Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-23


The army Of the United States is composed
OF grand total of 2S, 795 human beings, officers
and men. OF these 2174 are officers
and the remainder enlisted men. The estab-
lishment thus formed costs the government
yearly nearly S23,OOO,OOO, taking the last
appropriation act as basis. This
act also provides for the pay
OF retired officers and men. numbering
about 615, the sum of $1,000 900. As these are
properlya part of the army system. being liable
10 be called on for service. they might be in
Guided in the army itself. making the
total of men and officers 29.770 the susie
nance Of whom costs annually the sum of over
S2i.2 600. The enlisted men of all grades
cost II 542 900, the hospital corps $3.50 O00, and
general-service clerks. &C.. ?15l 800. thus
making the cost of the actual rank and file of
the army "a, $685. 800.
LINE AND STAFF
For the officers of the line the sum ia s3172, 900,
and for officers of the various staff departments
the appropriations are as follows: Adjutant-
generals department, $4,000; inspector-gen-
erals department, S29. 500; engineer
corps. s3ll,7i0; ordnance department,
Sli035O; quartermasters department.
l965O0; subsistence department. 510l 800;
medical department, S545.000; pay department
Slll5OO; Acknowledgement department,
$34.OOO. Thus the active officers of the
army cost the government S5,073020 year,
which, counting i'll the pay of retired officers
II, 230, 900, makes the annual paw of commits
stoned officers 5000 020 against a, 9O3, 9OO
the pay of active and retired enlisted men.
1t will be seen that the officers. who form
about ~ per cent of the Army, receive over 56
per cent OF the pay.
OTHER EXPENSES.
The pay of the army does not constitute all of
its expense by any means, being, indeed, but
10 A - Al
| bare subsistence of the army costs 81 745 900.
This includes the purchase of supplies for issue
as ratlons to troops, the civil employees in Ger.
tam cases. contract surgeons. hospital matrons.
military cOnvlcts and prisoners of war. This is
estimated on basis of 1865, $50 rations year.
Tins Item also includes a great variety of mis-
cellaneous items, such as the issue of hot
coffee, baked beans and canned beef for troops
travelling when 1t is impracticable to cook their
ratlohs; bake ovens at posts and in the field,
dc.
QUARTERMAsTER's SUPPLIES.
Then the quartermasters supplies require an
appropriation of S2,67S,OO0. This fund pro-
vldes means for the purchase of stoves and
heating apparatus for barracks and quarters.
fuel and light, forage for the horses and other
stock OF the quartermaster's department.
ana the officers horses and those of
the regiments of cavalry, and the
batteries OF artillery, straw for the soldiers
ID
OF Sl32OOO goes for the purchase of horses for
the cavalry and artillery, for Indian scouts,
ana Tor such infantry as may be mounted
tor incidental expenses under the quartermas-
ters department S675,000 is available,
to pay for such things as postage kilograms
expenses of the interment of officers killed in
action or dying at posts, the hire of laborers,
including the hire of interpreters guides, or
spies Tor the army, for the expenses of the cap
ture OF deserters, hire of veterinary surgeons,
no oh rofh
FOR TRANSPORTATION
of the army and its baggage the sum OF
81, 900 is available. This includes the ex-
penses of procuring water at such posts as re-
quire 1t to be brought from distance the re.
moval OF sewage and drainage, the cost of
freight, hire OF transfers, and the clearing of
roads rivers and harbors of Instructions
The barracks and quarters for troops and the
hire and repair of buildings are estimated to
cost S62O.OOO. The construction and repair of
hospitals calls for an appropriation of 100000
The armys annual tailoring bill is about
Sl,l5O.OOO, expended for cloth and the manu-
facture OF clothing, and its altering fitting,
washing and cleaning when necessary.
Two hundred and fifteen thousand dollars 60
for the purchase of medical and hospital sup
plies, including disinfectants for general SAM
tatlon, expenses of medical purveying depots
and pay OF employees.
MUNITIONS OF WAR
Then comes the provision of the real NUM-
tlons of war, under the ordnance department.
the elements that go to make an army worth
something after the men have been hired.
housed, fed. clothed, and doctored Eighty
thousand dollars go for the current expenses
of the ordnance service at arsenals: $3.50 900 is
required for the manufacture of metallic am
munitlon for small arms and ammunition for
reloadlng cartridges, including the cost of
targets and materials for target practice, and
mo 10 n,N1 Al
the purchase and manufacture of ordnance
stores SlOO,OOO is allowed; for infantry caval-
ry lin the bill this word is spelled calvary. and
artillery equipments, including those of
me me zo horses, slOO,OOo;, the sum of
three pneumatic dynamite guns of ffteen-inch
callber together with the necessary machinery.
ammunition and carriages to fire and handle
them for use on the Pacific coast; for
the purchase of homemade machine guns.
SZO,0OO Is set aside; 100000 goes
for the manufacture repair and issue of arms
at the national armories, $1,000 for targets for
target practice, and $4,000 for firing the
morning and evening gun at military posts.
An appropriation of $4,000 is made to
enable the Secretary of War to cause
examinations and tests to be made in convert
ing the existing cast-iron ordnance of the War
department. into steel-lined, breech-loading
torpedo howitzers for throwing high pro-
jectiles, according to plans already sub-
United to Congress and turned over 10
the fortihcatlons board. The sum of $4,000
Is allowed for the construction of a counter
pose battery to mount a rifed gun, which is to
be furnished by the ordnance department of
the navy, to be located wherever the fortitica-
lions board may direct.
RECRUITING SERVICE.
In order to keep the army from depletion bv
discharges or assertions, a recruiting service
is necessary; and for this purpose an appropri-
alton of S113,0OO is made.
Mileage is an important item. for which an
appropriation is made of s15O,OOO. For COM
pensation OF witnesses attending upon courts
martial and courts of inquiry 81, 595. 10 is ap-
propriated; for Communication of quarters
to commissioned officers without troops
at stations where there are no public quarters.
$4,000; and for allowances for travel, re-
tanned pay and clothing not drawn payable to
enlisted men on discharge, $3.50 Zoo.
These expenses embrace practically all of the
cost of the army, although there are numerous
other small sums appropriated for various in
cidental and contingent expenses.
Spring.
In