New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-17
MONEY FOR THE ARMY.
FEATURES OF THE APPROPRIATION BILL.
SOME NEW AND IMPORTANT ITEMs-NEw FIELD
BATTERIES RECoMMENpED-THE SYSTEM
OF ARMY POST CANTEENs-wILL
1T BE MAINTAINED7
1T BE MAINTAINED
,BY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TKIBUSE.1

!BY TELEGRAPH THE TKIBUNE1
Washington, March 16.-Therc indications tiiat
certain provisions in the Army Appropriation Dill
which has been already reported to the House, WI"
encounter strong opposition and provoke livery dc-
bate The bill carries 2f,i5S.220 being 81 153,3o4
less than the estimates and $GG3,G05 more than tho
regular appropriation for the current fiscal year. The
increase however, is more apparent than real. In
the first place. deficiency estimates amounting 10
about 100000 made necessary by insulhclcnt ap-
preparations Of the last Congress- have been sent to
the House since the beginning Of this session. TMs
amount does not include deficiencies in the Bureau OK
Engineers. The item for barracks and quarters
includes, in the regular Appropriation BILL $4,000.
which the preceding Congress preferred to transfer to
deficiency bill in order to help its reputation LOT
economy Items of increase amounting to somc
T2lJ,00O are due to the operation Of laws which IN
volve additional appropriations year by year on ac-
count Of service pay of officers and enlisted men, adj
dItions to the retired list, Of officers and enlisted
men, etc.
The various items mentioned make total OF $780,
O00 which nearly wipes out the difference between
the regular Army bill Of last year and the one now
pending. The latter bill. however, includes three new
and important items. For the purchase OF four three
inch mountain guns of the Iotchkiss pattern. with
carriages, mbcr, etc. 9l4,020: for the purchase OF
twenty-five steel field guns 800 calbre. metallic gun
carriages mbcrS and caissOns, steel shell or srapnel
and six combined FORCES and battery wagons, 1885,
13j; for buildings for garrison purposes, 100000
making total of $205,O55. OF this, $15O,13o Is tor
field batteries and equipments. The Military COM
mlttce is Of the opinion that, these batteries are
for service In the field with troops they are as much
q portion Of the military establishment as are the
small Of the nfantry and cavalry, and, there's
fore. should not be included the Foricatons bflls
The item of 100000 for buildings for garrison
purposes Will probably be the chief bone Of contention
In the House. If the system of post cantccns which
has been recently adopted shall become firmly es-
tabllshcd, and shall expand TO supply the de-
mands Of officers and soldiers at the various military
posts the Army pOttraders viii be obliged to retire
from the business in which they are nov engaged
and which during many years they have found 50
profitable At nearly every important military post
the licensed post trader does large business and
many Of them have built permanent storchogses ana
other buildings at considerable cost. Ii is tho pur-
pose OF the War Department. if The Appropriation be
made. to buy such Of the buildings belonging TO post
traders who 60 Of that business arc available
for garrison purpoesbarracks. quarters, canteens,
etc. At several posts the traders have already stopped
business and have sold their buildings appraisal to
the Army Quarcrmas;er.
In urging the appropriations Secretary Proctor wrote
to Chairman Cutchcon, of the House Military Com
mittce, saying: only such buildings have been APP
praised as were available for uses authorized By ex-
Istlnc laws but the present estimate allows their ap
prasal'fOr Use cantecns. and Will be decided help
in making the change from the posttrader system.
The reports that We have in regard TO the cantcen
- stem are strong in it, favor that they conduce TO
order, temperance and coItentment among the men.
They arc also satisfactory the people in tho vicinity
~ the post as they allow the general trade in which
the post trader had practically monopoly, to be dis
trbuted among the merchants of the vicinity. who pay
taxes, which is much the better and legitimate course
for business To take
Mr. Proctor also said that the traders generally
recognize that they will have give up their business
lndi
however, that the po>ttraders will not surrender with
out sharp struggle. Representatives. Of their in
rerc,ts have already arrived In Washington. and arc
busy with preparations for the hSht. 1t is UNDER
stood that their efforts will be chiefly directed against
the canteen system, which. they contend. Will ulti-
maelv result in lowering the and impairing the
efficiency OF the Army OF course that line Of reason
ing would be stronger If taken by men who desire 10
maintain the tone and efficiency Of the Army, whose
personal and pecuniary interests were not at stake
II /, true that the post canteen Is new thing in the
military establishment OF the United states. its intro
duciion and operation having covered period OF about
eight months yet the testimony OF post commanders Is
uniformly and strongly in favor Of it, continuance as
positive force for the improvement II tie morale and
dsciplnc of troops, That it enables the soldier to
urocurc more Of the comfort, Of life for good ucdi
less money than he obtain fewer comforts i0i i
IN. po,trader or the storckecper in the heaFeso
frontier there can be no question:
There j, no officer - the Army whose experience
and Judgment make hi, 81 inon more valuable ia
such a matter than that oi Colonel Richard l. Dodge'
Of the litl Infantry who has oommahneo so"'o
twenty military posts. end who Is now stationco a'
Madison BARRACKS sAckc,ts larbor, y. Y. In
rcpot f. Adluant General kclon Colonel Dodge says
In my opinion, step has been taken ior TIC i'u
provcmcnt the moral, social and intellectual '"hu''
ton of the enlisted mea more eih'a'ou' ulah the e.
Enlistment Of the cantcen with PRIDE an aoie
I, say that il discipline and general good conduct
- !
the ARMY 4, my general rules and node OF conf
mnnd have not changed ~ this post ciner' rom oe'
only In being surrounded with even more Numerous
grog shops and other temptations, can a'luu's ''
very marked improvement only 10 the wonderful III
nucncc Of the ,anccn. hope that this pO"er and
,at posts now controlled by the political, SOCIAL OF non
eyed power Of post traders may soVA ciHo' VIC WIN"
it~ accorded To my command ,.. o.. Do.
In a recent report on the same SUBJECT uie ios'
Commander oi camp sheridan, Nyomins "ii'es 40
follow, while the character q my troop Is sscn
that gives me very ltilc tlo'ois At az, ~ Tho
notice that while before the c,tdhh>n"c", -. 80
rantccn passes tor the ncs'borins town OF "aruenss
frequent. thci make, '',r Ia ns sati.,ied Il,
remain ON the posi-. The guard house - empty.
since the r,.at: /" the canteen
r,c troop cantcen Is very rude atair, but OF
w s y, orc which wonld be- supplied this station
WAS understood to Ice of permanent character DIN
such a, il j.. it j. certainly great Comfort anu ao'
much to the contcnfmcnt of the men, ,, Nh.
Herr. i some testimony from Fort MaGinnlS, Mont
dcnd. from the post caniccn the sum OF T"I Inc
cantccn has now been in operation one month. INC
or1,nization and management of II was more or less
cxp,rimcnta none of the officers had had any eN-
ncricnce with one. The result. however, ot the last
ons experience has been beneficial and satisfactory
h,yond what any OF H. had expected. The men, WIN
tap, at II p can nov gaiiy any desire thcy may
have for amusement in the cantcen. and Tor reading
or studylng I'm the library near by. something that mas
been heretofore next T. impossible TINS SUPPLYING q
want which perhaps applies more % this posi-, from
lis Isolated location than any other IN the department.
II /. my opiuOn that the effect of establishing cam
teens al military posts Will be beneficial in every way.
IL induces men to stay al home II provides pace
whore men can 20 and minrlc with men of other
companics adding greatly t. the sociability among
thcul thu. l",>cnng troop or company anmOs
lies il such exist and furthermore. IL is noticeabls
feature that the older soldiers and tie BETTE
and scadlcr men of the garrison so thoroughly ap'
nr.cate the ADVANTAGES OF the cantccn that they
INDY In suppress any OF The reckless who NIGH
~ a l.tnrhancc In the cantccn.