1899, for the first time in nearly twenty years, Congress passed legislation of importance concerning the officers. Nearly all corps were slightly increased and the line and engineer corps were combined. This was practicable, as nearly all officers of both corps had been educated at the Naval Academy, and, while the line officers had received considerable instruction in steam engineering, the engineers had received some training in line officers' duties. The desirability of the ‘amalgamation’ of the corps is yet to be determined.
The organization of the Department of the Navy is described under Navy, Department of the.
The active list of officers of the navy in May, 1902, consisted of 1299 commissioned officers, 868 cadets, mates, and warrant officers, and 200 officers of marines. The retired list consisted of 475 commissioned officers (many of whom are performing active duty on shore), 116 warrant officers (a few of whom are employed on active duty), and 27 marine officers. The enlisted force authorized was 22,500 petty officers and men, 2500 naval apprentices, and 6000 marines. The commissioned officers included 874 officers of the line (which includes engineers), 190 of the medical corps, 136 of the pay corps, 41 constructors, 21 civil engineers, 24 chaplains, 12 professors of mathematics, and 1 secretary to the admiral. There were 124 naval cadets at sea, 301 cadets at the Naval Academy, 95 boatswains,, 91 gunners, 69 carpenters, 9 sailmakers, 148 warrant machinists, 25 pharmacists, and 6 mates.
The enlisted force of the navy is divided into five branches—seaman, artificer, special, messman, and marine. The first three have assimilated ratings which are classified in each branch under the heads of: (a) chief petty officers; (b) petty officers, first class; (c) petty officers, second class; (d) petty officers, third class; (e) seamen, first class; seamen, second class; seamen, third class. The chief petty officers of the seaman branch are chief master-at-arms (pay per month, $65), chief boatswain's mate ($50), chief gunner's mate ($50), chief gun-captain ($50), chief quartermaster ($50); in the artificer branch there are chief machinist ($70), chief electrician ($60), chief carpenter's mate ($50); in the special branch, chief commissary steward ($70), chief yeoman ($60), hospital steward ($60) , commissary steward ($60), bandmaster ($52). Petty officers of the first class consist of boatswain's mates, first class, master-at-arms, first class, machinists, first class, etc., with rates of pay from $36 to $60 per month. Petty officers of the second class consist of master-at-arms, second class, machinist, second class, etc., with pay ranging from $35 to $40. Pett}' officers of the third class consist of master-at-arms, third class, etc., pay $30 per month in all cases. The seamen, first class, consist of seamen gunners ($26), seamen ($24), apprentices, first class ($21), firemen, first class ($35), and musicians, first class ($32). The seamen, second class, consist of ordinary seamen ($19), apprentices, second class ($15), firemen, second class ($30), shipwrights ($25), musicians, second class ($30), buglers ($30), hospital apprentices ($20). The seamen, third class, consist of landsmen ($16), apprentices, third class ($9), and coal passers ($22). In the messmen branch, officers' stewards are paid $24 to $45 and their cooks $20 to $40. Ship's cooks (for the crew) are paid $25 to $55 and bakers $35 to $45. Officers' mess attendants are paid $16 to $24. In the enlisted force of the marine corps, sergeant-majors are paid $34 to $42; other sergeants, $18 to $42; drum major, $25 to $33; corporals, $15 to $23; drummers, trumpeters, and privates, $13 to $21; leader of the band, $125 to $175; second leader of the band, $75 to $83; musicians, first class, $60; musicians, second class, $50. All men not petty officers are given an outfit of clothing upon enlisting for the first time and marines of all ratings are given an ample allowance of clothing throughout their enlistment. The mess expenses of enlisted men are met by an allowance of a ration of 30 cents a day in addition to the rates of pay.
Officers of the navy who have creditable records are retired at the age of 62 years on three-fourths the pay received at date of retirement. Officers retired for disability or incapacity may receive three-fourths pay, half pay, or furlough pay (about one-third full pay). Marine officers, as well as army officers, are retired for age at 64 years. Enlisted men are pensioned for disability or retired after thirty years' service on three-fourths the highest rate of pay received.
The vessels of the United States navy in 1902 were 305 in number, the more important of which are grouped together in the tabular statement in the article Navies.
The United States possesses a number of naval stations, both at home and in its outlying territories and possessions. Of these, 6 are navy yards of the first class, located at New York, Norfolk, Mare Island (near San Francisco), Boston, Philadelphia, and Port Orchard (Puget Sound); 3 navy yards of the second class, located at Portsmouth (N. H.), Pensacola (Fla.), and New Orleans (La.); 4 of the third class, located at Port Royal (S. C.), Charleston (S. C.)—this will be an important yard when completed—San Juan (Porto Rico), Cavité (P. I.); 3 of the fourth class, located at Key West, Pollok (Mindanao, P. I.), and Isabela Basilan (P. I.); 2 training stations, located at Newport and Yerba Buena Island (San Francisco Bay); 1 naval academy at Annapolis; 1 torpedo station, at Newport; 1 gun factory at Washington; 1 ordnance proving ground, at Indian Head (near Washington); 5 coaling stations located at New London, Tortugas (near Key West), Hawaii (navy yard to be established), Guam, and Tutuila (Samoa).
Colonies. The following figures for area and population are based upon the census of 1900 and Government estimates:
| COLONIES | Area | Population |
| Hawaii | 6,740 | 153,727 |
| Philippine Islands | 127,853 | 6,975,073 |
| Porto Rico | 3,676 | 953,243 |
| Guam | 195 | 9,000 |
| Tutuila | 54 | 3,800 |
| Total for the colonies | 138,518 | 8,094,843 |
The following table shows the trade relations between the United States and what are now its principal dependent territories, for the fiscal years 1893 and 1903:
