New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-15

A STRIKING EXAMPLE OF WHAT Sfoil<SMr'> NAV
| DO WHEN GREED FOR PUBLIC PAP TAKES
THE PLACE OF HONORABLE AMBITION
TO CARRY ON A GREAT WORK
| [BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIRUNE.1
| washington Ian 1.-THE Coast and Geodetic Sur
vev seems 10 be going from bad to worse these days.
and Is only through the efforts Of few OF the old
assistants who have not yet been dismissed that 'he
| work OF the Bureau Is not now complete lallure
At the last session OF Congress the superintendent
expected TO have fight on his hands and was mucn
surprised when he found his bill reported IN accord
ance with the estimates submitted by the Secretary
and finally passed with some additions The friends
OF the Survey did not think the last session OF Con-
gress favorable time for legislation looking 20 the
correction OF the existing evils as the characters OF
the Superintendent General Dufisld and his patron
Logan Carlisle too wei known TO suppose tha'
any such legislation would be carried out
After the appropriation for the present year was
secured General Dufel1 made another attempt, IN
June last further degrade the Bureau by the dis
missal OF three more OF the best assistants Two OF
these assistants proved TO be too powerful for him.
and have been reinstated. The third has as yet
failed to have his case investigated Since July 1884,
eleven assistants have been dismissed or compelled
to resign. and have resigned to take places else>
where The appropriation bills for the years ending
June go 1896 and 1896. reduced the number OF assist
ants from ffty-one to thrtyeght-the first bill cut
ting out nine and the second bill cutting out four.
Before bill of 1895 into force there were
eight vacancies. and before the bill of 1886 went into
force there were two more vacancies caused by the
two designations above mentioned. During all this
time only three remova necessary TO conform
to the law.
In the bill OF 1896 General Duf!ied had attempted
to have the number Of assistants reduced from
fortytwo to thiryfour but Congress declined to go
far The House was willing to follow his recon-
mendation. but the Senate was not. In the Confer
Committee a compromise made. reducing
the number Of assistants to thirtyeight and cutting
the superintendent salary down from 5000 TO
5000. II reads the proceedings of Congress
about this he cannot well infer other than that
General Dufield not held in very high esteem.
even in what was called the house OF his friends.
The fact Is that when General Duffie!d made the
recommendation to reduce the force he had been In
charge OF the Survey very short time. and had
no proper knowledge of its requirements and very
slight knowledge OF most Of the assistants. 1t
apparently his desire to get rid Of certain people
whom he knew to be his superiors. and who. he
feared. would expose him. and also to make places
for his friends and especially for his own son. In
the appointment of his son with Of the highest
salaries he has made up for the reduction Of his
own salary. This son first appointed al s. 900
salary. but was promoted $1,000 at the date
the law went into effect reducing the Superintend-
ents salary from $500 to S. 900.
In the whole history of the Survey now nearly
eighty years old. no such sweeping changes have
been made az nave taken place during General
Duflelds administration OF the last years
Never before has the bureau been inefficient and
demoraliZed as at present. The assistants comprise
the greater part Of tho scientific force. and should
naturally be the superintendent advisers but his
present advisers are mere clerks who have SCI
entihc knowledge, but have the ear and influence
Of Logan Carlisle. The assistants have become
divided into two sets-one comprised OF the best of
the assistants who have pride in their work and
hope for Il restoration of its former efficiency and
fair name; the Other comprised of the new ap-
pontees and a few others who have been specially
ana undeservedly favored, and. thinking only Of
their salaries would like 10 see the present state OF
things continue. The whole office force is also
similarly demoralizcd and divided. Never before
mas inc bureau had such a weak and inefficient
superintendent.
The new Administration will very soon discover
that nothing can save the Bureau from disgrace
except thorough reorganization on the old basis
and the appointment Of a competent Superintend-
ent. To accomplish this some legislation will be
necessary. 1t is to be hoped that this session of
Congress Will appropriate the full salary OF the
Superintendent and make the tenure of office for
life. or during good behavior, and enable the
President TO find the proper man VINO will accept
the appointment Certain it is that under the pres
Would care to accept il WITH proper sSpeTi an
tendent invested with the powers always exercised
by superntendents previous TO the advent of Logan
Carlisle The Bureau would soon reach the efficiency
Of former years. Certainly something should also
be done TO render justice TO those assistants who
barred out by MT cvennd last a cv are ser HG@
order. Previous 10 July 1894. An appointment in
this Bureau considered for life or good be-
havior and efficiency; and promotions. with very
few exceptions. were made for merit 1t is hard
that men who have given up their lives to this
vice should he thrown without cause other
than TO make places for who have had
experience in the special line of work and pos
qualifications for the service. An investiga-
ton will develop the fact that there Is ustifica-
ton for the course that has been pursued for the
last two or three years ns Is case IN when me
be a detrment to the public service for years
However much this new order may be- in general.
beneficial some modification should be made TO
meet such special cases.