The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-03-13

F M
II fnks~ nss,uf .ssxs.Utp men to rsfn
TIE is@,tag4a ssssrn4ssert aud this Ii
not Il great number when we consider
Thar there are hearty t0gakO.CuO of peo
ssle Ri ti~ spasasrs. 1rhis nafniser In
flalss a great maDy country posknast-
sfr and others. who do not give their
stinle time ~ the government. but does
col include sU;De iU.axU prfvafex and
iioii~tsoiDlBlsxlouei men Ia the arnly. II
IN notable that there are Two kinds Of
Jsas which IL In hnrd Tor Uncle Fam to
fil those In tile army and fitosss In
technical positions, The army h about
25.txa3 men short Of the proper force
and the number nf those IN the ser
Mriions atni expiration of enlistinents.
Men can do better Ia civil life. and
even West Point appointments ~ beg
ging. The technical positions In the
various departments In various branch
~ Of the service are hard TO Ill. The
examinations are very strict. the re-
~luirenlents ARE Of the highest and the
pay " about ofie-haif that In civil life.
IL tn no wonder that II II hard to 49,
saire the right sort Vt men. Every man
IL supposed to be q patriot. but that
does not mean that he is willing TO
work for Uncle Sam for half pay. espe-
eiaIly rs this employer In rich and able
to pay better salaries. Members OF
Congress voted themselves 80 per cent
additional pny. hut did n take into
consideration the great mass of en-
ploveH OF the government. most OF
whom are working at a compensation
tlzed more than 80 years ago, when the
cost of living was not more than half
what IL liz at present
SO
The joint Congressional Committee
appointed ~ investigate the working
of the Post Office Department has
made d preliminary report suggesting
several radical changes In the organi-
zatiun OF the executive machinery OF
the department. chief among which Ii
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 ap-
pointed by the president and confirmed
by the Senate, for long terms, 10 as to
Insure the continuity OF efficient SER
vice, which. they say, can not be ex-
peciea In the fullest measure when the
business il intrusted, as ut present, to
a postmaster general and certain AZ
sistants selected without special refer
enee to experience and qualifications,
and subject to frequent change. Under
such a system. they say. a large rail-
road. commercial or industrial business
would Inevitably 70 into bankruptcy.
and the Postofice Department has
averted that fate only because tho
United States treasury has been avail
able to meet deficiencies. 1t In not
proposed to abolish the Office OF post
master general. who would still nave
control Of matters Of policy as q cabi-
net officer.
Every four years Uncle Sam has Z
Job that requires workmen having 0
than the ordinary amount OF daring In
their makeup. 1t IL the dificuit task
Of cleaning and painting the dome Of
the Capitol Al Washington and the
Goddess ON top OF II. Nine tons OF
paint are used and It requires two
months work Of from 20 to 20 men to
complete the task. The top OF the
dome II 10 far above the ground that Z
workman loses all his friskiness. mov-
Ing about slowly aud with great care.
II h not y hard for the men Who do
the actual painting. a they usually
have scaffolds to protect them. 1t -
tho men who put up the scaffolds who
take the greatest chances Ut being
dashed to their deaths somewhere be-
low. The entire capitol dome II In four
levels; nrst there ID the cupola and
the statue on top OF all then comes
the dome proper: then two levels col
umns. All OF this except the statuA
Including the columns themselves, II Of
iron. The Goddess herself 10 some 20
feet high. aud weighs $4,000 poundA
49,.
The annual pension bill as fayorabiy
! reported to the House carries 4 total
appropriation OF 415O.S69.OO0. As Q
method Of economy II proposes to con
solidate all the branch agencies In GER
tain cities into the central bureau at
Washington. This policy Is opposed By
the @. A. X. There are now D67 .371
persons On the pension roll. and the
sum paid them last year was Si3S.-
030.S94.
.:-%
La order that the War Department
May appreciate the strong sentiment
of the people ii the Pacific coast in
tayor Of permanently maintaining a
tett OF 1t least six modern battleships
Ia these waters. various commercial
hoslies OF Washington. Oregon and Cal.
tfornia Will be asked to pass resolu-
tions to that effect and to forward
copies to the authorities ct washine-
ton.
@-:
At the graduating exercises Of H.