Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-06

lions OF custodlaus OF abandoned military
reservations. Many such reservations, formerly
used for military posts, have been given up
by the War Department. The Indians having
become tractable and the country settled, there
Is no further use for the posts. Under such
circumstances the reservations are turned over
to the Interior Department to be surveyed and
| sold. Congress has provided a small amount
OF money Tor taking care of them in the
interval. but it is not nearly enough to
60 round. Custodians are needed to
see that dishonest persons do not walk
away with the buildings pecemeal.
This is a common form of theft where lumber
Is scarce, and the doors and windows. particu-
larly Of a deserted house, quickly disappear.
However, the reservations frequently remain
unguarded, because men are unwilling to ac
cept appointments which have no pay or rations
attached to them. They are permitted to re-
side in the buildings, and in some instances
they do SO, keeping eve on things for the sake
Of obtaining the privilege of cultivating the
area Of tllable and welI-watered land which is
usually included within the limits of such gov
eminent property.
1t is somewhat hard to find suitable officers
OF the army and navy to occupy the positions
OF military and naval attaches to the United
States legations IN foreign countries. To salts
factorlly fulfill the duties Of these posts plenty
OF money Is an essential requisite. man at
tached In such capacity to the embassy at
Paris or at London needs private fortune to
hCcP up Will tu6 Social requirements OF the
situation. He must move in the most richly
gllded swim and must meet all sorts of unusual
expenses. 1t is expected Of him that he shall
live like gentleman of rank and wealth, be-
cause the attaches at the legations Of other
nations are rich and noble. A clear UNDER
standing Of these facts would lessen the num-
Der OF applications for these positions which
are sent in by young officers to the Depart
ments OF War and Navy at Washington. They
desire the appointments for the sake of the
agreeableness Of the duties and the social
prestige belonging to them, not realizing that
they could not keep up appearances decently on
their pay alone.
SMALL SALARY FOR MUCH KNOWLEDGE.
There are places in several of the departments
here which commonly remain vacant for long
time after the incumbents have died or re-
signed. because persons competent to fill them
cannot easily be found. Occasionally one reads
In the Washington newspapers an advertise
ment issued by the civil service commission
announcing that on a certain day a competitive
examination will be held for the purpose Of
filling situation which requires familiarity
with plane and spherical trigonometry, differ
entail calculus, the science Of calculating the
center OF gravity Of heavy ordnance, three or
four European languages. typewriting and
stenography. The fortunate candidate is
promised an appointment at $500 or 81 900 q
year.
In the Nautical Almanac office there are men
who are employed to calculate parallaxes, the
declination and right ascension OF all stars at
all hours. and all sorts Of other such astronom-
ical puzzles. They are paid from 500 to $500
per annum. There Is a situation at the Army
Medical Museum which requires q thorough
knowledge of both Chinese and Japanese. 1t
was kept open for a long while before anybody
could be found to fill it. The salary of the
incumbent has recently been raised from 81 900
to u. 200. If such posts created specifically
for experts it would be necessary to attach
respectable wages to them. But for economical
reasons the government prefers to rate them
simply as cierkships. They are used as traps
for highly skilled individuals who may chance
to be compelled by want Of money to drop into
them. Once having done SO it is difficult for
them to get out. When they die or resign the
traps are baited for fresh victims
A study Of the present ofice-seeking cpl
demic affords fresh evidence of the surprising
anxiety which men commonly exhibit to secure
places under the government at any sacrifice.
They will abandon occupations which yield good
incomes in order to get hold of positions in
Uncle Sans gift which afford only starvation
wages. Even the prospect Of death does not
deter them. The treasury has no trouble in
employing capable agents to 60 to yellow fever
ports. The place at plague-stricken Panama
was vacant for while not long ago, but it has
been filed by man who is willing to vegetste
in that wretched spot and take his chances Of
surviving for salary Of %, 200 a year.