The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-12

generals commanding the military divisions and de-
Vision and department adjutants or even as chiefs
OF stan. In the Inspector Generals department
nal head Of the corps the other generals are, as
matter OF fact. division inspectors ana the assist
ants the bosses OF the inspection business ~ sae
required by his Chief and he has found various
empIoyments either as a Judge Advocate or upon
such duties as any military onicer OF moderate legal
acgairements can usefally perform -Four utusr
General, OF whom three are upon commls.
sary duty in the army. only one finding
employment consistent with MS Official Designation
One assistant surgeon general Ii named In the
Statutes at Large and on the Army Register: and
those VINO do business with the Medical Bureau,
viii find him ON The precise kind OF duty that
his title implies There Is large number o. assist assist.
military rank and less pay, are as much surgeons
In eject their Seniors who bear that full designa-
four. according to law, but the Paymaster General
! wisely enough no doubt, keeps them all away
simple paymasters for the troops The corps Of En-
glneers ana the Ordnance corps are governed Dy
cS ans 40 a. ssy need IN
their bureaus from officers OF the corps, IRE
os s or asss q epsra WAS
once. in tact, the assistant OF MS caeI, n Dus
he i now three OF whom ,o but one ot ni,s
two being division and depot quarter.
master respectively. The Deputy Quartermaster
General the occasional substitute or the
head OF his department before the assistant proper
came into being, but he, too has grown into eight,
all, happily, being absent from Washington and
better employed as depot and department quarter
masters. There quartermasters and assistant
quarternasters; but OF the former Is the quar-
termaster OF two-company post, while one OF the
depots OF the army. me Others or both grades are
as variousy employed their seniors, and usefully
This want Of analogy between descriptive title ana
actual duty extends through all the stan, except
the Engineer anu Ordnance departments, and It's
!
nlable; while to some extent 1t Is unnecessarily
costly especially the item OF printing. Any sug-
from ideas or deeper seated reforms; but prlet
may os sSa aass ay
nent prefix or addenda TO the substantial title;
and that the subordinates OF all grades should be
distinguished IN the army list Dv the rank obtained
through regular promotion or length OF service,
aided in actual duty by cnangeable designations IN
dicauve OF their successive emp0yments. Thus In
the Quartermaster's Department there would be
colonies and depot quartermasters, lieutenant
| colonies and division quartermasterS majors and
district quartermasters. captains and post quarter
masters, and Those on bureau or other
their army rank prefxed THIS would be long
| step towards the goal Simplicity, and none would
Another and longer step would be the abolition OF
the useless and too often ridiculous army rank OF
to say. the lawyers the commlssaries the doctors,
the paymaslers the parsons and the storekeepers.
me appartll'on at military post OF Drevet 6rga
case OF surgical instruments under its ARM tiny
stan sword BY It's side pair OF spectacles on s
at all uncommon. The equity OF assimiated pay,
allowances and tenure OF office, with personal pre-
| cedence by length OF service, Is not denied
but the Improperly and inconvenience OF COM
blatant RANK is tacltly admitted by the War
Department Itself In It's frequent official omission or
the honorary In favor OF the actual title OF these USE
full but unmarria public servants. The proposition
is believed 10 be lDcontrOvertible that commissary
could, as such, purchase IN the marts OF trade the
alloted modica OF soap, rice, beans, coffee, bee,
picked pork, sewing SILK and canned oysters, and
issue sell The same to the troops, officers faml-
lies and laundresses, and receive fitting compen-
GENTLY and respectfully as II ne were major by
rank and o brlgader general by brevet-utles sug.
war than OF prices current ana ration returns. And
II the argument needs further support 1t Is found IN
ls suer and S po o. ms whole Dases
minus the extortions and profits, upon the commits
sary.
OF the STAFF there the same lncongruty that exists
all through the service, and these varying titles
evidences OF the evils OF that patchwork legislation
that has built up the stan from nothngness TO mag
nitude while leaving 1t destitute OF even the out
ward semblance OF uniformity OF design. Our
legislators have borrowed accepted the cum.
the conditions OF our have divorced function
from name in the transfer. and burdened us with o
legacy OF h'gh-sounding but empty titles
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE sTAFF-THE
| PROPER UNIT OF ORGANIZATION.
The opponents OF this undenlably large stan frame
all their exhibits OF Its extravaganza on the number
OF enlisted men and regimental organizations the
/ u
Der OF divisions departments and military posts
and extent OF territory covered as the true factors
OF the calculation. Botn dispatants are Partly agme
relation TO the duties OF army In times or peace
and under no circumstances probable IN our day Is
single regiment likely 10 possess the opportunity
| OF making Its own acquaintance. Here and there,
at post like Fort Russell. in Wyoming Territory
force equal to the strength Of regiment Is some
times cpled in to winter, but 1t Is m0ngre horde
repr esenting all arms and many designating num-
bers. The company s the proper unit OF organiza-
panies; q lieutenant colonel for every eight
cG o Sa na to %sny Ss
would give the proper number OF officers OF
ana the inferior TERRITORIAL divisions and would bring
the troops, their stations their administrative sys
| tenn and their duties into harmony, and no decep.
tive tabuatlOns Of facts and figures could then i'm
pose upon the needless and the ignorant VINO have
to deal with military questions. Senator Logan may
tcntion.
On the other hand, the necessity Of employing the
major and brgadier generals, eleven IN number at
something, undoubtedly proOngs the existence OF
supernuous military divisions and departments, as,
commanded BY General Meade, with headquarters
at Philadelphla, and the Department OF the
quarters At Detroit and comprising in its limits but
four military posts garrisoned habitually by some
regiment recuperating from three years. tour OF
the retrenchlve orders from Washington
OF the past two years clearly fastens
upon these II not other departments the character
of necessary evils" but executive retrenchment
cannot materially curta the retlnue OF aides adJu-
tants quartcrmasters commissioners and other gen.
temen OF the stan corps, and these however little
they may have TO do, besides Keeping their comnlan
der company require Offices clerks, messengers fur.
niuure, stationery fuel, &c. and must be provided
with suitable nred quarters IN the cities where head
quarters are located with heating and cooking ap-
paratus, coal, wood and klndling material, with
medical attendance stables, forage and commissary
establishments. Nor Is this ALL Tor az all papers
and correspondence that might otherwise go direct
TO their proper destination must now go out OF their
way to pass under these nth wheels or the govern.
nonfo mi In nee
those revolving curses OF the American Army red
tape, routine and 'ritin', are gwen unorialed
license. This latter evil the War Department, less
than year ago, attempted TO cheek by a regula-
ton, conservatives yet eectual az FAR as IL went;
but the pilots or the ancient intermediate chan
nels suspectinQ this regulation TO be but the pre-
cursor OF another to come revoking their licenses