Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-05

the department for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1895, have been $751;
SS7, 780.44, the appropriations for the
year ending June 80, 1896, are $43 49,
57175, and the estimates for the same
period $51 ,945, 64345 The reports of
the officers in command of the several
geographical departments show that
the year has been tranquil and undis-
turbed by Indian outbreaks, domestic
violence or troubles on the border. The
army is better fed, clothed and housed
than ever before, and the policy zeal
Ously pursued of promoting the per-
sonal comfort of the officers and men
has resulted in a devotion to the SER
vice which is everywhere apparent.
The number of enlisted men in the SER
vice on October 81 was 25,35S. De-
Quoting the sick, those in confinement,
recruits not yet joined, those absent
on furlough and others employed in
staff departments or on detached ser
vice, the effective field strength on the
same date was 20. 5S4 of all arms. The
trials by general courtmartial for the
compared with 2,189 for the previous
year; of inferior courts martial 10, 997,
compared with 1906 last year, thus
corroborating the reports from all Off
GERS of a noteworthy improvement in
the morale and discipline of the army.
The report points out that by far the
most essential need of our army today
&c, hn a1n of hn thrfn hot oil
formation, and in this connection the
secretary reiterates his recommended
ton of 1894 that congress enact the
legislation necessary to establish in
the army the battalion formation now
adopted by the armies of every other
civilized nation. AS necessary to eff
feet that change the secretary recon-
mends the removal of the limit of 25,-
600 men fixed by the act of June 1S.
1874, and return tc the limit fixed
by the act of July Is, 1870. Legislative
approval of these two propositions will
restore to the effective force about 1900
enlisted men, bringing the actual
strength of the army up to the nomi-
nal strength now fixed by law. By
these changes the army will be in
creased in efficiency 90 per cent, in
numbers about 16 IL per cent, and in
cost of maintenance only about 6 per
cent. The formation desired admits
OF rapid and great expansion to meet
the eXigencieS of actual warfare, and
is especially adaptable to the small
force constituting the peace establish
Of hn nj
plates an increase in the number of
line officers, involving an increase for
salaries of about 100000. This in
crease of expenditures should be met
and more than overcome by reductions
in the expenditures for the staff.
Secretary Lamont points out that
the efforts of recent years to bring the
army into closer relations with the
national guard Of the states may now
be regarded as having established a
permanent union between the two
forces, advantageous to both. The
conditions are favorable to the de-
Velopment of a volunteer force of up
wards of 100000 men, of the highest
efficiency and prepared for any service.
put to the best use the relations
which have been established between
the army and the troops Of the states.
The variety of weapons which now OBJ
tains is so great as to preclude the en-
ployment of considerable bodies of the
militia of different states in co-opera-
ton, and the longer the federal gov
Al
possibility that different states will
select different models of rifles, re-
quiring different forms of ammuni-
ton thus rendering almost impossible
the employment in joint action of the
troops of the different states.
In this connection Secretary Lamont
quotes from the presidents message of
December, 1856, as to the need of I'd
equate defenses of our great coast line
being established, and adds that since
that time the condition of these de-
lenses has been under grave considera-
ton by the people and by the depart
ment. He draws attention to the plan
of defense devised by the Endicott
board in 1886, which contemplated a
system of Notifications at q ports Ito
which Puget Sound was subsequently
added, requiring 677 guns and S24
mortars of modern construction, at a
cost of S97,7S2 800, excluding $685.
900 for floating batteries. BY an i'm
mediate appropriation at that time of
S21, 100000 and an annual appropria-
ton of 100000 thereafter, as then
recommended, the system of land de-
lenses could have been completed in
1895. The original plan contemplated
an expenditure of s97,7S2 800 by the
end of the present year. The actual
expenditures and appropriations for
armament and emplacements have,
however, been but $10,631 900 The
first appropriation for guns was made
only seven years age and the first ap-
preparation for emplacementS was
made only five years ago. The av-
erage annual appropriations for these
two objects has been less than 81 ,500,-
Coo. The work has therefore been
conducted at about one-seventh the
rate proposed. But at only three of
the eighteen ports under consideration
have completed features of defense
been established. New York has two
12-inch guns and sixteen 12-inch NOR
tars, San Francisco has one 12-inch
gun and sixteen 12-inch mortars, and
Boston has sixteen 12-inch mortars in
position. Eighty ~mortars are com
pleted, of which As are mounted nj