The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-28
NATIONAL MATTERS.
RetaliatOry Resolution Assistant Chief
signal officer and the Secretary of
Wars Remarks Thereon.

WASHINGTON, Feb 27.-The House Foreign
Affairs Committee to-day authorized Mr..
Eaton, of Connecticut to submit to the
House favorable report upon Mr.. Lefevre's
resolution calling for retaliatory action for
GeTmany's restrictions upon American pro-
ducts. Mr.. Eaton takes the ground occu-
pied by Lefevre's resolution, that under our
treaties with Germany that coun try has
been favored above all others; that the dis
elimination against American products was
in violation of the spirit of these treaties, and
that the situation warrants the action sug.
geste0 in the resolution.
Owing TO the heavy payments from the
Treasary the present month for pensions
and other obligations, it is estimated there
will be but a small reduction of the pubic
debt for February.
Ths Senate bill, introduced by Mr.. Dawes
to create the Office OF Assistant Chief Signal
Officer, the design OF which was to provide
for the provide for the promotion OF Lieu.
tenant Greely, having been referred by the
Military Committee 70 the Secretary of War.
the latter has made reply, in which he
giyeE his views on the Signal Service gener-
ally. few extracts will suffice to give the
spirit of the communication.
The bill referred to me is further step toward a
comprehensive military organization, of toe es-
tablisnment for which there is no military need
Mili'ssy signalling or conveyance of military or
deTs a ipfelieence by telegraph for signals, is
not po0er object for the existence Of bureau
in the War Department. A signal officer on a
stan commanding the general army could easily
supervise the issuance to company commanders OF
the proper code books, and the amendments to
them. The actual work of signalling by flag must
also De done by actual soldiers, and enough of
VII VIII probably always be in instructed f@ "f in
the very simple work. By various steps
signal service force OF enlisted
law, consists of 500 men, of whom lS0 are SER
geants and Corporals. OF this force about l75
Oh constant duty IN this City as clerks printers,
etc, and the remainder. excepting Jew tele-
graphers. are isolated observers OF the weather.
necessarily in choate until igested at the great
central office in Washington, and TO do this there
stationed here the Chief Signal officer and six
subordinate detailed officers of the army, five
| Second Lieutenants of the signal Corps and l75
enlisted men. There is also stationed here q
large force of civilian officers aud employees. 1t
| Is an sssemblage OF military and civil
| officers and employees, all performing
civil duties without pattern in any other branch
of the public service. and would see with regret
any further steps toward preventing an establish
ment so organized becoming IN time purely civil
| In Its organization military organization
IN such matters. When II is rec0llected thar 5ig-
nal Service means by transmission OF nomen-
clature which has been effected since the termi
ton Of the war, weather Bureau Service" ii is
| not seen why there should be Colonel in that
service any more than Colonel OF Geological
| Coast and GeodetIc Survey"
| While upon this general subject attention may
te calico TO the fact that under the present sys-
tenn OF the bureau the chief signal officer, for no
good reason. is alone excepted from the operation
| of the civil service act, and by far the largest
part in the clerical force in the city of Washing
ton are called enlisted men," ana are so treated
by law, and they enter the service by the
immedats es'iOa bG tnes
| perform the same functions as clerks in any
| other bureaus of the War Department. and dis
charge the duties which in all other depar
are performed by men certified to by the Civil
Service Commission under the law and the regu-
| .atioDs OF the President. This is an anomaly,
for the existence of which no good reason is ap-
| parent.
The President has directed that the mum.
| Der of Internal Revenue Districts in North
| Carolina be increased from two TO three, and
| to be numbered Fourth, Fifth and Sixth
| Districts.
Isaac ]. Young has been designated Col
lector of the Fourth District, and Thomas
| w. Cooper OF the Sixth. 1t is not expected
the vacancy in the Fifth District will be
filled during the present administration.