, 1875-12-08
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
Tho annual report Of tho Secretary of
Wnr, which wns printed in tho Lust Tissue of
TIE TRIBUNE, contains somo matters Of more
than ordinary interest, md, rs tho report ii
almost rs ]argo rs the army itself, a brief
summary will he moro likely to ontertn.in tho
reader than tho original document. Tho army
is now reduced to $4,000 mon, which is be-
loved to DO ample security in time Of peace.
as tho number Of re~enlistments Inns in-
creased threefold md tho dcsert1ons have
boon very materially reduced, tho standard of
tho army is better kept up than ever before.
During the past year 1oo signal stations havo
been maintained, nnd ovor u pen cont of the
predictions Of metooric changes have boon
verified. The Secretary in this connection m
nounces that in complianco:wit'n h recommend
ation ct Old Probabilities, he shall present a
plan for the establishment OF tho Signal Ser
vico as one Of the bareaus Of tho
War Department.. He alsf, speaks enthns-
astically Of the uBo Of tenpedoes for harbor
dafeuses, and urges that the battalion of Eu-
g!peers, which Was rcdu ced to eco men under
tho low Of 1871, shoulu be increased to 600
men, with special refer.uco to tie effective
ness of tho torpedo seryico. Tho construc-
tion Of permanent Jotfes at tho mouth Of the
Mississippi River is making satisfactory
progress. Ths Buryeya have been made, and
tho provisional orks for the construction Of
tho east iotty knyo al.eady been e1tondcd
LOCO feet, Th'a estimates Of tho Chief OF En-
gineers for fortihcatio1ua, surveys, and river
md larbor improvements, foot up 217,208,-
S74, md an incroaso of appropriations for
ar1ning and oluipp;nE tho militia il asked for,
tho organized militia now numbering 81, ,7ot,
mud the unorganized, 3,7o1,O77. Tho entiro
army hws boon supplied with new rifles and
oarblncs and there ia in store reserved sup
ply OF these arms Of .6, ,000, which at tho end
OF tb fiscal year maY reach II, 600, Or enough
to supply ono ar1nJ corps, which ho thinks
Should be still further increased, as we'll as
The heavy arulamort for soa.coast defense.
/ Tho reports Of thu Commanding Generals Of
| departments arc briefly touched upon, but no
suggestions arc made beyond those which
haso already appeared in The TR1nuNE,
Progress IL reported in the collection Of tic
s,:1lcial records OF tho War Of tho Rebellion
mad their printing, md assistance is asked Of
Congress In tho aevstng Of mbanB for obtain
Ing important official records now in the pos
s. .ssion of private individuals. Vest Point ia
!, vested with somewhat rosy tint. The
Il ew academic regulations have proved to be
Y cry effective, and tho discipline Of tho corps
tt cadata haa ateaaily improved, but
lie corps ia not up to its maximum
s trength, owing to the largo number Of
c andidates who fail to pass cxamination,-
Il howing dofccts IN tho elementary instruction
'f those appointed. Tho remaining recon-
lamentations aro for an appropriation for sur-
voys and opening Of roads through the Vel.
| lowstone Park and m increaae of the appro-
| priation for tho representation OF the War
Department in tho Centennial Exhibition.
The chiof feature Of intercat In the report
ia the expense account, which IL represented
by the following figures: Expenditures OF
tho Department for The year ending june,
1874, S42,32C,3l !; for tho Year, ending June,
| 1875, $4l.277,a7o; decrense, $l,0is,o3o.
Estimates for the military establishment for
the yeaz ending June, 1877, $50, 459 $3.50 for
the year ending June, 1876, $32, 900. be-
ing an increase Of &oG3.427. The actual
estimates Of the Department for tho
year ending June. 1877, Including not
only. tho military establishment, but
also fortiAcationa, river aud harbox i'm.
provencnts, surveys. etc., reach the large
SUM Of $40, 75l,3 in which arc included
the following items: $3.50, 900 for ordnance
and ordnance stores-an increase Of about
$500, 600 for the manufacture Of arms and
| national armosies. $500, ,o00-an incrsase ol