The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-07-21
LABOR AND THE MILITARY.

In an attempt made to excuse the Of
ficers of the National Guard for re-
ceiving and acting upon complaints re-
garding the pay allowed members of
their companies by the Executive De-
partment of the Government, it is
stated that the officers are but extend
i-g friendly assistance to those under
them, and have not by their methods
overstepped the bounds of military pro-
priety. To the interest which individual
members of the military take in each
others financial condition we can offer
no objection. Let the bond of social
friendship among the Members of the
several companies be as close as they
wish to make it. The closer the better.
There is a point, however, when the
officers. as military men. can allow
their friendship to go altogether too
far, and this is just the direction in
which the officers of the National Guard
are tending.
When the officers meetings were first
inaugurated it was anticipated that the
object of the weekly gatherings was to
discuss matters of discipline, other
thousand and one questions that come
up in the handling of military force,
and the general improvement of the
service. This was looked upon as a
very good move, as indeed it was. AT
the present time, to all appearances,
| the officers seem to have come to the
conclusion that the service is perfect,
and they can now turn their attention
to other affairs. At the meetings at
the military headquarters they have
taken upon themselves the response
bility of discussing the pay of privates
who are working for the Government
as laborers or in an official capacity in
the departments. AS we have previous
" stated, these meetings now become
the meetings of board of appeal.
The officers by their action have Ia
ken upon themselves new duty that
can only result in doing the service an
injury. They have placed the privates
open to the accusation that their mill
tary service to the Government is giver
because of the Government work ex-
pected. They have given the enemies
of the Government the best handle fol
an oligarchy argument that could pos
sibly be offered. They have met at the
military headquarters to discuss ques
tions concerning the employment ant
pay of labor The whole theory of the
idea is rotten to the core, so far a!
military service is concerned, and if thu
thing is continued we believe that prac
teal facts will eventually prove thu
soundness of the theory. Nursing /;
labor appeal board within militar!
association is contrary to militar!
ethics and military practice.
We appreciate the excellent worl
that has been done and is being don
i by the hard working members of tn
military companies. All things being
equal, the man who has done or is nov
doing gratuitous military service TO
r his country should be given recog
milton in the Government departments
: but if any citizen who has rendered
such service feels that he is being for
gotten, his appeal should go to tn,
chief of the department in which h
6 seeks employment. We know of no in
4 stances where such cases have beef
treated lightly. One of the blessing
: of the present Government is that Their
: is no aristocracy Every citizen, iron
4 the least to the greatest, is given
!, hearing by the executive heads of de
partments. Consequently there is alb
n solutely no occasion or necessity 70
Il the formation of labor bureau anon
the officers of the military. AS privat
S citizens we see no reason why anyon
Z. in the military forces should not us
), their individual influence to prove tn
l. merit of this man or that man VIII
. seeks work. To form military assoei
alton TO pass judgment on the action o
0 officials in the Executive Department
is an entirely different proposition l
), is starting custom that the militar.
officers ought to know enough to avoid
/. In these days when religion is play
ing prominent part in the politics o
both Canada and tbe Tinted States