Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-02
COST OF THE ARMY.
Annual Report OF t;se Paysnaster Gen.
cT.ss.


last report five officers OF the pay fenartrnent were
retired. having attained the age OF 6i years; one
Officer died ana one dismissal from the service Ior
DnSappropriaiioQo OF public funds.
MaJoUGasSoNS pEFALcATIoN.
Major J. r. WaSSon, the officer last referred to-
was defaultcr In the sum OF s5.t5s The amount
was made good during the progress OF his trial In
referring to this matter Gen. Rochester saws thar
no system OF accounting Will prevent a corrupt
Official, who Is necessarily trusted with the custody
or funds, from proving recreant TO his trust The
highest end that can be attained Is the prompt and
speedy attention OF any attempt 10 tamper with or
misappropriate funds In his keeping. The system
now in use In his Office 1t is believed, acconplishes
this end He recommends the repeal OF the proylso
OF the act OF April 70, 1874, which provides that no
officer deta for the purpose OF inspecting the ae
counts OF dfSbrSing officers OF the army shall be In
any way connected with the department or CORPS
making the disbursement. The operatfon of TINS
law prohibits the detail OF officers the purpose Of
Inspection WIG, from Their Intimate knowledge of be
accounts TO be Inspected, and the laws and re,la-
ons. are best qualified to detect any frregularity
ana lt confeis the selection OF officers whose knowl-
edge of accounts is in NEST cases merely teoreti-
Cal. Experience shows that expert accountant
can readily conceal his irregularities from sucn al
officer.
DUPLICATION OF PAY ACCOUNTS.
In speaking of the attention called through the
public press to the duplication Of officers pay ac-
counts General Rochester states that is but JUS
tiCe TO the officers OF the army TO say that the
tecoFds or MS Office Show that the instances are
rare Where an officer Is guilty OF this oiiense, and
considering the number OF officers in the army the
percentage Is exceedingly small
MILEAGE OF OFFICERS.
The appropriation for the mileage Of officers for
the fiscal year ending June seth, ISsa, was sa3oo00
OF that amount less than 81 coo remains unex-
pended For the fiscal year ending June ;s0th, 1888
SlSoa0 was appropriated. OF this amount H. is es-
timated that full returns VIII show that not more
than S160.Gs0 was expended, showing a saving OF
nearly S1,U0. It is recommended In this conrec-
tlon that so much OF the act Of July a. 1876.
bids the payment OF mileage over Land grant roads
no
OF the army, while civil and nayai officers are hot
subject TO such restriction. These roads form only
part Of tie through lines OF travel and ofIic,r
Is oonged TO submit TO the local rates for
part OF his journey and obtain transportation
orders from the Quartermaster'5 department for
the other part This discrimination against army
OhcerS. it Is held. was not contemplated OF III
tended by the passage OF the act referred 10.
DEPOSITS BY ENLISTED MEN.
The number Of deposits made by enlisted men.
under the act of May 49, 1872, during the last fiscal
year was 1902, amounting TO Si0c,5f5. AS COM
pared with the results OF last year this decrease
In the amount deposited Of Slt a42 Tut an increase
OF 1.Gle III the number OF the deposits, indicating
that large number OF men are avaiiing themselves
OF the benefits OF this system by voluntarily depos-
1ting guarantee against the crime OF deseriion
The act allowing interest on the minimum
deposit tS5 promises 10 be productive OF good re-
suits At the close OF the last fiscal year there
81 l46, ,469 TO the credit OF this account. which
amount has since been Increased TO Sl0.o,t:J.
PAVMASTERs' BONDS.
Attention IS invited TO the pressing needs Of
! legislation on the subject OF paymasteTs bonds
and it is suggested that the lasiat ion which has
been enacted to remedy this owl in the Inatter Of
masters be extended to paymaSters. The report
| concludes With statement that the settlement of
Claims OF coiorcd soldiers and sailors is pGo gyaailg
Ia very satisfactory manner
District Government Affairs.
DISTRICT REVENUES.
Comparative collections OF the first four mont ns
Oh the past three fiscal years:
.15ssis4s 5s?5Is ssis ss;; Sa o. .,ea ,SSs :; e
Compared with 1872 this years collections show
an excess of S5 5.241 and with ls-3 decrease of
sGi,659.2O. The large collections OF last year nere
due 10 the benefits OF the acts OF Con rS june y.
1879 June Z, 1890. and July IL. 1852, which author
Ked taxes in arrears on July l. ls'a 10 b. paid with
Only per cent per annllm Interest u paid on or
before November 1, 1ea2
REQUESTS OF CITIZENS
The citizens living on 9Th, between 7. and "
streets northwest. petition the Commissioners 10
have trees planted the west side OF that street
Mr.. John +. Donohoe calls the attention of The
District Commissioners to his request Of October y
that some outlet be given the people on New Jersey
avenue southeast to the heart of rhe city, on ac-
count of danger In crossing railroad tracks said
avenue.
In reply to request of Mr. VIM NJ Gait for per-
mission to place gate across en alley in square 30,
in rear of Masonic Temnie, The Commissioners
notify him that as this Is a public alley the Com
mSSionerS cannot authorize its closDre except upon
the written application OF all the property oWnerS
In the square, as provided by law.
THE WARFARE DOGS.
There 7s6 dogs unlicensed i'm the second police
precinct In 81 cases two dogs are kept by per-
son, cases where three are kept, where four are
kept, where five are kept and where six are
kept. In the fourth precinct there are 500 un-
licensed dogs: 92 owners keep two dogs each. 16
owners keep three each, owners keep four each. 2
keep five each. keep six each and keeps seven.
In the fifth precinct there are a69 dogs without
license; % individuals keep two dogs each and 8
there are 5s7 unlicensed: Al persons keep swo dogs
each, persons keep three each keeps four dogs,
! fve and six There are 5s7 unlicensed I'm the
seventh precinct 70 indiy duals keep dogs each,
keep three each. keeps four. , five and six.
There are several different statutes Under which
the tax be collected, all of which will he ap-
piled this year. The Commissioners have given in
structons to the tax collector and TO Major Dye OF
the police department. Major Dye states that in
a majority OF the cases returned 10 him the owners
are not taxpayers on real estate: at least two
thirds OF the OWNERS vi dogs very poor persons
PROTESTING AGAINST LIQUOR SALOONS NEAR THE
SOLDIERS HOME
The remonstrance received by the Commissioners
against the issuing OF IiGor licenses Ia any pe-gn
near the soldiers Home. Rock Creek church or
cemetery, and especially requesting that the appli-
cation from the corner of Bates and Rock Greek
roads be not granted, was signed by Gen. S. ID.
deputy governor; b. +. Rittenhouse, secretary and
treasurer; Attending Surgeon CALVIN he Wit; Jas.
A. Buck. rector st. PaulS Rock Creek parish, ana
john Wlltberger, register
sTRYCHNISE IN MEAT
Prof DeSmedt yesterday analyIe1 the piece or
poisoned raw beef with which Mr Majors dogs
were killed on Sunday last. ana found in t one ard
One-fourth grains OF strschnine. The meat had
been cut Open the poison scattered over 1t anu
pressed together again.
NO TREES FOR MARYLAND.
To the request of MeSSTs. L. u. WiiIe and Geo. j.
Johnson that any ornament ~ trees not TO b. made
use OF this fall may be given thea for improving prop
erty at HyattSviile Md. the Commissioners reply
that trees from the public nurseries have been fur
nlshed to parties who would plant them on the
public roads in the District OF Columbia. but all
applications have been refused for TO plant i'm
private grounds. No trees can be furnished TO be
used In the state OF Mary land.
NEEDED SANITARY IMPROVEMENT.
IN reply to a complaint OF Mr.. Edward j. Shelby
OF lack OF surface drainage I'm square s9. and that
several fatal Cases OF dpiithera have occurred in
the neighbOrh0od OF said square in consequence,
the Commissioner state that the alley has been
thoroughly cleaned. The only permanent improve
ment to be made OF It's sanitary condition Is by
paving and sewering. The estimated cost OF the
materials for paving Is sos. and for laying
the pavement is $s2l.6a The estimated cost for
the sewer Is Ss17, and this Work Cain only be
done under the permit system, the District furnish
ing the material and the property oWners paying
for the labor.
A WELL-KNOwN MINSTREL DEAn.-'Rfcardo.n for
long time familiar to lovers of nii8srelsy as an
impersonatOr OF female characters, died at his
mothers home In Brooklyn, Tuesday morning, OF
Keever. he was borh in New York city, and he
at Bryants hall, then the headquarters OF Dan
I, fv.alc