The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-04-10
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There are comparatively few people who
can afford to take the Daily Gso1s, and Of the
few VINO do take It, mot one ilA hnndred can
afford the time TO read f.; axd tksn again, of
the very small numbsr who ngi4 allbrd the
time give Or six hours dAy) noA eAe in =
thousand could muster sufaclsnt pAtisacc and
perseverance, to wade through the iutsrhina-
bic mass Of dreary trash Of which II il 90
largely made up. Yet in digging int it,
ponderous columns, one occasionally strikes .
thread-like seam Of golden huvhsrs or layer
Of fact and solid information, that ore worth
taking out. Thus in turning over its pages
recently, our eye rested on tho heading I" Re
duction of the Army" We followed that
heading through the proceedings Of about a
month-say from the beginning Of February
to the end of the session. A. number of pro
jscts tor reducing the army were discussed :.
some practical, sensible and iudicious- others
perhaps too sweeping-bnt that which was
most favored and finally adopted amounted to
no reduction at all. The bill rs it finally
passed, we believe, for it is impossible to
catch its exact provisions from the proceed.
ings,) fixes the maximum of the army at
$4,000 men, and reduces the present number
Of officers only by their death, resignation
or removal for mi conductor as Butler ex-
pressed it, "by the act Of Almighty God or
their own vices" Wsi b 4 1850
Yet from admitted facts presented in the
discussion, it appears that there are at present
in the pay Of the government 65l general Off.
GERS of the army. or one to every Is men, sup
posing the army to be full up to $4,000 men,
enough tor an army Of 100000 men, for the
number was never greater at any time during
the war. Then of field officers there are 849,
or one Major, 1t. Colonel or Colonel) to about
140 men; and 2264 line officers captains,
lieutenants, &c, or one to every 20 men. The
inference is, that a reduction Of nearly four
fifths Of the general staff officers, and one-half
of field and all other officers, could be made
without detriment to the service, at a saving
of good many millions year. The present
pay received by these officers amounts to
$l2,3S6, 527.00a year. 80 MA
About this pa" Of officers, not the least Gu
rious part is, how it Is made up Locking at
the army list, we find that the pay of Major
General is put down at $4,000 per month. or
$2,64o.oo year. Little enough, the reader
will say; but wait. In addition, he gets "a
cations per day, which, committed at 80 cents,
make 1884 90 more per month then he val
lowed $640 per month for clothing; four ser
wants, at $1,000 per month each, $4,000; and
five horses, with fonge committed at enough
to bring his pay up to S67l 100 per month
But his pay don't stop here. Having his
headquarters in or near city or village, he
must haye rooms, the allowance for rent Of
which varies .som 100000 to 100000 a
year: he has allowances also for tne, mileage
&c, and finally, and in addition. b. all, he has
his " longevity raticns," the meaning of which
IS, that besides the "a rations already allowed
him, he has an additional ration per day for
every five years he has been in the service, on
the theory, we suppose, that ar officer in the
army as he grows older grows more voracieus.
OF these longevity rations, General Lorenzo
Thomas, the oldest officer in the army, gets 8
per day, and as his principal business for the
last year has been travelling ovsr the country
inspecting soldiers cemeteries, he has, in ad-
dition to all his'other pay, been allowed some
$4,000 for mileage, so that his whole pay has
not been less than $25,OOo.oO for the year.
The pay OF the other Major Generals, inclu.
ding extras, averages ordinarily about $12,-
O0ooo; of Brigadisr Generals, about $4,000 (;
Colonies, 100000, and so on down to Lieu
tenants and Ensigns stasss
This is the pay they receive in cash. But
there are other ways in which they manage to
exc out good deal mere yet. All officers
have the privilege of buying their subsistence
Of the commissaries at the wholesale cost
price. There is no limit as to the amount
they can buy. The result IS, that where they
board they pay Their, board bills uniformly in
coinmissary stores That is, they turn over,
TOR instance, coffee, which costs them 22 css.,
to their landlords for 20 cts, and the landlord
takes it gladly, for otherwise it would cost
MIN 50 to 50 cts Mr.. Ross, Of H., mentioned
IN the course Of the debate, instances where
officers on the plains had made handsome
sums by purchasing barrels of sugar. at say IL
cts, and coffee at rs cts. Of the commissaries
and then sold them 10 retail aoalars ~, +hosa