, 1884-11-30
THE COST OF 1T.
What Was Required to Support
Trim Visaged Warriors.
Secretary Lincoln Tells the
Story at Some Length.
The Concentration of Frontier
Posts Commended.
War seeretarx,s Reporr.

tary OF War Lincoln, in his annual report,
says the total expenditures by requisition
under the direction of the Secretary of
War, during the fiscal year ending June
30, 1884, are $40, 1872, SIC. 81, which in
cluded the sum of 81, $50, 035. u not
drawn from the treasury, but credited,
under the act of March 3, 1879, to the
subsidized Pacific railway for transporta-
ton services rendered the War Depart
ment during the fiscal year 1884 and prior
years. The amount carried to the sur
plus fund Of June 30, 1884, was $l,010,-
54s.l3. The naval appropriations for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, are
$45, SIC, 551. SO. The estimate for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1856, is $780,
$50, 500. So. The estimates for the fiscal
year 1886 are below those for 1885, with
few exceptions, the principal increase
being for Notifications and other works of
defense, So, 303, 900; for building for the
Signal Office, $3.50, 900; for artificial limbs,
S450,000, and for the support of the Ma
tional Home for disabled volunteer SOL
diers, SI99,095 q. IS. The Importance Of
providing for the defense of the sea coast
and lake frontier is fully set forth in The
annual report of the chief engineers for
the year 1884. A small increase over the
appropriations for the current year is
asked to make the compensation of the
persons holding the higher grades in the
Office Of the Secretary of War common
surate with the arduous duties performed
by them, and to perfect the organization
of the force and add to its efficiency.
The total number of official demands
upon the divisions of records and pensions
during the year for information as to the
cause of death in the case of deceased SOL
diers. and for hospital records of invalids,
was 65, s97. being 1858 less than the
number of similar applications during the
previous year, including 80, 5S3 applica-
tons remaining unanswered. AT the end
of last fiscal year the total number ofcases
to be disposed of was rs, 429. Replies
have been furnished to proper authorities
in 90, l4S cases, of which IS, $40 were to
the Commissioner of Pensions, $3.50 to
the Adjutant General, and CPS to miscel-
l~aneous applicants, leaving 6,2Sl cases to
be searched and reported on. In addi-
ton to the number of reports above stated
as furnished the Commissioner of Pen
sions, LAO have been prepared and fur
nished the same officer by the administra-
tive and miscellaneous branch of the
Office, making a total of 81, 410 reports in
pension cases furnished during the year.
The Paymaster General, in his report,
accounts for SIS, $50, 100. Sc. He recon-
mends, with the Secretary's concurrence,
that officers of the army be permitted to
furnish bonds of An approved guaranty
company.
The chief of engineers shows the
urgent necessity of beginning at once the
construction Of coast defenses. Steel
forts and turrets to resist guns which send
a projectile weighing a ton through sixty
feet of sand and which must have like
guns, with machinery to load and manipu-
late them, cannot be built in the time an
enemy would give after the cessation of
diplomatic intercourse. The balance in
the treasury July l, 1888, for improved
harbors and rivers was $40, OBJ, 694. So,
the amount appropriated for 1884 ST.
319, 634. 62, and the amount drawn from
the treasury So, DDS. 703. 81, leaving a
balance of SO, 1l2, $50. GO in the treasury
July l, 1884. The Secretary urges Con-
gress to make liberal and permanent APP
preparations to the ordnance department
for the purchase of gun material. The
steel makers of the country require the
inducement of being fairly remunerated
for the outlays necessary to enlarge their
plants sufficiently to produce steel in
masses of sufficient size and of suitable
quality for gun construction. The manu-
facture and test of experimental guns will
require four or five years, and prompt ac-
ton by Congress in making this appro-
priation and establishing government gun
factories is necessary to secure, within q
reasonable time, efficient means of coast
defense. Pending this Congressional &C.
ton the department is proceeding with
the conversion of smooth bore guns int
rifles. Fifty will be thus converted Thu
year.
The policy of concentrating many small
frontier outposts in larger permanent sta
tons which the rapid extension of rail
ways has made feasible, has been contin
ued as far as appropriations for barrackI
and quarters would permit. This concen
tration isresulting in greatly increased econ
+ omy of supply and Improvement of mill
tary discipline. Lieutenant General P. 81
Sheridan reports that since the date o
the last report of his immediate prede-
cessor General w. T. Sherman, the army
has enjoyed almost complete rest from
active field operations, but hat its othe
! duties, consisting of the occupation o
posts upon the frontiers Of Canada and O
Mexico and stations near the India
agencies, protection OF Indian reservation
and the guarding of Indian Territor
! from intrusion, have been important an
laborious. The reports of the militar
commanders show an u~nprecedentel