The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-12-04
THE ARMY.
Leading and Interesting Features
in the Annual Report of Sec
rotary Lincoln.
The Estimates Increased to Fifty
Millions for the Year End
ing in 1886.
Stronger Fortiflcations, Improved Ord.
nance, and Increase Of the Ar
my Recommended.

The annual report OF the Secretary OF War
shows the expenditures of that department for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1884, 70 have been
as follows: Salaries, contingent expenses, and
RG%y and I Military Academy, s1saa
public works. including river and harbor i'm
provements. sl0,662, 80; miscellaneous OBJ
included the sum OF $l,5ss.O35.7 not drawn
from the Treasury but credited under the act
OF March 3, 1879. 10 the subsidized Pacific Rail-
War Department during the fiscal year 1884 and
prior years The amount carried TO the surplus
fund June 30, 1884, was 81, 0l0,5fS.b.
The AZ preparations for the fiscal year ending
June 80. 1885, were follows Salaries. contin-
gent expenses, and postage, 81 ,0Ss, 624.66; mil
isary eos 99 aa ne. Army aha tdfy acaa
and harbor improvements, s15,6S7 ,4S5; miscel-
laneous objects So o52 3os Az total, $40. 55153
80 1855. are as follows Salaries, contingent exe
penses, and postage, $2,1ls,3l5; military estab-
lishment, army and military academy, $26, 49,
577.45: public works. including river and harbor
improvements. and new seacoast Notifications,
SIS, AGO 49, miscellaneous objects So S05 14765;
total, $50 S50. 50058 The estimates for the fiscal
year 1886 are below those for 1885, with few ex-
ceptions, the principal increase being for fortif-
cations and other works of defense, Sc, 303, 900;
building for signal office. s35o,ooo: artificial
limbs, $4,000; and support OF the National
Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, S199, 49,
The reports of military commanders show an
unprecedented quiet among the Indians, there
having been reported during the year no dis
turbance to cause the firing OF q single musket.
The policy OF concentrating the many small
Sch the rsDd ~ raways naa
feasible, has been continued as far as the APP
propriations for barracks and quarters would
permit. This concentration Is resulting In
greatly increased economy OF supply and the
improvement OF military discipline
The Superintendent OF the Military Academy
at West Point reports an improvement In the
tone and discipline of the corps and the Secre-
tary recommends the rigid enforcement of the
statute which prohibits the return to the acad-
envy of any cadet found deficient in his studies
or conduct, except upon the recommendation OF
the Academic Board. He recommends, also,
that professor OF law, of the same rank and
tenure as the other professors, be placed In
charge of the instruction in legal principles now
given at the academy
The interest among the students in schools
and colleges where military instruction is given
by the forty officers assigned TO this work by
the department is steadily increasing. Out Of
total average attendance Of 5,474 at these insti-
tutions, $3.50 attended infantry drills and 424
artillery drills during the last year.
The Secretary recommends that thirty-five
years of honorable and faithful service in the
army enttle enlisted me TO be placed on the re-
tired list, and that the term of enlistment be
reduced from five TO three years as means OF
reducing the number OF assertions of men who
become disconnected by reason OF inaptitude
for the service and the contemplation of the
present contract of enlistment
The acting Judge Advocate General reports
the number of trials by general courts martial
during the year TO be 2,2S0, which is an increase
over last year OF 295: number or convictions for
desertion, zoo; number of trials by garrison and
regimental courts martial, 1898, which Is an
increase over last year of l,GG5, making total
| increase of trials by courts martial of 1860.
Total number OF trials by general, garrison, and
regimental courts during the year ending Sept.
| 80, 1884,. 1929.
The report Of the Quartermaster Generals
| Department shows that at the beginning OF the
last fiscal year there remained in the Treasury,
as balances applicable to expenses OF prior
| years, the sum OF 81, 295, 279O1. There was APP
propriated for the year the sum Of $40, 50,
| including S200,O0O for military posts and $500
for road to National Cemetery at Chattanooga,
Tenn. The balance undrawn on the 3Oth OF
June, 1864, was 81, l93,9625L.
The report of the Commissary General of
Subsistence shows a total expenditure the last
| fiscal year of S3,217, 22i33 of which ST. 05. rs
embeZZled by an officer OF the army, who
deserted. and, it is believed fed to Mexico.
This is believed to be the. only sum lost to tho
Treasury by the dishonesty of any person in
the military service. In the other three In
stances of dishonesty during the present ad-
ministration, the sums embeZzled have been
restored OF the 100000 appropriated by Con-
gress for persons made destitute by the floods
OF the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. s326,6ls. "a
was expended on the Ohio and its tributaries,
and Sl6O, 430. "a on the Mississippi, leaving I'M
| extended Sl2,942.42.
The chief Of engineer shows the urgentneces-
sity Of beginning at once the construction OF
coast defenses. Steel forts and turrets to resist
guns which send projectile weighing ton
through sixty feet OF sand, and which must
have like guns, with machinery to load and
manipulate them, cannot be built in the time an
enemy would give after the cessation of diplo-
matte intercourse
The balance in the Treasury July !, 1888, for
improving harbors and rivers was $lO021, 64955
The amount appropriated for 1884 was 81, 3d.
63i.62. and the amount drawn from the treasury
was $s,22s, 703.5i, leaving balance OF S3ll2,-
O.63 in the Treasury July l., 1884. or the 147
places enumerated in the river and harbor act
OF Aug ., 1882, seventy-six were reported as not
worthy OF Improvement. During the year end
ing Sept. Q, 1884, the channel of the South Pass
of the Mississippi River was maintained unin-
hat
for maintenance OF the pass and $4,000 in inter-
est on the 100000 retained was paid Mr. Eads,
making the total expenditure for the improve
| ment TO the latter date, 50, OOOO 600.
The Secretary urges Congress to make lib
eral and permanent appropriations to the ord
nance department for the purchase of gun
material. The eel-makers of the country re-
iuire the inducement OF being fairly remuner-
| ated for OUTLAWS necessary to enlarge their
plants sufficiently TO produce steel in masses OF
sufficient size and OF suitable quality for gun
construction. The manufacture and test OF
experimental guns will require four or five
| years, and prompt action by Congress in maxi
ing this appropriation and establishing Govern
ment gun factories to secure within reasona-
| BILE time efficient means OF coast defense.
| Pending this Congressional action, the DEPART
ment Is proceeding with the conversion OF
smooth bore guns into rifles; fifty Will be thus
converted this year.
expedition receive the highest commentator,
| and a vigorous defense is entered against the
assertion of the chief signal officer that after
Sept IL, 1883, there was still time TO send suffi-
cient relief. To send an expedition with such pre-
| paration as could be made after the middle OF
September, the Secretary thinks, would have
been practically useless. Persons whose expe-
rience and studies give their opinions weight
were consulted by the Secretaries of War and
| the Navy, and the conclusion reached that I'M
! der most favorable conditions vessel could
| not have gone further north that season than
| Upernavik, point 200 miles from Littleton
Island, which distance is impossible for boats
or sledges.
The impossibility of overcoming the difficult
| ties OF arctic travel by land or sea was illus
tratcd by the fact that two-thirds of the Greedy
| party starved to death at Cape Sabine with $50
| pounds of meat untouched at Cape Isabella,
thirty miles distant, and $50 rations at Littleton
| Island about the same distance, but separated
| by Smiths Sound. Commander Schley, OF the
Greedy expedition. In his official report to the
| navy department, said: In view OF the disaster
TO the Lady Franklin Bay expedition ut Cape
Sabine and the conclusion OF the department
last year that it was mpracticablc to send an
other vessel north after the Yantics return to
| St Johns, Sept Is, 1888, with the report OF the
loss of the Proteus would state that the past
winter i'm Melville Bay was the most severe ex-
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