The New York herald., 1876-01-31
ARMY EXPENDITURE.
ABUSES IN THE STAFF DEPARTMENTS eRAPHI-
CALLY PORTRAYED.
NEw YoRK. IAN. 2a Isfa

NEW YORK, Jan %, 1870
To EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The letter of your Occasional Correspondent" In
the HERALD of this morning mastery an exhibit
OF some OF the defects of our present army system
and he is so thoroughly posted on the subject,
that cannot refrain from urging him TO continue
the expose ably begun. He has barely touched
upon some OF the abuses resulting from a stan, in
effective, cumbersome and expensive, not only from
its numbers but its rank. Let him. as he evidently has
can get access TO the records inform the country
where the seventy officers OF the Quartermaster's
Department stationed and what duty they are
performing Let him show into how many unneces-
sary districts the Eastern States have been divided
wheels within wheels-to give nice places to those
rAvoRITES OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Let him show how many or how few Of them are do
Ing legitimate duty as quartermasters at military posts
and not omit TO make comparison OF the such
duties when performed by lieutenant of the limo with
his two or three soldier assistants and when by regu
lar stan quarermaster with his corps OF clerks wagon
masters, forage masters corral masters, messengers
&c Let him glance at the cost OF the furniture and
hitting OF the Offices OF these stan officers wherever To-
Gated, commencing with the splendors which surround
the present Acting Quartermaster General Let him
show how many OF these colOnels lieutenant colonels
and majors surrounded each by sta sufficient for the
General commanding the army, are performing duties
for which single shipping clerk would think himself
amply compensated oy salary Of 500 per month.
Passing 10
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT,
let him show where the army OF 222 commissioned
ocers are statoned how the pleasant Eastern cities
are crowded with these gentlemen while their Iegi
innate duties with troops performed by citizen
physicians, hired at enormous expense; let him show
how many Of the 3S9 hospital stewards performing
their legitimate duties at posts and how many arc
working for the personal credit OF the Surgeon General
in his medical museum and in getting up the records
OF the rebellion the cost OF which, however necessary
and admirable the work. should not be saddied the
army.
THE ENGINEER CORPS.
Lot him also show the cost Of maintaining lOo COM
mssioned officers OF engineers no less than fortytwo
OF whom are field officers Let him show the country
what magnificent works these gallant officers and most
accomplished engineers are engaged In, but how little
they have do with the army and how wrong II IS TO
tax the army with the cost OF works which rebound
the credit and benefit Of the commercial and other
terests rather than to the military establishment
THE BUREAU OF MILITARY JUSTICE
Let him show up the work Of the brigadier
general and nine field officers OF the Bureau Of Military
Justice and how the discipline Of the army is being
ruined by being taken from the officers whose duty ID
is to understand and perfect discipline and placed
under entire control of men who know nothing Of
soldiers OF discipline.
THE ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT
Let him show what the ~ officers IL field oalcersl
and ass enlisted men OF the Ordnance Department arc
doing; how that department working te civeitself
a line well staff organization, each petty COM
mander OF arsenal being little monarch sur
rounded by his staff and guards
Make a note OF the cost of tho quarters in which
each Of these favored officers live as compared TO the
whole cost Of many frontier posts.
The supernuity Of rank and numbers OF the staff of
our army leads 10 arrogance, nencency ideness and
Generalization Zach offcer has so little 10 do that he
loses all interest In his profession and soon turns over
that little TO some clerk or assistant X