The sun., 1892-02-17
nov TO p.aY THE ARMH
sursestions for DiaiuishlnE the Fay Corps
and for Making Disbursements Frequens.


susSestsous for Dimiuishiug the Pay Corps
and for Making Dssbursementa Frequent.
WASHINGTON. Feb 10 "A recommendation TO
reduce the number OF officers in any branch
OF the army when It originates In tho war
Department, Is almost rare enough TO Do
called q phenomenon. Such a Recommendation
was contained in the farewell report OF secre-
tary Proctor. which proposed to cut down tne
personnel Of one OF the staff corps; and the
concurrent suggestion to increase the numoet
and aggregate pay Of the limo did not detract
from the novelty Of the former recommends
tion.
Tho pay corps Is the one which the ex-Sec-
retary proposed to diminish. by bringing the
number OF Majors. which. according to the
last register was thirty three, down to twenty
five or lower. Tho act OF 1884 provided for
the gradual reduction Of this grade by casu-
atty to twenty r. nine: but Mr. Proctor would go
further. on the ground that since June i. 1850.
no fewer than twenty-eight army posts. or
about one-fourth OF tho entire number gar
risoned. have been abandoned and that ABOUT
dozen more can be given up as soon as the
moro central forts are ready to accommodate
additional troops. The posts thus abandoned
are. as rule the most remote. and the saving
Of time and travel in reaching them Is reason
enough for cutting down the number OF pay
masters. The effects Of this policy OF concen-
trnton are also seen in the reduction OF CON
tract surgeons to twenty one. and the services
OF even these can all be dispensed with DUR
Ing the present fiscal year The numbers Iln hsn o,
reduced. and the new estimates for the .medi,,
cal department can be made about Sioo.VuY
therefore. why the rcduct on in the pay corps
proposed by Mr.. Proctor Is also fensi6le. =,
ton one came sn ono from Adit Gen: Keten adyisins
more frequent payments OF tho enlisted men
The law provides that The army shnli i, % at
STANCES shall render further arrears nnayoii.
able" Under this statute II was for many
years the practice to pay troops bimonthly Mt
the oftenest. and. taking advantage OF the pro
ys9a lSr oux us o. TO four pay ons
Such custom was found to be harmful
as the reorganization of arrears led to waste,
escaped by borrowing funds against tho next
pay day. sometimes. at exorbitant interest
The convenience, of the Government proved to
4 few, years ngo, a reform. was stsrtcd By
establishing monthly payments at few Garri-
oughy tried. the opinion OF company COM
nortant ia posts was requested. OF, nifty; eight
eny the ei b.
ernl view was that the men had become better
satisfied. less hampcred by borrowing. and less
now recommends that Congress should au-
thorize and provide for semi-monthly pay
ments hereafter.
The question arises how this recommended
ton will accord with Mr.. Proctors desire to
reduce the number OF paymastcrs. The an
swer may. perhaps. he found in the eX .Secrs-
tary's suggestion. TO assign officers OF other
arms of the service. ut remote posts occupied
by small garrlsonS, as acting assistant pay
masters in addition to their other duties"
Gen. keltOn. who would apparently retain the
present number OF paymasters. with view to
securing scmi-mOnthly payments. also pro-
poses that the post Huartermaster. who has
the caro- of valuable property and the charge
Of certain disbursements. should be author
lied to receive money from tho paymaster
and dsburse it to the troops ut the
semi-monthly intervals between tho reg
ular visits OF the paymaster. Theme the
latter could square up tho accounts on
his monthly visits. and see that the inter-
mediate payments were correctly made. OF
course tho company commander would have
his rolls to prepare and the proposed system
would be n sort OF payment on account by the
Quartcrmaster, as custodian or paymastor's 4
representative. the regular ray officer correct
ing all errors and turning over to each man
the balance due to him at the monthly visit.
1t seems clear enough that with monthly dis
pay corps can be carried out: or that. If no re-
duction is maize semimonthly payments can
be esta blished. In one or the other way or in
both the, good results Of the concentration
policy will be manifest