The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-04
AT WASHINGTON
Matters Of Interest to the
National Guard-Life
Saving Service Ex-
hibit at Chicago.

not being In session during the past
week, and the departments in a semi
comatose holiday condition. but few mat
tiers of interest to Jerseymen have come
to the surface. and this stagnation Of
| public business has given the cores
| pondents a chance TO overhaul the multi
tude of bills introduced in both houses of
Congress. AS usual, the officers or the
Army and Navy come to the front with q
number OF measures either csicula Ted 10
increase their rank and emolnments, or
to equalize the line and staff, to make
retirement the easier. and SO forth, and
SO forth. 1t is safe TO say that Done
OF these bills will be considered by
this Congress; but In the case OF
the nav there Is a chance that the whole
matter OF line and staff equalization or
promotion will be left to a Congressional
commission, composed Of three Senators
holding over and three members of the
| House hat have been reelected to the
Fifty-third Congress-. Among the New
Jersey officers who will be eventually
benefited by such action are Assistant
Engineer Bowers, son of the late Captain
Charles f. Bowers of the old Eighth New
Jersey, q Lieutenants Quick ana
Neum n, of the Marine Corps. The first
and last named are Newark boys.
o. GUNS.
OF all the bureaus of the War Depart
menG, that of ordinance has Jared hest at
the hands of the Military Committee OF
the House. and vet tue amount appropri-
ated in the bill as it went to the Senate
for the manufacture of arms Is no larger
than it has been before, and no provision
has been made to manufacture the new
magazine rifles selected out of ffty-seven
models by a competent board. and which
will be eventually issued also to the
militia OF the various States. 1t Is the
desire of the Ordnance Department to
supply to New Jersey the new breech-
loading 8. 2. field gun now being manu-
featured at the West Troy Arsenal to re-
place the obsolete cannon in the Arsenal
at Trenton, and should New Jersey make
provision for a field battery she may OBJ
tain four Of these guns now, but SO far as
the magazine arm for the infantry is con-
cerned. the appropriation to- supply the
National Guard with a modern rifle must
be in harmony with the money given the
Ordnance Bureau to manufacture the
same. But III order to facilitate matters,
ex-Secretary of War Proctor, now a
Senator from Vermont. has introduced d
bill that will enable any State to supply
its National Guard with the most modern
arms. Proctor's bill amends the act of
February IL, 1887. by permitting any
State to purchase at cost price arms,
stores and supplies, aud the money thus
obtained by the General Government
shall not be covered into the Treasury,
but to be used all along TO replace arms
or supplies thus sold. Any quartermaster
will perceive how this simple bill will
work. and should Congress pass it Quar-
termaster General Donnelly of New Jer-
sey will be aJ fault II the troop of his
State are not up to the Regular Army in
every point Of arms n equipments.
The Fertilization bill, winch emerged
from it's committee stage just prior to the
recess, makes q very liberal provision for
officers quarters. ETC., at the proving
| grounds at Sandy Hook, with the view OF
making the fertilization there a perma-
nent army post. A considerable sum IS
| also thrown out for the powder depot
near Dover.
FUND FOR DISABLED SOLDIERS.
Unoer the acts OF August 81, 1888, and
| March 8, 1891, the various State Homes
for disabled soldiers receive a 500 Il Year
for each inmate cared for from the Fed
eral Government, aud as there are now
{. $50 such inmates in these State Homes.
and some money Is needed for salaries.
office rents, etc., the mount OF $500, 00C
was appropriated for the fiscal year,
ended June 50. this year. The amount
| has proven insufficient by $32, 55S. 03. and
at tine request of the Secretaryof War the
| Secretary of the Treasury has just SUB
| mitted an estimate for tie amount. which
| must be made available at once. The
State Home of New Jersey at K-arny re-
ports 302 inmates, but has received only
s2S. 1854 rs, SO that it is entitled to 81. $50. rs
additional under the Deficiency Oil.
Grave doubts exist here in the mind OF
the representative of the Board OF Mana
gers of the Homes for disabled volunteer
soldiers if this aid to the various State
Homes will be maintained in the appro-
priasions for 1S93-94 now under considsra-
tion. The loss OF S32, 600 a year will seri-
ously cripple the Home at Kearny.
JERSEYS RETIRED OFFICERS.
Quite a uumper- of Retired army and
navy officers reside in New Jersey. Two
of them. Major John Leonard and Cap
tain Miliiken. in Newark. The two last
named have. perhaps never desired to be
detailed as professors in SOM. colleges or
to unter the Federal service again i'll any
other than an honorary capacity, bu
there are some in New Jersey VINO are
on record as being nothing aud to receive
an additional salary from the Federal
treasury tor services rendered In
a civil capacity. like General
LRosecrans OF the Treasury, Gen.
eral William f. (Baldy) Smith, United
States Agent at Wilmington. Del. and
Others who, besides receiving big pay as
retired officers of the army, draw snug
sums for their civil jobs. ln order to do
uway with all his, and directly aimed 70 |