Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-12-14


the federal inspection of railroad
safety appliances, for which congress
is now making appropriations, is q
service analogous to that which the
government has upheld for genera
tons in regard to vessels, and it is
believed VIII prove of great practical
benefit, both TO railroad employees and
the travelling public.
During the year ending June 80 last
%, 500 persons were appointed through
competitive examinations under the
civil service rules. This was 1863
more than during the preceding year
and 40 per cent of those who passed
the examinations. This abnOrma
growth was largely occasioned by the
extension of classification to the rura
free delivery service and the appoint
ment last year of over 5000 rural car
riers. Recent executive orders re
quire that appointments of all unclass
flied laborers, both in the departments
at Washington and in field service
shall be made with the assistance OF
the civil service commission, under g
system of registration to test the rela
tive fitness of applicants for appoint
ment or employment.
The effect of the laws providing q
general staff for the army and for the
more effective use of the national
guard has been excellent, says the
President, hut the government should
as soon as possible secure suitable
permanent camp sites for military
maneuvers in the various sections OF
the country. The only people who
are contented with a system of pro
motion by mere seniority are those
who are contented with the triumph
of mediocrity over excellence. Or
the other hand a system which en-
courages the exercise of social or po
litical favoritism in promotions would
be even worse. But it would surely
be easy to devise a method of promo
ton from grade to grade in which the
opinion of the higher officers OF the
service upon the candidates should be
decisive upon the standing and promo
ton of the latter. Just such system
now obtains at West Point. The
President believes that, when a man
renders such service as Captain Per
shing rendered last spring in the Moro
campaign, il ought to be possible to
reward him without at once jumping
him to the grade of brigadier general
He congratulates congress upon the
steady progress in building up the
navy. We cannot afford a letup in
this great work. To stand still means
to go back. There should be no ces.
sation in adding to the effective units
of the fighting strength of the fleet
The establishment of a naval base in
the Philippines ought not to be longer
postponed and it is desirable that
there should be provided a naval gen,
eral staff on lines similar TO those OF
the general staff lately created for the
army.
There seems good ground for the
belief. says the President, that there
has been a real growth among the civ
ilized nations of a sentiment which
will permit a gradual substitution OF
other methods than the method OF
war in the settlement of disputes. 1t
is not pretended that as yet we are
near a position in which it viii be pos
sible wholly to prevent war. The
President declared it to be our desire,
in common with most civilized nations
to reduce to the lowest possible point
the damage sustained in time of war
by peaceable trade and commerce. To
accomplish that object it has always
advocated those rules which would in
most cases do away with the right to
capture the private property of an
enemy on the high seas.