New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-15

ton here with all the luxuries and all the priv
tleges and all the power 1t Is a very untortu-
nate feeling.
DEPARTMENTS NOT IN HARMONY.
A question was raised as to the method Of ap-
pointing boards to make transfers. and the Sec
rotary suggested the omission of the section
in the bill requiring the Boards to be composed
of officers ION duty in the department in which
the vacancy exists" Senator Sewell did not see
how the Ordnance Department could be rotated
by the proposed method. and Senator Hawley
shared the doubt. Mr.. Root suggested that the
remedy simple enough. The word ord
nance" could be stricken out OF the bill, but. he
added:
I am very strongly OF the opinion that there
is branch of the service which would be
more benefited by periodical return TO the line
than the ordnance branch. l think we
have abundant material to keep the Ordnance
Department filed with competent officers Of the
highest class by detail from the artillery. Cen
tlemen, IL is of the highest Importance to eff
cheney that instead of the different branches
of the Army sitting and glaring at each other.
and finding fault with each other, and opposing
each other and throwing responsibility OFF their
own shoulders on TO somebody else's shoulders,
they should work together and that. as far as
possible. the artificial and permanent lines OF
demarcatiOn should be broken down. and that
the members of the Army should have the esprit
de corps OF the Army, instead OF having the
esprit de corps of particular section Of it.
Two-thirds Of the trouble we have had in the
past has come from the fact that the in
different departments are thinking about the
difference between their departments and the
rights Of their departments and the aggressions
Of other departments. The quartermaster and
the commissary are "scrapping'' about who shall
get out a bill Of lading and who shall call a
board Of survey to determine whether keg OF
butter is lost The ordnance and the artillery
finding fault with each other-the ordnance
with the artillery who do not take Of the
guns, and the artillery with the ordnance be-
cause they do not keep all the parts OF the guns
there. The line and staff are grumbling at each
other around dinner tables, instead OF labortng.
each man with all the others, for the good and
efficiency Of the whole service.
REWARDS FOR DESERVING OFFICERS
Several members Of the committee criticised
the scheme TO promote officers by selection. The
Secretary defended 1t furnishing method Of
rewarding officers for zeal, industry gallantry
and efficiency He said 1t all wrong to keep
the ambitious vigorous. efficient fellow down
by a hidebound rule TO the same level the
chump,' the dull. idle, Indifferent fellow, who is
just able to keep in the Army and avoid being
turned out examination. 1t is entirely re-
versng the whole principle on which the great
ness and efficiency of the American people has
been built up to say that meritorious conduct
and zeal and energy and activity shall never be
rewarded
Senator Bate suggested giving the power ex-
clusively to the Board to make the selection. in
stead of leaving II to the President, which plan
Mr.. Root favored Senator Harris suggested
the recognition of merit applying TO One-Inlrd
Of the promotions be reduced to one-stxth. Sem
atOr HawIey raised the question whether the
boards would not be composed Of rivals OF the
men they were passing upon, and Senator Cock
rell said the GARD of Colonies in selecting an
officer for that grade might run the risk of pro-
noting who would De the next br1gadler-
general To this remark Mr. Root replied:
IF your material is rotten, you cannot build
at ALL He added: TT IS rather a difficult thing
TO get officers to turn down a coulrade