Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-03-19

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| 1t takes about 100000 men to run
the Federal government and this is
not great number when we consider
mat there are nearly 90,000,000 of pee-
pie i'll the country This number in
Guides a great many country postmast-
ers and others, who do not give their
Whole time to- the government, but does.
not include some 10000 privates and,
non-commissioned men in the army. 1t
is notable that there are two kinds of
jobs which it is hard for Uncle Sam to,
fll-those in the army and those in
technical positions. The army is, about
$4,000 men short of the proper force
and the number of those in the. SER
vice is decreasing steadily through de-.
sertiens and expiration of enlistments.
Men can do. better in civil life; and!
even West Point appointments go, beg
ging. The technical positions in the,
various departments in various, branch
| eS of the service are hard to fill. The.
examinations are very strict. the Re-
quirements are of the highest and the,
pay is about oae-half that in civil life.
1t is no, wonder that it is hard to Sc
| cure the right sort of men, Every man
is supposed to be patriot but that
does not mean that he is willing to-
work for Uncle Sam for half pny, espe-
| cially as this employer is rich and able
to pay better salaries. Members OF
| Congress voted themselves; 80 per cent
| additional pay. but did not take into
consideration the great mass of en-
plOyes, OF the government. most of
whom are working at % compensation
| fixed more than 80 years. ago, when the
cost of living was not more. than half
what it is at present
The joint Congressional Committee
! appointed to investigate the working
| of the Post Office Department has
made preliminary report suggesting
| several radical changes in the organi-
| cation of the executive machinery of
| the department, chief among which is
| the recommendation that the actual
| direction of the business of the service
! be placed in the hands of an officer
with necessary assistants, to be APP
| pointed by the president and confirmed
| by the Senate. for long terms, so as to
| insure the continuity of efficient SER
| vice, which, they say, can not be eX-
| pected in the fullest measure when the
business is intrusted. as ut present, to
a postmaster general and certain as
81 t,-tt, nj
ence to experience and qualifications
and subject 10 frequent change Under
such system, they say. n large rail
road, commercial or industrial business
would inevitably go into bankruptcy.
and the Postoflice Department has
ayerted that fate only because the
| United States treasury has been avail
able to meet deficiencies 1t is not
proposed to abolish the office of post
master general who would still have
control of matters of policy as a cabi-
net officer.
Every four years Uncle Sam has q
| job that requires workmen having more
than the ordinary amount of daring IN
| their makeup. 1t is the difficult task
of cleaning and painting the dome Of
| the Capitol at Washington and the
1 Goddess on top of it. Nine tons of
| paint are used and it requires two
months work of from 80 to 40 men to
complete the task. The top Of the
dome is so far above the ground that
workman loses all his freshness, NOV
ing about slowly and with great care.
1t is not so hard for the men who do
the actual painting, as they usually
| have scaffolds to protect them, 1t is
| the men who put up the scaffolds who
| take the greatest chances of being
dashed to their deaths somewhere be-
| low. The entire capitol dome is in four
| levels; first there is the cupola and
| the statue on top of all then comes
| the dome proper; then two levels col
| umns All of this except the statue,
| including the columns themselves, is OF
| iron. The Goddess herself is some 20
feet high, and weighs 10000 pounds.
| -
The annual pension bill as favorably
! reported to the House carries total
| appropriation of $150.S69.000. AS
method of economy it proposes to con-
solidate all the branch agencies in GER
| tain cities into the central bureau ut
| Washington, This policy is opposed by
| the g. A. Il. There are now OCT 81
| persons on the pension roll. and the
sum paid them last year was S138,-
| 030,S94.
In order that the War Department
may appreciate the strong sentiment
| of the people of the Pacific coast in
| favor Of permanently maintaining
| fleet of at least six modern battleSlIps
| in these waters various commercial
| bodies Of Washington. Oregon and Cal
ifornia will be asked TO pass resolu-
| tions to that effect and to forward
copies to the authorities at Washing
ton.
-
At the graduating exercises of the
West Point Military Academy los ca
diets were given diplomas and are now
iii line for commissions in the regular
army, where they are said to be great
~ needed Secretary of War Taft made
the principal address and delivered the
diplomas. He reminded the young men
that an army man lost a good part Of
his freedom of initiative and speech
and reminded them that their plain
duty was to "obey orders and keep
your mouth shut
One of the many recent-and ancient
criticisms of the American navy was
that in time of need a ship might be
commanded by a man who had little or
no experience as captain of battle
ship. The President has lately ap-
proved change in the regulations
which permits commanders to serve as