The Topeka state journal., 1908-03-16
FRON OTHER PENS
NO TARIFT REVIsIoN.

The determinations Of the Republican
leaders in congress to permit no kind
of tariff legislation at this session is
politically and economically wise. The
business conditions of the country call
for uuieting treatment, whereas tariff
agitation, even in the mild form of a
commission of investigation, is disturb
ing The tariff needs some readjust-
ment, but 1t should be readjusted to
meet normal conditions. The time for
this is when normal conditions prevail
and not during a period Of financial de-
preston.
The manufacturers Of the country are
divided on the question of revising the
present tariff. Many of them deny that
there is any demonstrated necessity for
any revision The country has prosper
ed under the Dingley act. 1t has proved
itself one Of the best tariff acts, If not
the very best, the country has ever had.
Then why change 1t? Why disturb the
business of the country by even agitat-
ing it's change? Would the correction
of the few incongruities and imperfec-
tions which time has developed in the
Dingley law pay for the disturbance in
cident to a protective tariff agitation?
What guarantee is there that the pro-
cess of change would limit itself to re-
moving the defects in the present tariff
and not destroy some OF its fundamen-
tai virtues?
be revised and brought up to date. They
are framed with view to existing in
dustrial conditions, and when these
change materially the tariff requires
readjustment. The time for such a
change should, however be we'll chosen.
A period of financial depression and un-
certainty and the year Of a presidential
election should not have it's inevitable
complications and disturbances aggra-
waited by tariff revision agitation
Philadelphia Press.
ABSENTEEISM IN THE ARMY
It Is interesting to observe that the
house military committee. in its con-
sideration of the army appropriation
act, has been making some inquiries
Of leading army officers concerning the
degree of absenteeism; that is to say
the extent to which officers Of the in
fantry, cavalry and artillery are sep
arated from their respective commands
by the employment which Is known as
detached duty" This includes those
assignments to duty with the special
staff corps and the general staff, and
it amounts in the aggregate to several
hundred officers, whose places with the
line 1t is proposed by the war depart
ment to fill by corresponding increase
in the commissioned personnel of the
army. Some Information has been
sought by the house military commit
tee concerning the wisdom of enacting
legislation which will place restrictions
upon the assignment of army officers
to detached duty, and while the ad-
vice given the committee by represen-
tatives of the war department is not
by any means clearly stated, it Is be-
heved to be In favor of a limitation
upon the period which line officers Of
the army may be absent from their
troops. At present there Is no such
limitation. An infantry or cavalry or
artillery officer may be with the pay
department for four years, and then
spend the next four years as a quarter
master and the succeeding four years
on the staff of department comman-
der. In fact, there are several notable
instances of officers who have been
away from their line commands for 10
OF IL years In that time a line officer
must necessarily forget much that he
knows concerning his line duties, and
when he returns to them after such a
long absence, it must be appreciated
that he resumes his tasks with the
troops as one who is confronted by new
responsibiities.-Wa Washington Herald.