National Republican., 1883-01-16
ruE MEArnrn nrREAr.
Pertinent Expressions from the Weather
Observers In BrhnIr Of rhcir Transfer 70
the Interior Department.

Pertinent Expressions from the Weather
Observers in Behalf Of their Trnnsfcr 70
the Interior department.
The men employed in the signal service,
doing the work of clerks in that department,
although nominaily placed under military
discipline arc making efforts to have the
weather bureau separated from the War de-
partment, in order to do duty in the army as
officers, instead Of acting as clerks. They
have indofscd u printed letter to congress,
signed "The United States Weather Obscry-
erS," in which they give some advice,
in II free and easy style, to the lawmakers
The letter purports to he an answer to Che
circular of Gen. llaZCn, CritiCising Secretary
Iincon's right TO Judge what IL best for Lis
department.. In their letter they say:
"Our commanding officer has extensively
distributed in franRcd envelopes a circular
which grossly misreprcscnts Us, and demands
our Immediate reply in sCli-detcusc. He says
that we thinl; The signal service should re
main Under military rule and we do think
50 hut we think the weather bureau should
not Gen. ltaZcn means probably that we are
opposed to ollr contemplated transfer To the
interior department. Where, we ask, does he
derive his authority 60 speak for Us. When
the Logan bill was introduced in the senate
we were asked for our opinion ON the subject
and for fear Of consequences were indisposed
to champion il, and Gen. HazCn issued Il pa
per for signatures wherein VIC pledged our
SoVcs TO approve the transfer and secure the
passage of an Infamous majors and captains
bill now pending before your honorable body.
The pledge was not generally signed, and
when the paper was carried back to Cen
Hazcn he sent 1t back for more names.
We earnestly rcpudiatc Gen. Hazcn's right
10 speak fOr.us, ana dcnOUnCc the contcmpti-
bility of li5 action in publicly using against
"a oh nVI pf Il ic-
pleasure, and we assert that the Observers are
earnestly praying for the passage of the
Logan bill. Picture TO yourselves, gentlemen,
u brigadicr general, aided 10y II large staff Of
officers, holding out to enlisted men paper
framed in the selfish interests of tho former,
and requesting signature How many men
do you think would dare to refuse to sign IL
so presented? Gen. lIaHcn further says that
military discipline is, necessary TO compel us
TO perform our work. and through the fidelity
and efficiency of our labOrs for the past twelve
years we feel that this is an insult TO us.
We cite the postolicc department, where
rigid discipline is maintained, where the cm-
ployes are thousands and we are only five
hundred, as an organization whose work is
done CticCtually and economically, and which
has no difficulty IN retaining valuable Cm-
ploycs and yet Gen. HaZCn says only military
rule can hold us. During the past year sCv-
cnty-ninc men have applied for discharge.
Gen. Hazcn says il is because of the poor pay.
But IL Is not 50 the majority of the men
leave because of the insullerabe arrogance of
our superior officers, and the most valuable
observers are ont of il for this reason.
1t puts limit TO our salaries,
to n knowledge of our profession
of meteoroogy, to the interest we shall take
in the bureau, forbids us TO rise officially
or socially, brushes out our scli-rCspect, and
has made us mere puppets.
The bureau now costs $1,500.000 per an
mum, but the figures show that ms bureau of
the Interior department S75O,000 would be
Sufficient to maintain it. Gen. Hazen quotes
our military committees rs in favor of a mill
tary bureSu, Aut they have heard but his
side of the question. His officers have neg
lcctcd their duty to lobby at the capitol
They have unduly influenced and obligated
the press of this city and the correspondents.
Tho columns of our local papers and the car
of the correspondents are alike closed to us.
They refuse to hear our arguments or COM
plants. Officers of the signal service
have Travelled over the country, solicit
ing resolutions from commercial and other
organizations to dcluge congress- and further
their selfish schemes, and have obtained them
by the grOssest misrepresentation. What do
You think, gentlemen, of this admirable mill
tary SYSTEM As for your military reports
which Gen. Hazen says are emphatic in favor
of the military plan, these Us well as other
papers credited to your committees were writ
ten in Gen. Hazcn's Office, your committees
having nothing to do with their preparation"
The letter is long one and cites several
incidents 10 prove the assertions of the OBJ.
servers, and closes as follows: "Investigate
and satisfy yourselves. Do not be coaXed
threatened, wned and dined into furthering
the selfish ambitions of Gen. Ha2en but il
YOU must take favorable action upon his bill
TO perpetuate his own sovereign control, do
not think that you are furthering the wishes
of the United States weather Observers"