The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-02-18
Get Rid of the IIumbug!

Get Rid of the Humbug!
There Is no moro reason why the gather
ing OF information regarding the weather
should DO intrusted to army officers and en-
listed men than there Is for turning over to
the military establishment the work OF col
lecting crop statistics or despatching letters
and newspapers. Tho Weather Bureau has
no natural connection with the army, and
there Is no propriety whatever In putting o
General at It's head
For military purposes instruction In Sig
mailing Is necessary, and doubtless there
ought to be few officers In the army who
make q speciality OF tho business; but they
can be and should be detailed from the line
for limited terms The knowledge OF signal
ling, easily acquired would thus be spread
through the service, and there would be no
necessity for q costly separate corps. with
Observation-Disclosures General at It's head. A
Captain, or Lieutenant even, would do as
well, and better, for tho place would not DO
30 extraordinarily tempting that he would be
likely to neglect his duties to manufacture
influence to secure his retention In 1t. The
expenses OF signal instruction, also, would be
30 small that there would be no opportuni-
ties for plumber like those which HowaATE
improved.
As it is now. however, the place Of Chief
Signal Officer Is one OF the softest In the
army, and therefore Gen. w. b. HAzEN, who
has always had a conspicuous liking for
ieather-bed ease and security, worked him
self into 1t. He had no special fitness for
the duty, and no scientific requirements
which justified the selection Of him. Gen.
MYER, whom he succeeded, had made the
Signal Service, and because 1t had proved
valuable in the civil war high rank was
given him. with high pay, as its chief. But
HAzEN was put in after MYERS death only
that he might be promoted to be Brigadier-
General live In Washington, have an easy
time, and escape rough duty on the frontier.
There was no other reason for selecting
him. His appointment was gross piece OF
favoritism on the part Of the Fraudulent
HAYES. man less entitled to such plum
could hardly have been found In the army,
where his reputation is rather that OF an Oily
-Gammon than brave and accomplished
soldier or man OF solid requirements and
vigor Of character.
Once at the head of the Signal Corps,
HAzEN's interest was to magnify his inn
portance, and keep the corps OF such large
proportions that it would seem appropriate
to put general officer in charge Of the work.
Yet, In TRUTH that work is really directed and
done by six Second Lieutenants and few
on-commissioncd officers and enlisted men.
HAZEN knows very well that II the Weather
Bureau Is separated from the military part
OF the Signal Corps's work, there will be COM
paratiRly little left. and that little will not
command attention outside OF the army. 1t
Is tho Weather Bureau which keeps the con-
Germ before the public.
HAZEN has therefore manpuvred In all d.
rections to prevent tho separation, and has
done 1t in a way so discreditable that,
whether the Weather Bureau Is taken from
the Signal Corps or not, he ought to be dis
placed as Chief Signal Officer at once. and a
court OF inquiry ordered in his case. He has
played the old trick OF working up and manu-
featuring opinions in his favor In manner
to make them appear spontaneous utterances
Of public bodies and the public press. ON.
GERS of the corps have been set to do that
fraudulent business.
Fortunately, he has been exposed, and the
proofs of his trickery have been furnished
but it was obvious what he was up to before
Mr.. BELTzHOovER prepared his speech and
gathered the eliminating letters and docu.
ments There never was any public demand
for the retention OF the Weather Bureau as
part Of q military corps. Nobody cared tc
keep 1t there except HAzEN and those whose
bread and butter or social ease would have
been affected by its transfer to civil depart
ment, where 1t belongs. or course the resO
buttons passed praising HAzEN and declaring
a.. the necessity for military control OF thu
weather service, and the newspaper articles
to the same effect, were the work of cithe
HAzEN or his detailed subordnates.
By all means, turn the Weather Burea,
over to scientific and practical corps o
civilians, and employ no one in it who doe
not actually work at the business. who is no
specially fitted for it, and who is not actual
needed. Then establish school for instruc
ton In military signalling with such OF tn
Second Lieutenants now in charge as wis
to remain in the army. and send officers t
the school for training during limited pc
RODS. The humbug of keeping purel
ornamental BrigadierGencral Mt the head @
the Signal Corps is too absurd to be longe
tolerated. There is no. earthly reason VIII
HAzEN should be where he is, except that b
Is man who covets soft place.
The Great Methodist Silver Mine.
"For the love of money!" saith the ApOstl