The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-20
THE ARMY WORM.
Want Of Equality On the Pay Rolls At
Washington.

Washington.
WASHINGTON, Jan. H. 1874
Now that retrcnchment and reform are TO DC
the order OF the day. anu equality before the Ia" III
TO be guaranteed to ALL 1t Will be well FOR the iegs-
lative SOons on Capitol Hill to stop the lavish ex-
penditures MADE here for the benefit OF the military
chiefs OF bureaus. There are nine OF these ONCE
generals, viz:-Adjutant General Townsend, Quar-
termaster General Meigs, Commissary General
Eaton, Inspector General Marcy, Surgeon General
Barnes, Paymaster General Alvord, Judge Advocate
General Holt, Chief OF Engineers Humphreys and
Chief OF Ordnance Dyer, who are each pocketing in
cash upwards Of $4,000 per annum, while nearly all
of the assistant secretaries only get $4,000 per
annum. and the chief clerks of departments and
heads OF civil bureaus who occupy the same
relative position as these martial gentlemen, re-
ceive much less This great inequality VIII have
to be remedied when the proper appropriation
bill comes up but 1t is not only here that these
bureau army officers accounts need overhauiing
to ascertain what are their recognized
PICKNGs AND PBRoUIsTEs.
Old Mr.. Watts his name, over at the Agricul-
tural Department makes famous display OF that
destructive insect known as the "army wOrm;"
but its ravages are eclipsed by our shoulder
strapped army worms here, who bore into the
public treasury and fatten themselves without
an allowance for quarters" which are
their own houses Then they draw forage,
not to feed horses which they might, in case Of
necessity, perform service but carriage nags har-
messed with government harness to government
ambulances and driven by enlisted men. And the
meat consumed in their families, or the boarding
houses where they board, Is supplied by the post
| cOmmissary, VINO only charges the cost price,
! which is sixteen cents per pound for beef and
mutton and ten cents per pound LOT corned DeeI-
all being nice cuts, while the refuse goes to the
| enlisted men at the arsenal or elsewhere. In adj
dition there Is a "depot," when is simply an army
| grocery store, at which these brigadiers are sup
piled with the best qualities OF everything usually
| to be found In grocery store, including
canned fruits and vegetables and other luxuries,
| all ut cost price, without the additional expense
| OF transportation. The comparatively enormous
amount OF coffee, tea. sugar, &C., disposed OF from
this establishment shows how many people thus
| obtain first class groceries at prime cost; and
should the officers or any OF the members of their
families or the stranger within their gates be ILL.,
! why, they send to the "dispensary," which Is
TIE ARMY APOTHECARY SHOP
where they are gratuitously supplied with the pre-
geOI who-althOugh there are a dozen other army
| surgeons stationed here-engages Drs. Barnes
e. son OF tle Surgeon GeneraD and Rad
visit the sick Of the army and their
families. Of course it is well known what can
be included in medical supplies" and it is Won
| derful what quantities Of stimulants have to be
prescribed. Nor is it strange that the families of
officers should be permitted to supply themselves
with bed linen, mattresses, &C., from the surplus
stock acquired during the war at cost price. In
short, this ''army wOrm' manages to devour and
use up about S. 900 from Uncle Sans treasury Tor
each head Of bureau each and every year. Nor is
it the heads Of bureaus alone who do this but the
entire Office force OF high and VOW degree, and thus
ENTIRE FAMILIES LIVE ON UNCLE SAN
because one OF their number or one OF their
| bOarders IS q commissioned officer on special duty
here. II Congress would call for detailed state
ment OF the provisions and other stores delivered
by the commissary during the year 1873 1t would
| create o sensation, especially as some who thus
'draw" may not have strictly legal right to thus
obtain cheap meat, groceries and extras.
| NOW, WHY Is THIS THUS
Why should not the Assistant Secretaries OF the
Treasury, OF State and OF the Interior have as
| much pay as some 01lce martinez, "whO Dever set
o squadron in the field" but who has wriggled
into position as the head Of bureau? And why
should not these poorly paid civilians also have
quarters and forage and ambulances and drivers,
and cheap meat and cheap groceries and Tree
medical attendance, including drugs?
The House, with Its great professions OF ecOno
N.Y. has actually voted 1000 for forage for horses
belonging to field and stan officers Ol-nOt dra
go0ns, or light artillery, or infantry, but 9th,
marine corps
WHAT MARINES WANT OF HORSES,
except large force should be sent to cooperate
with land troops, no one can imagine. But the.
draw forage for them, and use them in the govern
ment carriages. 1t is useless to pirate about econ
omy when these little leaks are freely lowing, an,
when the "army worm" Is gnawing away at tn
nrooc