Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-09
UNITED STATES ARMY.
| Synopsis of the Report OF the Secretary
| of War.

of War.
WASHINGTON, December 5th-The an
| nual report of the Secretary of War shows
that the expenditures and appropriations
| for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885,
were $40, $50 600, of which S2023. 900 was
| for salaries and contingent expenses, S27,-
| $40 600 for the army and military academy,
| Sic. 164, COO for public work and river and
harbor improvements, and 81 $4,000 for
I miscellaneous. The above figures incluae
| $4,000 credited to subsidized Pacific zail-
roads for transportation during Is md
! prior years. For the fiscal ye;tg ending
June 80, 1884, thc expenditures were Ss;l,-
| 762 600, Of which only $2,24S0 600 was for
| public works. The estimates for the fiscal
year ending June so, 1887, amounted to
| $S1, 1872 900, which the Secretary of War re-
duced to the following amounts;
Salaries and contingent expenses. s2.05s.OOo
Military establshments-Army and
Military Academy 25 $50 900
| Public works. including harbor i'm
16 266 900
Mlscellaneous--.-...---. 100000
Total. S4S GOA, 900
The report speaks of the operations of
the troops in Oklahoma and Arizona at
some length, and cites the fact that Lieu
tenant-General Sheridan is now inyestigat-
ing III person the condition of affairs in tho
latter Territory
The Secretary concurs in the recon-
| mendation of Lieutenant General Sheridan
of concentrating troops and putting large
| garrisons in the vicinity of large cities, and
| the addition of two companies and two
Majors in each regiment OF infantry. The
Secretary also concurs in the recon-
mendation that legislative provision be
made authorizing the retention of West
| Point graduates to serve as additional Sec
| lfanfqnenfS in q rf1tzr f}a1
| vacancies in the army are not sufficient to
| accommodate all those who graduate from
| the academy. The report recommends
| legislation for the improvement of tho
militia, and that State troops be armed
with the same weapon as the regular army.
! The report of the Judge AdYocate-Gen-
eral shows that II 600 enlisted men of the
army were tried by Court-martiai during
| the year, but q majority of the oifenseI
| charged and assumed were trivial in char
actcr. The report recommends that power
! to punish q soldier for minor ofienses
should be vested in the commanding
officers, thus obviadng the necessity OF
| numerous Courts-martial.
The Secretary urges that as the Judge
Acknowledgement has been convicted OF
| certain grave offenses and suspended from
duty for twelve years, a Judge Advocate
General be appointed in his place, or some
legislation by Congress as will meet the
| case, in view of the fact that il will be i'm
possible for the suspended Judge Advocate
! General to occupy the office, as before the
expiration of the sentence he will be retired
from the army by operation of the law
The report recommends legislation to
enable the arrest of deserter by civil pro-
cess, to limit he claims of officers and
enlisted men for losses of personal property
in time of peace, and recommends the en-
lStment of n trained cook for each comma
ny, troop and battery, and q baker for each
garrisoned post. The Secretary speaks of
the reports submitted upon the necessity
for coast defenses and improvements of the
Mississippi river, but makes no general
recommendations He urges The necessity
for the appointment of an Assistant Secrs-
tary of War.