The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-11-12

| health of the army has been better than in the
| preceding decade. Diseases of the respiratory
! group were most prevalent. The colored troops
! continue to suffer ia greater degree than the
whites from malarial fevers and conditions re-
| sulting therefrom, due probably to endemic
| causes pertaining to posts at which they were
| stationed. The report shows that the death
| rate for commissioned officers was slightly
! higher than for enlisted men. Among troops
| of the line the cavalry shows highest death
rate, followed by infantry and artillery. The
| Gulf region furnished the highest rate OF adj
mission to sick report, the North Pacific the
| lowest.
There were 6.622 cases of wounds accidents,
| and injuries reported during the year III a mean
strength of 24,035 officers and enlisted men.
/ Deaths from wounds and other violent causes
numbered So. No casualties from actual war
! fare were returned, the year having been one
of peace. The list of accidental deaths and in
iuries at rifle range has increased since the last
report.
Attention is called to the tendency to over
crowded barracks and quarters, and the Sur
| geOn-General recommends that army cooks be
! instructed in the culinary art as he believes
/ much OF the indlgestiye disorders among the
| troops are because of deficiency i'll that dlrec-
| ton. He also recommends that ice machines
| he furnished for military posts and that post
! garbage be disposed of by cremation.
EFFECT OF THE ELECTIONS.
The returns from the elections in New York
and Virginia brought great comfort to the
! hearts of the Democrats i'll Washington, and
were correspondingly depressing to the Repub-
| licans. The former felicitate themselves upon
| the apparent fact that they have come to
| stay" and the swarm of "Kunnels" and Ma
jahs" contribute largely to the extinction OF the
| National debt by their unusual consumption OF
| stimulating beverages in token of their rejoic-
| ing. The President received many kilograms
and letters from all parts of the country, con-
| graduating him on the Endorsement of his Ad-
ministration by the people A silver lining to
the cloud that overshadows the Republicans is
| found in the fact that their control of the
United States Senate is assured for at least two
years longer.
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee Governor-elect of Vir-
ginia spent few hours in Washington on Fri
day. He was received with an enthusiasm that
was second only in quantity to that which
greeted him on the day of President Cleveland's
Inauguration, when he rode at the head of
division of the great procession.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL's REPORT.
Adj't-Gen. Drum, in his annual report to the
Secretary of War, invites attention to the SUBJ
ject of the obsolete arms and ammunition in the
hands of the State militia or stored in the sew
eral State armories. 1t would, he says, seem
most wise measure if, at the approaching session
of Congress, general act was passed providing
for immediate exchange, when requested, OF
all obsolete arms now III the nanQS OF the HILL
tia of the several States for improved Spring
field rifles, caliber As, and appropriate ammuni-
ton therefor. He calls attention to the fact
that the law authorizing the detail of army
officers to act as professors of tactics and mill
tary science in military colleges requires that
the institutions to which such details are made
shall have a capacity to educate at the same
time not less than $50 male students. He ex-
presses the opinion that the law contemplated
that the selected universities should have not
only the canacfty for educating a certain num-
Der Of youths but that at last the minimum
number be actually under instruction, and he
shows that of the 81 institutions to which army
officers are now detailed, only II have an at
tendance of $50 or over while at Ii it is less
than 100, and at others less than 60. In some
cases he believes the details were secured to
obtain the services of an officer proficient in
mathematics as professor in that branch.
He recommends that non commissioned Off
GERS and privates on the retired list be paid a
gross sum in money in lieu of their present pay
and Communication of allowances. The made
quacy of the military prison at Fort LeaVen-
worth to accommodate all prisoners sentenced
by courts martial to confinement is noted.
Gen. Drum calls attention to the increase of
clerical work in his office, caused by the trans
fer of records from other offices. The great
desideratum, he says, in filling vacancies is TO
secure men fairly acquainted with the minutie
ommends that general service clerks at Depart
ment headquarters, as well as those at the
headquarters of regiments, who may wish to
present themselves before Civil Service boards
for examination, be, on the recommendation of
regimental and departmental commanders, APP
proved by him, permitted to do so; and that,
when found qualified, their names in all cases
be certified to the War Department for appoint
ment to the Adjutant-Gene Office, where
knowledge of military papers and correspond
ence is so important.
GEN. sHERIDAN's NEW STAFF.
Gen. Sheridan appears to have concluded at
last to accept the situation in regard to the re-
organization Of his staff made necessary by the
recent order of Secretary Endicott returning to
their regiments officers who have been on de-
tached duty for a given number of years.
Lieut.-Col. Kellogg, 9Th Cav, and Leut.-Co
Blunt, Ordnance Department., have been de-
tailed as Aids to the General to fill tie vacan-
cies that have for some time existed Col. Kel
logg, who was an Aid de- Camp to Gen. Thomas
during the war, has lately returned from
Europe, and is now serving with his troop at
Fort Supply, l. T. Col Blunt has been serving
! for more than year as Inspector of Rifle Prac-
tice at Headquarters of the Army, the duties Of
which position he will continue to discharge, in
addition to those of Abide Camp. He is the
author of the Manual of Rifle Firing" adopt
ed last year for use in the Army. Coils. Kellogg
and Blunt are widely and favorably known
both in and out of the Army, and in military
circles their selection by Gen. Sheridan is likely
to give general satisfaction.
PAY DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY.
Gen. Rochester, Paymaster General of the
Army, in his annual report to the Secretary Of
War, shows that the disbursements made by
his bureau during the past fiscal year amounted
to 3d. 463,7 1877, including 1897 600 to the Signal
Service, and $4,000 to the Military Academy,
and Sl2,349, 443 on army pay-rolls. The amount
discussed for payment OF mileage of officers
was 5000; saving Of $4,000 as compared
with the previous year. Gen. Rochester rec
ommends that Congress be asked to enact legs-
lation allowing an officer who may be travelling
| under orders his actual fare and certain rate
of mileage by the shortest usually travelled
route sufficient to meet incidental expenses
Such scheme, he says, would be more equta-
bic both TO the officer and the Government than
the present system. Ninety two non commits
stoned officers and privates have been placed
upon the retired list. Gen. Rochester recon-
mends legislation to authorize the payment to
| these men of 50 month in lieu of the allow
ances for clothing and rations. The Paymaster
| General reports that the diminished operations
OF his bureau make it possible to drop six
clerks from the present force.
| sTEAM-vEssEL INSPECTION.
The Supervising Inspector General of steam
vessels IN his annual report, states that 1898
vessels of total tonnage of ,G9S 1865 tons, were
inspected during the year, and that %, 235 Off
| GERS were licensed. The accidents during the