The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-14
ARMY STAFF CORPS CONSOLIDATION
Feasibility OF Merging the Adiuinnt-ae ner-
al,a and InsR ct or lse rails Depart me nts.

ats and Inspector. Gen rails Departments.
WASHINGTON. March 12-Tho army ofIlcers
had their innings during tho Fifty-first Con
gress. and what with retirement statutes
and so on. they received an amount OF pro.
motion unparalleled for many year. But
now tho prospect Is that no legislation can be
counted upon that increases the cost OF main
tanning tho army. while schemes OF decrease
will DO watched to see that thcy do not de.
prive tho army OF sources OF efficiency.
Mr.. Henderson has introduced n bill to in.
crease tho Inspector-G Generals Department
by adding to 1t several officers. 1t now con-
sists OF a Brigader- General. two Coloncls. two
Lieutenant Colonels. and two Majors. The
pending bill adds a Colonel. Lieutenant
Colonel. and four Majors. The argument for
tho bill is that for years 1t has been found nee
essary to detail several officers from other
branches OF the army tn this department.. For
example. during the past twelve months hall
n dozen line officers were 80 detailed Hence
1t is urged that they or others might rs well be
permanently assigned to the Inspector Gen
erals Department
The contrary argument rests on two grounds.
The first is that 1t Is better that line officers
should havo occasional tours Of staff depart
mont duty TO make them better informed as to
the whole round OF the military establishment.
10 the addition OF Just that amount OF nd
ditional expense. since tho number Of line
officers would remain the same and the tom
porary detnchments for inspection duty would
not be made.
But another solution OF the matter has been
suggested which may merit some considcra-
ton. This is tho consolidation OF the Adiu-
tant- Generals. md lnsnector-G cncrars Dc;
partncnts under a singi. head THIS could
70 nn II
since Adjt. Gen. Kelton Is about to o retired
TOR age. The subordinate grades in the two
lieutenant Colonel. and MAJOR There need
accordingly be no clnshing. since in the united
sade ns bso hsns rsnR me
Inc to tho original appointments to that grade.
There nre seventeen officers in tho Adyutan,
H Tho onn sx dee
pnrtment would have twentv-threc available
Tint the officers OF tho Ad jutant i encrnl's
Department IRE capable of perf"rming insprc-
ton duties may he assumcd not only from
fact that In recent years some Of them have
been actually assigned temporarily to duty
had dt not enonrh force. WITH " @v
large force Of officers could be turned into in
spection work during those, parts Of the year
in which 1t is most urgent. Inspect ions could
also be conducted simultaneously In order to
compare tho results.
Der Of oicers doing sia day proh"by not
too few. com pared With the line. but thev may
not be distributed in quite tho best way. An
unnecessary multiplicity of bureaus may. re-
suit when nm army rcckoncd in hundreds Of
thousands. with great war on Its hands. Is cut
down In peace to an aggregate OF fewer than
10000 officers and men. We now have n COM
pete machinery Of officers and clerks for de-
partments containing only seven officers in
one case aud eight in another.
We now find eX-Secrrtary Proctor urging in
the Senate u very great ultimate reduction OF
the pay corps. bringing il down in fact to n
total OF twenty officers. while tho House Army
Augmentation bill contains the same measure.
Practically this reduction is to he made pos
stble even wit more frequent payments Of the
army. by ASSIGNING to duty az acting paymps-
tefs officers who may be acting as quarter.
masters or comniSsaries Of posts or camps or
OF troops in the field. Nine years ago it was
proposed oven TO abolish tho pay corp. and
partmcnt; which has more than 200, officers !:
mnin point is that while. according to familiar
experience. ench staff corps naturally stands
IN for the Importance OF its own ,lntrs. as
would he tho case probably even were there
several more OF them. tho possibility Of COM
binatinn and increased strength IL apparent.
In the case Of the Adj iutant -Gehcrai's De-
Dartment Wa have not only tho special oppor-
tunity for consolidation offered hy the early
retirement Of Gen. Kelton. tut also tho recent
transfer Of the Record and Pension division to
the Secretarys own office. The INSPECTOR
Genera g office mil:ht secure more fore" Tor
its work with the two Icnartm"nts CONSOLE
dated. and Congress might tlicn be disposed to
make some additions to the Efatle Of Major.