Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-09-20
GOOD MEN NEEDED
FOR PAYMASTERS
Congress Must Change Army Laws or
Lose Efficient Officers-Need
Financial Training.

WASHINGTON, u. c., Sept. TO-
Especial. Unless Congress rcconsiders
its former work. relative to the four year
detail of line officers Of rank correspond
ing to THAI of vacancies to be filled in
certain specified staff departments. the
extinction of staff officers with perma-
nent commissions in the army will result.
This is matter of serious discussion
with the present paymaster general of
the army. Brighten. c. G. Sniffen. in
his report to the secretary of war. Tn
Ill the act of February >, 1901, was
passed, efficient men could be appointed
to the pay corps whose training had been
along financial lines, booKkeeping and
the essentials which go 10. make Il good
paymaSter. But under the act of 1901
the appointment from civil life was done
away with and now the vacancies to he
hlled III the pay corps must be made from
the line of the army at the whim or the
caprice of the man i'll authority, without
regard to the training of the man Sc
lected for paymaster.
Sniffen Is Efficient
Gen. Sn!ffeE, who, probably more than
any other man who has occupied the Pc
SluOn OF paymaSter general since the
close of the Civil war, has been essen
TALLY an executive man. He has served
all through the grades of paymaStcr to
paymaSter general. Before he was ap-
pointed TO the pay corps he was one of
president Grants closest clerks and be
fore he was called to the white house
under the Grant administration he occu-
pied clerical position i'll the war de
partmCnt. His training has been in a
broad school not confined to the line or
staff of the army but comprehendinG
both the line and staff he has brought to
4
edge which has been accepted by his SUI
periors looking to hettcrments i'll the pay
department..
The detail system undoubtedly has
much to commend it i'll time of peace,
but i'll time of hoStilitieS the adequacy of
the detail system when applied to the
higher grades of major, lieutenant col
onel, and colonel is seriously questioned.
At such a time very few officers of the
line of such grades will he found will
ing to lose their chances for commands,
distinction and advancement and assume
the pecuniary responsibilities and risks
which attend the eNigent and unfamiliar
disbursing duties of paymaster's i'll the
field.
Gen. SniffCn, who has very pro
nounccd views upon the question of the
detail system, takes the position which
has been held by his two immediate pre-
decessors, Gen. Bates and Dodge, that
extend beyond the lowest grade in the
army, which is that of captain, and that
the three field grades should be perma-
nent. That vacancies occurring i'll the
grade of major i'll the pay corps should
be filled by the appointment of captains
who have served or may be serving
detail and whose fitness for permanent
commissions shall be established by the
records they shall have made for ctli-
cheney in the disbursement and accOunta-
bilty of public funds and that these
permanent appointecs should be eligible
to promotion to the grade of colonel.
Officers Become Expert.
1t is an undeniable fact that the ON
Ger WHO devotes his official life to special
duties under Il permanent commission
mnSt become more expert, useful and
competent than the officer who intermit-
tently serves for a limited period in one
or the other or all of several departments
or corps in the army subject to detail.
Unless at the coming session of Con
gress legislation is passed changing exist
ing conditions in the pay corps the per-
manancy Of the field grades will be
abolished because not later than January
l, 1908, Il vacancy in the grade of
major will occur which must under eX-
listing law be filed by detail of Il major
from the line. What troubles Gen. Sniff
fen as to the efficiency of his corps,
troubles zen. AIeSllre, mead OF the quar-
termaster's department, the latter even
going so far as to recommend i'll his an
nuaI report a school for the training of
quartermasters with particular reference
to the constructions Of buildings and
building materials, plumbing and first
hand knowledge of textiles and their
Manufacture.
The detail system was undoubtedly an
experiment with Congress and as the
practical questions growing out of the
system are presented to the committees
of the two houses dealing with the Nh
jec a modification of the law of 1901
would seem imperative and further RENE
dial legislation expected from time to
time and that finally system of detail
suited to all the conditions of the service
and adjusted to the function of each staff
dpnart1nent ultimately ndnntnd