The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-11-21
WAR pepnr,ment Repor,s.

y
The following succinct abstract of the reports
of several bureaus of the War Department,
give clear idea of the operations of the De-
partment for the year.
THE PAYMAsTER GENERAL.
The total disbursements to the army during
the past year were SIS, 514 $685. of which 81, $685.,
172 was paid in the shape of back pay and
bounty to volunteers. There was also paid for
the expenses of reconstruction to June 80, 1871
$155990, and as internal revenue tax, $3.50
The disbursements on account of reconstruction
finally ceased on the admission of all States to
representation in Congress. The army has been
fully paid.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU.
The operations of the freedmen's bureau for
the past year have been restricted to the care of
the hospital in the District of Columbia, the
collection and payment of bounties and other
monies due eolored soldiers; and such SUI
pervison of the educational work as could he
given. The school funds having been all ex-
pended prior to July, 1870, and no appropria-
tons having been made, there are no statistics
of educational work to be given. Old accounts
have been settled as far as possible. The col
lection and payment of bounties, etc. due col
| ored soldiers have employed nearly all the
| agents and clerks remaining ON duty In this
| bureau Since the law of March, 1867, went in
to effect, 6236 claims have been settled without
cost to the complainants, excepting the neees-
| sarv notorial fees -Four hundred and twenty
| persons are now connected with the hospital
dependent upon the bounty of the government
| General Howard urges continuation of the
| APPROXIMATION for their care, and that the hos
ptal be placed in charge of the district terrific
rial government. The number OF officers, agents
| and clerks now on duty is "a, a reduction of 81
since the date of the last report. The total bal
ance on hand August 81, 1870, with the def
cheney for 1871 and appropriation for the fiscal
year Guiding June 80, ~, was S47506l, and
there is now balance on hand of Sl12,79S
THE CoMAnssARY-GENERAL.
Commssary- General Eaton reports that the
army has been well fed during the past year
at an average cost of 1886 per cent per ration,
| a decrease of 197 cents from the cost of the
| previous year. The soldiers purchased through
the department tobacco to the value of SIG, 232
per month Subsistence stores valued at $37 ;.
Cos have been furnished to the freedmens by.
reau during the year., and 1888 to the Indi.
ans. The department paid during the veal
claims for subsistence furnished during the war,
in the loyal States to the amount of $S066, APP,
proved others to the amount of S2l0,2l4 and
disallowed others to the amount OF -, OH, 5zz.-
| Communication of rations to Union soldiers, pris'
| oners of war and their heirs, have been contin-
| ued, the disbursements being $279, 100. The
| average price per pound of beef furnished the
army during the year was 90 cents in Della
ware and is cents in Texas, being the extremes.
| THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER
General Myer, chief signal officer of the ar
| my, reports tnat since the nrSG SyncnrOnOuS
weather observations on the morning of No
velnbar l. 1870, rs 900 900 copies of the synopsis
| and probabilities have been laid before the pub
lie, 1890 detailed charts prepared and filed in
his office, and 900 areas Of high and low barom-
i eter traced A new cipher Is now preparing for
the transmission of the telegraphic reports from
each of the sixty stations. Measures are being
| taken to furnish the western cities information
of the rise and fall of the rivers and to give the
| agricultural population greater direct benefit
i from the saryica Stations will no aStallis ha1
at Pembiua, Sitka, in the Sandwich and West
| India islands, and ships captains will be fur
nished instruments with which to make obser-
| vations from which they will prepare reports
| SiXty-nine per cent of the published probabili-
ties have been verified, and the records of the
office already made exceed in value the appro,
priations General Myep oommends the iidel-
/ ity and attention to duty of his subordinates,
and recommends the organization of perma-
| nent corps of observers, with proper promotion
| for mertorious service, and until this is done
the observer who most distinguishes himself
during each year be rewarded with a commits.
sion. The chief signal officer also expresses the
opinion that with the extension of the telegraph
system the weather reports and observations
might be made available throughout the entire
globe as well as single continent
THE QUATERMATTER GENERAL.
the treasury during the year ending June 80
| 1871, $12, 450, 025, the whole amount available
of which $467 400 has been RENTED to the
military division of the Atlantic, $2,839, 937, t.
that of the South, 81, So, 661 to that of Nilsson
ri, 81 408, 900 to that of the Pacific, and the re
mainder distributed among depots of supplies
| or paid on authorized settlements. Six thous
and four hundred and one accounts, covering
1874, $50, 795 only $612, $40 of it pertaining to thu
service of 1901, have been settled during til,
year.
THE ORDNANCE COMMITTEE.
Gen. Dyer reports the expenditures of tn.
year as 81, ga, 900. During the year ten mil
lions worth of small arms and ordinance store.
We're sold. The work ON the Rock Island arse
nal proceeds well, and appropriations are urged
for its completeness. The operations at The
| Springfield armory are confined to altering
muskets into breech-loaders, and the manufac.
| ture of %, 600 Remington rifles for the navy
| The adoption of breech-loading arms is desra-
BILE both for the army and militia and as nc
breech leaders has been adopted by govern
| ment very few arms are being made at pres
ent. The purchasers of Harper's Ferry arsenal
have failed to make payment therefor Gen.
| Dyer recommends the sale of captured lands
and buildings at Shreveport, To-, also in Walk
4 err Jefferson, Davis and Marion counties, Tex
as, the Rome, n. c., and Champaign N. Y, ar
senals, and the rebel powder works. Legisla-
| ton on arming and equipping the militia is
needed aud heavy cannon for sea coast defenses
are wanted. =
| THE SURGEON GENERAL.
Surgeon General Barnes reports that the
number of persons who have availed them
selves of the provisions of the acts of Congress
to receive artificial limbs in kind or stated COM
| mutation in money up to June 80, 1870, was
| 1913, the number furnished with limbs 'previ-
| ousIy having been 1851 The health of the
| army has been equal to that of the previous
year The total number of deaths reported was
5l9, or II per 1000 mean strength. The mortal
ity for this is greater than for the previous year,
the chief increase occurring in the proportion
of deaths from disease. ~