alternative the chamber of commerce now offers to convey to the United States without cost title to a site containing approximately 500 acres of the Prieto grant located in section 56, township 2 south, range 30 west, between Pensacola and the United States naval air station and about 3 miles distant from the naval air station. The chamber of commerce further agrees in case this site is accepted by the United States to condition 250 acres thereof for a landing field, construct a railroad spur to the site, and construct and keep (757) 20038-27-No. 133 in repair a hard-surface road from the West Pensacola road to the site, all of which improvements it agrees to complete by June 30, 1927. This latter site is considered much more desirable and advantageous for naval aviation purposes than the old site at Corry Field, as it has a much larger area; it is about 5 miles nearer the naval air station and thus will greatly lessen transportation and communication difficulties; its location will eliminate necessity for personnel to fly over the city of Pensacola to reach it from the naval air station; and it permits relatively close concentration of station activities. The Navy Department therefore recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation. Sincerely yours, CURTIS D. WILBUR, A BILL Authorizing the acceptance by the Navy Department of a site for an aviation training field in the vicinity of Pensacola, Florida, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized to accept on behalf of the United States, free from encumbrances and without cost to the United States, the title in fee simple to such land as he may deem necessary or desirable, in the vicinity of Pensacola, Florida, approximately five hundred acres, as a site for an aviation training field to continue landplane training from the United States naval air station, Pensacola, Florida. |