Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-11-22
,NEWsY GOSSIP FROM NATIONAL CAPITOL


themselves as republicans, and it Is
from that element of "Out-and-outers"
that the tariff revisers expect to Sc
cure such help as will enable them
to pull their new bills through a re.
luctant senate. Some of those pro-
gressives believe in using the sharp
est kind of a brOadaxe in trimming
the branches of the tariff tree.
That's the real truth of the situa.
ton, and the sooner that the manu-.
facturers begin to prepare for the con-
gressional fray the better 1t will be
Tor their respective interests.
Chief among the much needed re-
forms which the new congress is ex-
pected to put into effective shape, and
on which some preliminary action
will be taken during the short ses-
sion Ia an exhaustive pruning Of the
so-called civil service system, one OF
the most especial humbugs OF which
Is the alleged efficiency and econo-
my" commission and its queer gum
shoe methods. That there will be a
radical cutting away from official red.
tape rot and the application of a,
sharp pruning knife is evidenced by
Speaker Clark's conservative state.
ment on this subject, one of the most
important, by the way, In the eyes of
many thousands OF worthy men and
women who have been shut out from
governmental employment by "regu-
lations" and examinations" as re-
markable as they are absurd. The
Speaker says: .,...
in my Judgment the civil service
system in some shape or fashion Is
a permanency. Some places involve
technical knowledge. or physical, or
mental training OF. ability, WHIST 9th.
ers do not, Positions OF that class
ought to be- under civil service rules
and obtained by proper examinations.
1t must be taken and accepted as true
that no party car afford to give
places of responsibility to incompe-
tents. But many places require no
technical knowledge, and the civil
service has been extended to cover
these, which is OVERRIDING THE
BUSINESS"
1t is q somewhat singular thing
that, many members of congress who
do not know anything whatever about
army matters. and indeed, whose
knowledge on quite q lot of other az
fairs equally as vital to the welfare
of the nation is superficial, are eter-
nally poking their noses into and In
terfering with the efficiency OF the
cavalry branch of the service. They
belong to that wooden.headed and
thick-skinned crowd, who, during the
last session tried their level best to
have a clause reducing the strength
Of the cavalry arm inserted in the
army appropriation bill, and it is be-
leved that, despite the wholesome
lesson taught them at that time OF
the value and importance Of our
mounted troops, as well as the para
mount necessity Of maintaining its
usual strength, they intend to renew
their misguided efforts at the coming
session. Our experiences in Cuba and
the Philippines have had no percept.
ible effect on such men, and neither
have lessons of the RussO-Japanese,
the Italo-Turkish, or the Balkan wars.
Their proposition was to reduce
the number and fighting strength OF
our cavalry regiments from fifteen to
ten. Chairman Hay, who Is well post
ed on the needs of the army, and is
impressed with the prudence of keep
ing Il already too scanty regiments
on a respectable peace footing, is OPP
posed to the proposal, SO also is Pres.
ident Taft. II the meddlers succeed
in having their Objectionable clause
inserted in the next army appropria-
ton measure, they will, in all likeli-
hood have the pleasure of seeing it
vetoed.
/. 1t Is noteworthy in this connection
to state that the officers in charge OF
the army remount system are graft
fled over the progress that has been
made toward the encouragement of a
reliable source 81 supply Of horses
suitable for military use and ~accessi.
bile in increased numbers in time Of
war. Most OF the last money appro-
priated by congress for the purchase
of horses for the army has been *
hausted, the last purchase being Of
young horses in Texas, which are to
be sent to the several remount de.
pots for development and training,
prior to issue to the troops. One
third of the horses bred and trained
will be for the field artillery, and the
others for the cavalry, and every ef-
fort will be made to have the army
ultimately equipped with the finest
and best horses of the kind required
that can be raised in the country.
In time Of peace and in time of war
the arrangements now being perfect.
ed for the breeding of horses for the
cavalry and the field artillery in CO.
operation with the department of agr
riculture, the results will be appreci.
ated by the whole country. .Purchas.
ing eighteen stations at the outset,
Prot. George Romnel, head of the bu.
reau Of animal industry, and his ex-
pert associates, hope to build the
number up to maybe about 40. and
different remount or other stations
are to be established in various sec.