Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-12
Their Annual Reports.
THE FIRST COMPTROLLER.


rants, aggregatlng Sic, 049 754. IL, were
examined, regists red, and countersign-
co, and that rs. $50 accounts aggregate
ing $50, SIS, 214.4 As, received from the
auditing Offices we're revised, recorded
and certified to the register. The
comptroller calls attention to the fact
that in 1868 the first comptroller then
in Office certified balances due to the
| United States from the several states
and territories, respectively, for direct
taxes due and unpaid under the direct
tax act Of Aug 1861, and such states
and territories were accordingly debit
ed on the books IN the Office of the re
gister Of the treasury.
Discussing the question OF old claims
against the government, which are
constantly being presented for his ac~
ton, the comptroller suggests that
some fixed period after the rlgat Of the
claimant accrues should be subscribed
by statue within which claim may
be brought before the proper account
ing officers for action thereon.
THE PAYMAsTER GENERAL.
Paymaster General Rochester, in
his annual report to the secretary of
war, shows that the disbursements
made by his bureau during the last
fiscal year amounted to $13. 483, 727,
including $197, 900 to the signal SER
vice and $213, 443 to the military acad-
emy and $12, 349. 443 on army pay
rolls. The amount disbursed for pay
ment of mileage of officers was
$155,0 Gen. Rochester recommends
that congress be asked to enact legis~
lation allowing an officer VINO may be
| travelling under order his actual fare
and a certain rate of mileage by the
shortest usually travelled route, suffi-
Gent to meet Incidental expenses.
Such a scheme, he says, would be
more equitable, both to the officer and
the government, than the present sys-
| tenn.
Ninety-two noa~commissloned OH :.
GERS and privates have been placed
upon the retired list. Gen. Rochester
recon mends legislation to authorize
the payment of these men So a month
| in lieu of the allowances for clothing
and ratiens
The paymaster general reports that
the diminished operations of the ba-
reau make it possible to drop SIX
clerks from the present force.
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL.
Adjt. Gea. Drum in his annual re-
port to the secretary of war invites
attention to the subject of the obsolete
arms and ammunition in the hands Of
the state militia Or stored in the several
state armories. 1t would, he says,
seem a most wise measure If, at the
approaching session of congress, a
general act were passed providing fol
the immediate exchange, when re-
quested, of all obsolete arms now In
the hands of the militia of the several
states for improved Springfield rifles,
caliber As, and appropriate ammuni~
ton therefor. He recommends that
proof be required with the application
for the detail of military professor
at any military school tnat at least
$50 male pupils above the age Of Ii
years are usually present. He finds
that, in some cases, the number runs
as low as so. He recommends tkat
non commissioned officers and pri-
Yates on the retired list be paid gross
su1n in money in lieu of their present
pay and communication of allowances,
and he submits a table embodying a
proposition to pay them at rates vary
ing from $5340 per month for chief
musicians TO $23 80 for artifcsrs. He
recommends the publication of new
edition Of army regulations to con-
form with the laws enacted since the
present code was promulgated, and
calls attention to the inadequacy in
size of the military prison at Fort
Leavenworth. He calls special at
tention to the value of the work done
by the prisoners He also calls atters
ton to the difficulty of securing clerks
acquainted with array forms, and rec
ommenas remedies.
THE GOVERNOR OF ALASKA.
Gov. A. P. Swineford, of Alaska,
has made his first annual report to the
secretary of the interior on the coadi
ton of affairs in that district. He ar
rived at Sitka Sept. Is, and was cor.
daily received save sy a very few
persons, who, in the language of the
governor, preferred continuance OF
the old order of affairs, under which,
presumably, they have persuaded
themselves 10 DolicV0 they m1gut la
dividually profit much more largely al
the expense of the general govern.
ment than under the new. None OF
the appropriations made for the sup,
port of the civil government or fol
specific purposes appear to have reach
ed the hands of the ex -oficio treasurer,
consequently he has no record of the
disbursements, all of which, with q
few exceptions, the governor says,
were made by the collector of customs.
An increased appropriation for schools
is asked. The children are said tc
manifest more than the average apti>
tude in study, and the Utes are es-
pecially anxious for the establishment
of English schools. Reference is made
to the disagreement between the gen.
eral agent of the schools and the people
of Sitka, including the late officials OF
the civil government, but the cover.
nor says he has not been in the terri
tory long enough to decide the merits
of the case impartially. Still he feels
oo,s4no;oo5 ~ cor 4bo4 4bo rxo,,oxa