, 1890-11-20

~ l..au
nrmy, aud entail largo itnu hee"'SIjs
oxncnse The practical solution OF th''
somewhat voxed question assu".es
nhnses, First. how to make the ser
Vice more desirable; second, now 70 r.
move tho artificial restraints wn,v',
by binding man iniieSioiy 70 u ~
service which has become distnstetul 70
IJm na,nr,,Ilv drive him to desperate
mrans. third. how to make the punisn'
ment of the crime of dcsertion so GER
tain. that if mo-e worthy motives Iail
mon mny BIO warned by Its fear. AS 10
tic second and third there Is now legls
lntion enough, at least with our presen'
experience. With respect TO the hrs''
there is, / think, need OF more.
Ny experience so far conhrins an ou
seryation which | mado one year ugo
that ''the nth OF tho whole question is
to mako tho service worth seeking anI
then enough good men viii seek ~ nnu
be plad to stay in it, SO fur as THIS is
question OF Thoughtful ana cohSlueruts
treatment OF tho men IL has thus Tar ana
will continue TO engage my enrhes' Nv
tention, and in 1t have had the heary
and intelligent cooperation OF wy On
mental difficulty. The pay, o, seconu
lieutenant is S1lG.27 per month, that OF
first sergeant only $29, and unfortunately
this difference In pay lnrgly regulates tno
actual distance between thclr relntNe
positions, That distance is too great.
The individual elements OF tho army are
separated by too largo gap Tor the pest
interests OF either. The pay OF nom
commissioned officer 10 but little more
than n private, and tho chance to rise
above that position very slight. Ihere
is little inducement Tor bright anu en-
crgotic man, in q country OF SO great
possibilities as ours, either To seek OF W
desire to remain in the military service
IL would be n step in the right direction
to Increase somewhat the pay OF the nom
commissioned oflc GERS, that every man
who enters the service may hnd III II 'ho
possibility OF o modest future.
rHREE.BLr rTNiioS FORMATION.
As military question there is nodlf-
ference OF opinion as to tho advisaoillty
and necessity OF the hreo.battalion
formation for infantry. Every European
power has adopted IL, and all the leading
generals of our country, including
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, have
recommended it, Now that our smali
army can be stationed in larger posts
the conditions of service arc iully suited
to its use, IL already prevails III the
other arms of the service, and there are
even stronger reasons for II In the IN
fantry; besides, all ought to DO UNIFORM
SIGNAL CORPS.
BY the act approved October l, 1880,
the weather bureau service, which has
heretofore been under the charge OF the
signal corps, Is to transferred on the hrs'
day of next July to tho department oil
agriculture. The growing Importance
OF this service, in It's general interest To
the country, has resulted in its develop.
ment aud extension TO the dctriment OF
the original purely military duties ol
the signal corps. The disas,ociation OF
the two must certainly place upon
more favorable basis this very lmpor-
tant though small branch of the military
service. There has already more at
tention been paid to II during the past
year than heretofore. Three hundred
and ninety-threc officers of the line,
ting for the first time In many
years every regiment in the army, have
been under instructions, and at least
l 800 OF the enlisted men.
MILITARY POSTS.
The policy OF the department 10 con-
centrate its troops at larger posts us
rapidly as the erequi re ments ofthe service
would permit has been carried out dur
ing the year, and sixteen posts h ave been
gwen up and the reservations turned
over to the department of the interior,
In order that they might DO taken up by
The people for private use. This has
only been DONE however, where IL was
that the presence of the troops i'll
those particular localities was no longer
necessary, and that their maintenance
there was making needless extra ex-
pense.
POST rRApERs.
During the year the licenses of forty
two post-traders have been revoked, and
only two new traders have been ap-
pointed, leaving the total number OF
traders at present in the service thirty
four In the earlier history OF the West
when military posts were generally upon
The extreme frontier, some such system
rs that OF post-tradcrs was necessary.
Since then town and cities have general
ly grown up in the close vicinity of
posts, and which have merchants who
ran now furnish 20 the garrison such
stores as q posl-tradcr has usually kept.
lt Is believed to be wise policy to discon-
tinue as rapidly US possible q privileged
class and permit the trade Of military
posts outside Of regular governmental
supplies TO take its regular channels.
YArIoHAL GUARD.
Being impressed with the importance
Of an effective militia as prominent
and necessary factor In any military
organization suited to our country, the
department has endeayored by its co.
operation to encourage and aid the
National Guard so far as possible under
law. Officers have been de-
tailed to assist In their instruction, and
of regular troops have been
ordered to participate in some of the
larger state encampments. The depart
ment has endeavored to cooperate more
especially with tn osc states which have
mani tested the most interest in tho
matter by their own liberal appropria-
tiOns and earnest Efforts. Tho results
have been very satisfactory. Its direct
benefits are palpahle, and its indirect in
tiuence perhaps even more important.
Amy money which the national gov
crnment expends for our citizen soldiery
goes to help those who help themselves,
and Is bound to give proportionately
large returns. Under the present law
benefit Oft the militia S40J, 600, while the
individual states appropriate in the ag-
gregate, so far as known, over 81, 600, 900,
and in many states the militia receive
also considerable support from local
and private sources. Ii the appropria-
tion of the general government should
be increased and | wish it might be, /
believe that 1t would be generously met
by corresponding increase by the
states themselves. i heartily commend
every intelligent effort to increase tho
efficiency of tho national guard, and to
bring them into closer relations with the
TO that end may receive favorable con-
sideration of COupress Ono of tho ,nns,