New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-17
ARMY NOTES OF INTEREST.


Those are DAYS when that class Of servants vi wv
Government known In Army parlance as VI" o
GERS non-commssioned officers and enlis'eu M
watch the daily proceedings Of Congress a''' NV
meetings of the committees military ala'rS III
both the Senate and House with marked m.ercs''
and II the op,nions expressed b. members OF 'o"-
gress really amount to anything. favoraDie .'''
on some Of the measures already INTRODUCED may
be expected. General Curtis from TINS "ta''' a.
though a new member. has shown himself tn'i-
onpblv competent to commend or dsapproVe iHe a.
,res affecting the personnel and material on the
Army and has given much study to m n hS fo,,n
conditions and needs Of enlisted men ne mas io' ra
it advisable frame some amendmen.s 10 ,S one
peal OF the ten-years service Law the rnt-alIz"
citizens shall be enlisted in the Army he aiSp pU
poses that all recruits shall be able TO read win, S
and have reasonable knowledge Of arithmetic anu
such other elementary subjects as may be heressrs
who now enlist TO the detrlment OF discilline and
good order or rather. gradually to elm,nate a ~
foreigners from the Army and keep out OF the rams
The ignorant and vicious class
Although officers OF the Army do not expect the
measure to pass. they whiting and watching
for the disposition OF the bill introduced by MI
Bailey Of Texas. which provd - for the aooii''oh
OF all nay for retired officers of the Army ana Navy
and also Of United states Judges. when II was
suggested to Mr. Bailey few days ago that MS Dill
would prove to be a waste of time OF the CoHsr,Ss
and also a waste OF paper and printers ink' he
bristled up with the reply: you'll be surprised
when the bill is brought up fer vote 10 sec TO"
large a majority is in favor Of the measure. Ihere
is no reason the world that Officers or Judges es
should not ped' The Revised Statutes
Tinted States provide that when an oheer rs ar,c
in active duty is disabled in service he shaii DC
rgrS prd at FshaeB Si the
Notwithstanding. that enlisted men VINO oecoi'e g Ts
s serving !" thirty years shall retired Win q cen,
of the nav OF their grades. To abolish retired pay
made vi he
man by which he understood upon taking Inr ori
office to serve for life that d the no longer lifted to
| pursue his Army service because OF physical as
ability or age n, tne oil yS,e in favor Of Mr.
| Baiey's bill.
| Senator PETER Is classei as n Prohibtionis since
| the Introduction OF a bill few days ago prohibit
| Ing after July l. next. the sale OF spirituous'
| vnous. malt other intoxicating liquors or oi
| any fluid mixture Of any character or description
which produces intoxicatlon the grounds or
within the boundaries OF any United States military
post or military reservation or National soldiers
home. except for medical purposes on the prescrp-
ton Of a post surgeon. or for mechanical or scie-
| tlnc purposes" etc. Any wilful violation OF this
law Is to be declared rs a felony and punished
This means the discontinuance II the sale OF beer
the only one Of the beverages specifically classei
that is gold at the post exchanges except mat
elixir OF calisaya malt extract and Florida water
may be included. But the bill does not prohibit
the purchase of those fluid mixtures outside of
the boundaries OF the reservation and bringing
then, within the nes It is possible that this bill
is introduced simply In the Interest ~ the ic"nfe
dealers outside. who hey" frequently cofplainei
soldier drinks less. StF It cheaper. and does not
| get drunk 80 quickly he used TO. The passag"
| Of the bin would probably result In tho soldier
going further for his liquor and fnring wore. f'r
discipline Of the soldier is improved that there are
fewer drunkards, and tlat the soldier h's more
money to his credit than before the post exchanges
we're established.
Another measure before Congr 'ss Il the old prop
osition Of transferring the Pension Bureau from the
Interior Department 10 the War Department that H.
place It under the supervision or make II part OF
the Record and Pension Division Of the War De-
! partment on the last day Of June. 1884, II this IS
done. Daniel Lamont Will perform all pension
duties now exercised by Iloke Smith. and the
| off,ceg OF First and Second Deputy Commissioners
! Of Pensions will be abolished. the duties to b.
authorized detail officer Of the Army as com
missioner OF Pensions. with rank ana pay N a
brgadcr- general. As the passage Of the bill VIII
| take away some OF the patronage which is no"
controlled by civilians whose ngaani ana meri-
recognized by a division OF the sPols. 1t is not
expected that Congress viii pass the bill even II
| It would be greater economy TO make the change.
Owing to the misunderstanding Of the law in
creaslng the number OF officers to be detailed TO
colleges the War Departm mt has caused circular
TO issued defining the law. 1t provides that no
officer shall be thus detailed who has not had five
years service in the Army, and no detail TO such
duty shall extend for more than four years; and
officers on the retired list may upon their own ap-
| plIcation, be detailed TO such duty and when 80
detailed shall receive the full pay OF their rank.
Applications have been received from couple OF
score OF officers and both from the active ana re-
tired lists a question mas arisen a. To whether
the law admitting the detail OF retired o'hcers IN
| cludes them within the limit Of 100 10 be- assigned
nj any one time II not. then there Is practically nc
! limit to the number OF retired officers whom tht
Secretary OF War order TO this duty and who
| would receive full pay.
Among the suggestions made by inspectcr-gen
erals In their reports one for an aprroprla
! ton for books and magazines and post libraries
especially for isolated posts In winter. Books arr
Issued TO company organizations and arc intended
| primarily for the use Of the enlisted men. Al
! though there is objection To their use by OH
| GERS the War Department Aas approved the recon-
| incubation OF General Schoheld 10 request the ON
GERS TO provide themselves with necessary technlcn
| hooks In order that the enlisted men may not d.
curtailed In any OF their privileges
EARLY WINTER AT NEWPORT.