Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-24
Annual Report of the Qaartermaster
General.

The annual report Of QuartermaSter General
Meigs shows that the total expenditures Of
Of his department during the last fiscal year were
s10.T5S, coo. The cost of transportation was
s2,215,96s. The Pacific railroads earned for gov
ernment transportation S122, coo. General MeigS
reports that the embarrassment and expenditure
caused by the legislation against land grant
railroads still continues, and he again recon-
meDdS the repeal of this special legislation, so
as to ''leave these questions and claims to be
settled On the principles of law and equity de-
cided to be applicable by the United States Su-
pre1ne Court" The southern railroad companies,
which purchased material from the qlartermaSt-
erS department. under the executive orders of
October. 1865. still owed the United States on the
Isl or July last, the sum OF 81 ,S92. 6II. or this
the Nashville and Northwestern railroad, which
is iDsolvent owes about S900, 600, which amount
It IT. is not supposed VIII eyer ever be paid Congress,
facture OF army supplies, when economical, to
be established at the Fort Leavenworth Military
prison. The boots and shoes and chairs for the
army are now being made there by convict labor.
Measures have been instituted for the manufac-
ture of harness there: and the question of trans
ferring to the prison the emanufacture of wagons
ambulances and other vehicles, Is under consid'
Grafton.
Our army is more thoroughly provided with
transportation than most others. Attention is
callect to the inadequacy OF recent legislation
Oh the subject OF officers houses and that abol-
ishing the issues of fuel. OFFICERS east OF the
Missississippi suffer from the first and those in
the far west from the last. In the investigation
ard examination Of claims for compensation for
GualtermaSter'S stores taken by the army under
act OF July 4th, 1864, S122 80 has been eX-
pended during the year. Claims to the number
of 2,4fO for nearly ST. 900, have been investi
gated, and on them allowances for One-fOurth Of
million were recommended by the inveStiga-
ting agents. Under the law quoted 40, 14S claims
have been filed for $50, 014.99; 995 have been
reported favOrably for allowance of s. 14S, 95;
10, 1874 have been rejected, amounting to SlI ,332
9956O; and II $40 remain, asking for S., ,523
FIRE-PRooF BUILDING NEEDED FOR RECORDS
The QuartermaSter general again calls attan-
ton to the vast amount OF money accounts,
vouchers, claims and other valuable records eN-
posed in his Office-a very dangerous building
to risk of total destruction by fire, and renews
his recommendation for the construction OF a
simple and cheap and perfectly flre-proof build
ing OF brick near the new State, War and Navy
department building, for the safe storage of gov
ernment records He estimates the cost of nearly
100000 cubic feet OF tire-proof storage at $780,
COO and submits again the plan and estimate to
which he called attention last year. His pro-
ject is both judicious and economical.
NEW MILITARY POSTS
During the year new military posts have been
established on the Yellowstone or Milk river;
near the northern boundary line on Lake Che
Ian, in Northern Washington Territory, and ON
the north fork OF the Canadian river in the In
dian Territory; also, on Bear Bear Butte creek
in the Black Hills Other military posts were
authorized by law at Ell Paso, Texas, at Pagora
Springs. Colorado, and on the Niobrara river in
Nebraska. The law requiring the transfer OF
military headquarters to military posts has been
conditionally repealed, but the attempt to exc
CUE IL HAS lnlOlVeu Tile war uepdrtllleLt LII eA-
penditures of Ss01 900.
THE MILITARY CEMETERIES,
eighty In number, are in good order, and inn
prove In beauty as cultivation improves. The
materials of the ancient portico of the War De-
partment were transferred to the Arlington
cemetery, where the old columns and entabla-
ture have been used in constructing two hand
some and appropriate entrances to that ceme-
tery. 1t is suggested by the Quartermaster-
General that the cemetery affords ample space
without encroaching on the ground occupied by
the soldiers of the war, to be used as national
Government cemetery for the interment Of
members OF Congress and officers Of all services
of the United States who may die at the Capital,
orwhose friends may desire for them such place of
sepulture. This subject Is worthy of commenda-
ton. small appropriation is needed for i'm
proving the road between the Capitol and
Arlington Cemetery. The work of marking the
graves in military cemeteries with marble and
granite headStones is practically complete. The
work of placing headstones on the graves of
soldiers who died during the war and were
buried in private villages and city cemeteries can
hardly be begun before next spring.