The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-12-07

/ lH6 after dMUilt ~ tNCli my I 4 = .
very undesirable TO have the senior grades
of the army composed of men who have
come to fill the positions, by the mere TACT
of seniority. A. system should be adopted
by which there shall be an elimination
grade by grade Of those who seem unfit
to render the best service in the next
grade. Justice to the veterans of the
civil war who are still in the army would
seem to require that in the matter of re-
tirements they be given by law the same
privileges accorded to their comrades IN
the navy"
Another recommendation which the pres
ident makes In connection with the army
is for the reduction of the paper work
of the service, known to the pubic as red
tape" OF this he says:
EVERY effort should be made to bring
the army to a constantly increasing state
Of efficiency; When on actual service, no
service should be required. The paper
work in the army, as in the navy, should
be greatly reduced. What is needed is
proved power of command and capacity
to work well In the field. Constant care
is necessary to prevent dry rot in the
transportation and commissary depart
ments.''
He also urges the enactment of legis-
lation in connection with the militia and
they may be better fitted for active serv-
ice in time of war, and says:
Our militia law is obsolete and WORTH
less. The organization and armament of
the national guard of the several states,
which are treated as militia in the up
preparations by the congress, should be
tHaNS 0ShtiS A. ttANSe "
the regular forces. The obligations and
duties of the guard in time of war should
lished by law under which the method of
procedure OF raising volunteer forces
should be prescribed in advance. 1t is ut
terly impossible in the excitement and
haste of impending war to do this salts
factorily II the arrangements have not
been, made long beforehand. Provision
should be made for utilizing in the first
volunteer organizations called out the
training of those citizens who have al
ready had experience under arms. and
especially for the selection in advance of
the officers of any force which may be
raised; for careful selection of the kind
necessary is impossible after the outbreak
He praises the veterans of the civil war.
the war with Spain and those who have
rendered the nation valiant service in the
Indian uprisings of the west and In the
Philippines. and counsels continued lib
crafty in the nations dealing with them.
The Civil Service.
He recommends the enactment of legis-
lation that will place under the rulings
of the merit system many classes OF en-
ployes not now governed by 1t. His rec
ommendation for this is as follows:
Il the passage of a law
which Will extend the classified service to
the District of Columbia or will at least
enable the president thus to extend it.
In my judgment all laws providing for
the temporary employment of clerks
should hereafter contain a provision that
they be selected under the civil service
He also wishes the merit system to OBJ
tain in the, government service in the
colonies, and says:
Not an office should be filed in the
Philippines or Porto Rico with any regard
to the mans partisan affiliations or serv-
ices, with any regard to the political, So
cial or personal influence which he may
have at his command. In short, heed
should be paid to absolutely nothing save
the mans own character and capacity
and the needs of the service.
The administration of these islands
should be as wholly free from the sus-
picion. of partisan politics as the admin
istration of the army and navy. All that
we ask from the public servant in tho
philippines or Porto Rico is that he re-
fleet honor on his country by the way in
which he makes that .country's rule q
benetit to the peoples who have come un-
der 1t. This is all that We should ask,
and we cannot afford to be content with
less"
Other Recommendations.
Among other recommendations which the
presideit makes are those asking for leg
Station taat 1 llimprove the consular serv-
ice along lines outlined in bills introduced
at previous sessions, and he says that:
1T is true that the service is now in the
main efficient, but a standard of excellence
cannot be permanently maintained until
the principles set forth in the bills here
tofore submitted to the congress on this
subject are enacted into law"
He believes the time has arrived when
the Indian should cease TO be treated as a
member of a tribe, but as an Individual,
and recommends breaking up the tribal
funds, putting a stop to the indiscriminate
permission to Indians to lease their allot-
ments and stopping the ration system. He
recommends also the establishment of an
industrial educational system, and an en-
deavor to encourage the Indians to become
cattle raisers rather than agriculturists
where their lands are unsuited to the latter.
He recommends liberal appropriations for
the Louisiana Purchase exposition and an
appropriation covering expenses incurred
by the Charleston exposition in removing
government exhibits from the Buffalo ex-
position to that at Charleston.
Another of his communications is for
a permanent census bureau, as 1t would in
sure better, cheaper and more satisfactory
economic and social science.
The Postal Service,
He calls attention to the growth of tho
postal system and to the fact that the an
nual deficit in this department Of the gov
small sum of 50, 1928. 721. This, he says, could
further be increased and possibly a surplus
shown but for the fact that many publi-
cations are now securing the pound rate
as second-class mail matter which are not
entitled to the same under the law. OF
this he says:
THE full measure of postal progress
which might be. realized has long been
hampered and obstructed by the heavy
t tSraen t impG int1enS ON ta aea g WsennSs
stood abuses which have grown in con-
%nection with second-class mail matter.
The extent of this burden appears when II
; is stated that, while the sesond-class mat
ter make nearly three-ffthso of the weight
Of all the mail, 1t paid for the last fiscal
: year only 81, 1884, 45 of the aggregate postal
revenue of Sill, 63l 1893. If the pound rate
OF postage, which produces this large loss
thus entailed and which was fixed by the
i congress with the purpose of encouraging
E the dissemination Of public information,
: were limited to the legitimate ne wspapers
! and periodicals actually contemplated by
l the law, no just exception could BIZ taken.
: That expense would be the recognized and
: accepted cost of a liberal public policy de-
: liberately adopted for a 1ustifiable end.
l But much of the matter which enjoys the
e privileged rate Is wholly outside OF the
intent of the law and has secured admis-
= sion only through an evasion of its re-
quirements or through lax construction.
: The proportion of such wrongly included
= matter is estimated by postal experts to
be one-half of the whole volume of second
class mail. II it be only one-third or one
quarter, the magnitude of the burden is
. apparent. The post office department has
. now undertaken to remove the abuses so
Z far as possible by a ~stricter application
: of the law, and 1t should be sustained in
its effort"
The Chinese Difficulties
: He calls attention to the satisfactory
. settlement of the Chinese difficulties of
4 last year, and this nations part in thu