New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-26
A MILITARY NUT FOR CONGRESS TO CRACK.

A MILITARY NUT FOR CONGRESS TO CEACh'
TO the Edftor Of the Trtb"ne;
SIR: The act of Congress approved July ~
1906 gave the Quartermasers OF the hry
sixteen military stOrekeepers. and 10 inc ordnahce w
partment fourteen military storekeeper' each WIN tne
rank pay and emounents OF captain OF cavalry RE
vious to this act there fourteen socailed military
storekeepers In the Quartermaser's Department ana
twelve in the Ordnance Department They were CIVIL
,ans in the military service doing duty as CLERKS anu "
ceivng 500 per month No doubt they ala goou
during the Rebellion and some OF them Tor many year
previously, and managed to go through our Rro"'
srupce with twenty six clerks at $1,000 per annuh 10
perform certain duties. In July, 1866 however ONO se
after the close OF the war; thought necessary 70
give the same the rank ana pay anu %,
captains of cavalry at an Commissioned
oGesr cannot be expected to perform common cierca
labor, and 1t Is therefore necessary 10 hife III
clerk for each officer so appointed. -. .,,..,oo 70
I'm the Ordnance Corps the law did great injustice TO
giving az s1rUx t3 IN t te same rank the
lieutenant has years, and then mos thae te
%aTy 1d0 S T he f sutenan
major. which happens after about 80 YEAR III s
| Ordnance DEPARTMENT. To make bad matter sun
| worse the War Department has dated the captains
commissions OF military storekeepers back 20 me ue
Of their original entry service as military cerKSan
extraordinary proceeding, without sanction OF precedent
or law For instance, in the official Army kegsler or
I8Gq Ouartermastcrs Department. Military St0rekeeper
Captains" Potter Reuben NJ, date OF present coulHS
sion March 49, 1913; original entry INTO service, zane
date" So on down the list They rank all the captains
in the army. hope that they did not draw Dack pay
from date commission TO date OF actual appointment
Now If some member OF Congress, having wlthln MN
the spirit OF Grants message 10 the people OF New
HAMPSHIRE as delivered by Mr. Dawes recently, VIII VIII
| look INTO This matter and follow It mp, he will do the
country good service. Careful examination VIII SNOW
that the Office OF military storckeeper is slnecurc ihe
can abolished without injury to the service wllc IL
costs the Government about s0OOOper year The duties
could and should be performed by the quartermaster;
captains aud ordnance captains eutenants most OF
whom little nothing 10 do An extension Oh IIs
examination 50 as to ascertain whaJ inc oneels VI e
d,erent staff corps are actually doing, would convince
Congress that staff corps could safely be reduced D
al least oneourth its number at saving 70 the Uhei
states of more than million yearly. like economy,
or greater might attained by retaining the officers ahd
them civil duties IN the Revenue, treasury
or Po,tOice Departments but that would deprive tue
politicians OF fat Offices and OF course VIII not Do d0ho
Tho pOlicy be- the contrary, TO pass IA"
forbiddng the employment OF any military officer on
civil duty Then, ii there is nothing for THEM 10 90 nus
| ter them out j. w. hohEh
| WiIiiamspOTt La, March II, 1870.