Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-12-19
THE DEPARTMENTS.
Annual Report of the Secretary
of War and Secretary of
the Treasury.
The Report Of the Comptroller of the
Currency.
Postal Telegraphy-Views of the
Postmaster General.
THE ARMY.

knap.
The report of the Secretary of War shows
that the expenditures of that department fol-
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1872, were
$36, ,372 157. 30, being reduction of 1927 1884. 81
on the previous year.
The total estimate for military appropria-
tioDs for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1874,
The estimates of the Chief Engineer are
| submitted separately, as presented by that
officer. namely:
RiTsT and hsr60r l2So2 $40
lngton 6l2O2i
....-...Sl6.63s S2i
About one-sixth of the army is stationed in
the Southern States. The Secretary states
that &c it is hoped thaG improved condition
of affairs in that section may permit the with
drawal, at an early day, of a portion of the
forces"
The expenditures for the service of the
Quartermaster's Department during the year
have been $12, SIT, ,631.37.
The number of artillery horses purchased
during the year is estimated at 3.277; mules,
209; number of horses in service, 9,72O ;
mules, S,758.
year were $667, ,529- -63 for railroad transpor-
tation, 81, 100000; wagon TRANSPORTATION,
81 .100 900; water transportation, $626, 1878. 80
stage transportation, S48, 1854.
Under the act of Congress providing for
the relief of loyal citizens in certain loyal DIS
tricts of the South, the Quartermaster Gen
eral has examined and transmitted to the ac-
counting officers for settlement 665 claims for
QuaTtermasters' stores taken during the war,
amounting, as allowed, to 1867, 102.72; 274
others, amounting to 1886, ,100.75, have been
rejected. There are still 10, 351 of these
claims on file, amounting in the aggregate to
Sc, ,857, ,006.56.
The IA National Cemeteries contain the re-
mains of 1862 deceased soldiers. Fifty
eight of these cemeteries have been perma-
nently inclosed.
Subsistence stores to the amount of $192,-
186: IL have been issued to the Indian tribes
of the West.
wounded during the year represent an annual
mean strength of "a, ,101 white and ,494 col
ored soldiers. The total number of deaths
during the year was 367 white and "a colored
soldiers.
The Rock Island bridge has been completed,
and will be Immediately opened for railroad
and wagon use.
In conformity to the two acts of Congress,
passed last spring, relating to the bridging of
the Mississippi river, the proper site for the
bridge at La Crosse, Wis, has been deter
mined.
A satisfactory state of proficiency in disci-
pline and study at the West Point Military
Academy Is reported. The number of failures
to master the academic course, including
original reflections, WAS 81; the number of
admissions, 90; the total number of cadets
now at the academy is 240. There are So va
cancies, caused by failures upon preliminary
examinations, discharge of cadets for def
cleuCy, anu OF CONGRESSIONAL rep
resentatives to select suitable candidates for
the past September examination. The STAN
dard OF proficiency in the corps of cadets has
much improved, but great obstruction to the
usefulness which the academy might other
wise attain in fitting scientific and highly edu-
Gated young men for the public service is ex-
perienced, because of the large amount of
time necessarily expended in giving new
cadets a thorough knowledge of the mere
elementary branches of learning, which they
should have acquired before entering the
academy. Under the present system a large
percentage of the candidates who seek admis-
sion to the academy fail in their preliminary
examination, or are found incapable of mas
tering the academic course during the first
year. Many of those who go to West Point
with the prestige of high scholarship obtained
elsewhere, fail, under examination, in the
very rudiments of an education. That such
failure cannot be charged to too severe
examination is shown by the fact that the
qualifications demanded of candidates are less
than those established by perhaps a majority
of the higher scholastic institutions of the
country; and the examinations are not con-
Quoted more rigidly than is absolutely nee es-
sary. A considerable modification of the
existing mode of selection of cadets seems tc
be demanded, as the only effectual remedy fol
| this evil.