The sun., 1903-12-08

sion, under system Of registration to
test the relative fitness Of applicants for
appointment or employment. This sys-
Tenn % and Is SRsn t. all auo o
70 age, physical ability, moral character,
industry and adaptability for manual
laOor, except that in case OF veterans OF
the civil war the element of age is omitted.
The system Of appointment is distinct from
the classified service and does not classify
posi ions Of mere aborer under the Civil
Service act and rules. Regulations in aid
thereof have been put in operation In sew
eral OF the Depart ments and are being grad
Mally extended in other parts of the service.
The results have been very satisfactory,
AZ extravaganza has been checked by de-
creasing the number of unnecessary po-
sitions and by increasing the efficiency of
the employees remaining.
REPORTS OF BOARD OF CHARITIES FOR THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Congress, as the result of a thorough
invest igation OF the charities and reforma
tory institutions in the District of Columbia
by joint select committee of the two
houses, which made it's report in March,
1888, created in the act approved June o, 1900,
a board OF charities for the Dist rict of Co.
iulnbia, to consist Of Ave residents of the
District appointed by the President of the
United States, by and with the advice and
consent OF the Senate, 6Ach for a term Of
three years. to serve without compensat ion.
President Mckinley appointed five men
who had been active and prominent in the
public charities of Washington, all of whom,
upon taking Office July !, 1900. res gned from
the different charities with which they
had Ecen connected. The members of the
board have been reappoinl ed in successive
years. The board serves under the Com
missioners of the District OF Columbia.
The board gave its first year to careful
and impart ial study of the special problems
before il, and has continued that study
every year in the light of the best practice
in public charities elsewhere. Its recon-
mendat ions in its annual reports to The Con
gress through the Commissioners of the
Dist trict Of Columbia "for the economical
and efficient administration Of the charities
and reformat ories of the Dist riot of Column
ha. as required by the act creating il,
have been based upon the principles reoom-
mended by the Joint select committee of the
Congress in it's report of March, 1898. and
approved by the host administrators of pub
lie charities. and make for the desired
decentralization and Improvement of the
Affairs under it's supervision. They are
worthy of favorable consideration by the
Congress.
THE ARMY
The effect Of the laws providing a General
Staff for the army and for the more effective
use of the National Guard has been ex-
cellent Great Improvement has been made
in the Efficiency of our army in recent years
Such schools AZ those erected at Fort Leav-
enworth and Fort Riley and the institution
of fall nanRuvre work accomplish salts
factory results. The good effect of these
manGuvres upon the National Guard is
marked, and ample appropriation should
he made to enable the guardsmen of the
several States to share in the benefit. The
Government should as soon possible
secure suitable permanent camp sites for
military manpuvres in the various sections
of the country The service thereby rem
dered not only to the Regular army, but to
the National Guard of the several States.
will be so great as TO repay many times
over the relatively small expense. We
should not rest satisfied with what has been
done, however. The only people who are
contented with system of promotion by
mere seniority are those who are contented
with the triumph of mediocrity over excel
lence. On the other hand, a system which
encouraged the exercise of social or political
favortism in promotions would he even
worse But it would surely be easy to
devise method of promotion from grade
to grade in which the opinion Of the higher
should be decisive upon the standing and
promotion Of the latter. Just such system
now obtains at West Point The quality
of each years work determines the standing
or graduated into the next class in the rela- 1
tive position which his military superiors
decide to be warranted by his merit. In
other words ability. energy, fidelity and
all other similar qualities determine the
rank Of a man year after year in West Point
and his standing in the army when he grad
yates from West Point: hut from that time
on all effort to find which, man is best or
worst. and reward or punish him accord
ingly. is abandoned; no brlliancy, no amount
of hard work, no eagerness in the perform
ance of duty, can advance him, and no
slackness or indifference that falls short
of a court-martial offence can retard him.
Until this system is changed we cannot
hope that our officers. viii be OF az high
grade as We have right to expect. con-
siderng the material upon which we draw.
Moreover when q man renders such service
as Capt. Pershing rendered last spring IN
the Moro campaign 1t ought to be possible
to reward him without at once jumping
him to the grade OF Brlgadier-General,
THE NAVY
Shortly after the enunciation Of that
famous principle of American foreign policy
now known as the Monroe Doctrine, Presi
dent Monroe, in special message 70 Con-
gress on Jan. 30, 1924, spoke as follows:
"The navy is the arm from which our Gov
ernment will always derive most aid in
support of our rights. Every Power
engaged in war will know the strength OF
our naval power, the number OF our ships
of each class, their condition and the
promptitude with which we may bring them
into service, and will pay due consideration
to that argument.
I heartily congratulate the Congress upon
the steady progress in building up the
American Navy We cannot afford a let up
in This great work. To stand still means TO
90 back. There should he no cessation in
adding to the effective units of the fighting
strength of the feet Meanwhile the Navy
Department and the officers of the navy
are doing well their part by providing con-
stant service at sea under conditions akin
to those of actual warfare. Our officers and
enlisted men are learning to handle the bat
tleships cruisers and orpedo boats with high
efficiency in feet and squadron formal ions,
and the standard of craftsmanship is being
steadily raised. The best work ashore is
Indispensable, but the highest duty of
naval officer is to exercise command at sea
The establishment of a naval base in the
Philippines ought not to be longer post.
poned Such a base is desirable in time OF
peace; in time of war it would be indis-
pensable, and its lack would be ruinous,
Without it our feet would be helpless
Our naval experts are agreed that Subig
Bay is the proper place for the purpose
The national interests require that the
work of fertilization and development
of a naval station at Subig Bay be begun
at an earl, date, for under the best condi-
tions il is a work which will consume much
time.
1t is eminently desirable, however, that
there should be provided a naval Genera!