The daily gazette., 1877-01-22
SECOND EDITION !!
ARMY REORGANIZATTON.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10Th. 1877,

l.
Two bills passed by the House last
year, and now pending in the Senate,
provide for serious notifications of the Or
ganization and pay of the army.
The maximum strength of the army is
fixed by law at 25,000 men. These are
organized into twenty-five regiments of
cavalry, ten of infantry, five of artillery
and Indian scouts. Sixteen thousand
six hundred and sixty-five are private SOL
diers and 8,345 are non-commissioned
officers and musicians. Add to these
2.16S commissioned officers on the active
list and 300 eficers on the retired list,
making in all 10,S92; and according to
General Banning, Chairman Of the House
Military Committee, there is an army Oh
ganlzation Of 1865 private soldiers COM
manded, marshalled and managed by
lO,oO3 commissioned and non-commis-
stoned ofhcers, artificers, musicions and
wagoners. This gives commander for
each one and one-third soldier in the SER
vice, showing that our army is an army
OF officers, an army for display, and not
a practical, useful, efficient military force
such as the country requires.
PAY AND ALLOWANCES.
The second bill, regulating the pay
and allowances for forage quarters of
army officers, is even more striking. In
1860 we had as officers, one major general
[Scott], who was lieutenant general by
brevet; three brigadier generals of the
line and one of the stafF-fiye general Of
ficers in all-whose aggregate pay and
allowances amounted to about S39, 900
Now we have general, a lieutenant GEN
pr1I thrQQ m q ior Oanaralc cix- h,;o,
generals of the line and seven of the staff.
whose aggregate pay and allowances
amount to $160,026.4S, an increase of
four to one in numbers and of more than
four-fold in amount of pay.
In details the bill makes changes and
reductions in salaries as follows:-
l. 1t reduces the pay and allowances
of the General of the Army from SIS
0S1.9 81 to $4,000; those of the Lieuten-
ant General from $13,593.S6 to $4,000;
those OF major generals from $l0,093 to
$4,000, and those of brigadier generals
from $7,613 to $1,000. This leaves the
pay OF the General double that of Sena-
tor, the pay of the Lieutenant General
sixty per cent more than that of Senator,
and the pay of brigadier general equal
to that OF Senator; but one of the argu-
ments used against the reduction and this
comparison is that an army officer has no
other vocation, while the members of
both houses of Congress have independ-
ent means of oflivelihood and profit.
2, The pay proper of colonies, lieu
tenant colonels, majors, captains and
first lieutenants is not changed.
'"These," as explained by promi-
nent member of the House committee
"are the hardworking officers of the
army, many of Them having been gen.
eral officers in the war; men who led
their commands in action. whose long
and faithful service entities them to
the highest consideration, whose pay
proper is not too large, and, in the
opinion OF the committee, should not
be reduced"
3. The bill reduces the pay and al
lowonces of second lieutenants $2OOa
year for the first four years of their
service, fixing the salary at 81 200 for
those not mounted and ST 300 for those
mounted. The chaplains' pay is re-
duced from 81 500 to 1900. The allow
ance for rent of officers quarters is cut
down from $I8 to $12 month leaving
allowances to officers for quarters as
follows;-To colonel. $50 a month
when on detail; to lieutenant colonel
$4S month. to a captain, $50; to a
lieutenant $34.
There is reduction of the quantity
of fuel, of the number of horses and
the quantity of forage allowed to Of
ficers.