Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-11
THE sEcHrrARy OF WARS nnI uRT.
Discusses the Army, Military Academy,
and Kindred Subiects.

The expenditures Of appropriations un-
der the direction of the Secretary of War,
by reqdist on, for the fiscal year ending
Jnne'5oy 1885, we're as follows:
Salaries and contingent expenses S2Oi2, sOG AZ
Military Establishment Army
and Military Academy ........ %, ,i21 40
Public works, including river and
'hnrbOf mprOVcmcnts......... H,lGi,3M 60
Miscellaneous objects. 4,Sj9,372 81
Total ............... .......... $3.50 $3.50 81 .
The above figures include the sum of
ST5, rs ~ credited to the subsidized Pa
cilic railroads for transportation services /
rendered the war department during the /
fiscal year 1885 and prior years.
The sum of Sl,272, l25. 70 pertaining to
war department appropriations was car
red to the surplus fund June 80, 1885.
The appropriations for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1856, are as follows:
Salaries aud contingent expenses. S2,071 ,295 90
Military Establshment-Army
and Military Academy....... 2t,2ss3T 80
iuDllc WORKS. ..:.......,.......... E,il,S9E ~
Miscellaneous objects ............. 3,l54,SSS So
Total Observation-Disclosures. 3, 762 Alb 40
The increase of the expenditures for
1885 over those of 1884 was mainly for
river and harbOr improvements. AS there
was no appropriation for river and harbor
Improvements this year, the appropra
tions for the year ending June 80, 1886,
/
the appropriations for the previous years.
| The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 20, 1857, as received by me, amount
| ed to Sl.1S2 ABB %, which have reduced
| to the following amounts:
Salaries and contingent expenses, { 1.O51 .1Gj 90
| Military COMMUNICATING and
/ Military ACtdCmy..... 1850 fNj II
/ Public works, including river and
! hHruOr imp ONCmCnI s............ 1866 $50 Is
/ Miscellaneous OhicCtS............ 4,tUO,-H2 -
Total. ..................... 4s,2Oi,IS3 IS
The estimates for salaries and coniin-
| gent expenses for 1857 are less than the
appropriations for the present year, and
. it Is hoped that the changes recommend
ed, which are deemed to he for the best
interests of the service, may be favOrably
considered.
The necessity for the increase of the
other estimates over the appropriations
for the present year is explained i'll the
notes following the estimates.
THE ARMY.
The licutenant- general commanding re-
ports that the army at the date of the last
consolidated returns consists OF 2,l54 Of
iiCers and "A, 105 enlisted men.
While the peaceful condition of affairs
has continued in the division of the At
lantic, in the divisions of the Missouri and
the Pacific there have been disturbances
which have severely taxed the troops and
the supply departments of the army.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENT COmmends to
careful consideration the policy of Concen-
. trating troops and putting large garrisOns
. in the vicinity of large cities as a measure
of economy, the present railroad facilities
being ample to transport them to the
, frontier speedily when needed and also
a again recommends the addition of two
companies and two majors to each regiment
, of infantry, and thus make the three arms
of the service uniform In both these
recommendations concur
r THE MILITARY ACADEMY.
e The specific appropriations for the Mill
= tary academy for the fiscal year 1850 were
= S3i5 $780, and the expenditures were
l. $500, 1l2.O7 These amounts do not include
/. the sums expended at the academy from
r appropriations for support OF the army.
C Ehe superintendent reports that there
d were present September /, 1885, / hree hun
dred and thirteen cadets, and that the ton,
t. -and discipline of the corps leaves little OF
II nothing to he desired. The total number
t. of officers for duty at the post, including
t. eight professors and two surgeons, Is fifty
e eight.
l. The class which graduates in June next
> is unusually large, numbering seventy
n eight members. In case the vacancies il
|, the army are not sufficient to provide fOl
o all the graduates, the superintendent
ir recommends legislation Which will aut nor
V iZe "the retention of those who elect tC
It serve as additional second lieutenants il
It the army In this recommendation
IS fully concur 1t would be a subject of re
( greet and a misfortune to the army to los
ii the services OF these young gentlemen
after so much money and time have beel
Is expended on their education.
i ADJUTANT GENERALS DEPARTMENT..
"a In presenting his views relative to tn
1 militia the adjutant general lays partic
ii ular stress on its defective armament. |
II is of the first importance that militar
force containing so much intelligence
'e should he armed with Il weapon OF tn
10 most effective character, and when callet
d into the service of the general govern
10 ment, its arm should be the same rs tina
IT, used by the regular force with which it |
I'll to serve. At present nearly the eutir
II militia of the country Is armed with
y rtlcd musket different in caibcr and les
le effective than that i'll use in the army
le and for which no ammunition is nov
/, manufactured.
ll The reports of the several officers of TIN
IT, army detailed as professors of tactics an'
III military science ut college afford crafty
v ing proof OF the good results which tn
% legislation authorizing these details hay
Is conferred upon the youth of the country
III 1t appears, however, that of these fAVore
~ institutions only three have an average al
eI tendance of over one hundred and tilt
o. male students, while at twenty-five it
. below one hundred, at twelve 1t is unde
Is sixty, and five of the latter have an aver
aye attendance of less than forty. Thes
rs figures indicate the necessity of a chang
nj in the law whi:h will secure the large
e benefit to be obtained from its provisions
The opinion of the adjntant general
approved that the fact should appear NJ
only that the institution seeking the dt
tail is capable of educating and accom-
al modating one hundred and nifty mai
81 students, but also that not less than on
al hundred are actually receiving instrut
tn ton, 1t is also intended that there sha
yn be an annual inspection of the work dOnt
~ the methods adopted, and the results OF
-, tanned by the officers thus detailed t
us colleges.
IA In view of the beneficial effect of tn
as law for the retirement of veteran soldiers
ly the adjutant general submits schem
- dividing the numerous grades OF enliste
m men into thirteen classes, and paying I
Id each II monthly sum equal to the mea
~ average pay and allowances of each cl9S'
of If adopted, this would render more simpl
y the estimates and accounts, and save muc
No. labor.
M, ,I In -t,aDaral rolis a tfputinD I