Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-18

" WSRXEWI medicines and medi-
ERY ii cal attendance, and
reduced rates for
other necessary living expenses, such as
fuel food and clothing. Naval officers
claim that in comparison with their own
lot their brethren OF the army are unduly
favored in many respects. They say gener-
ally that while their salaries are relatively
less their expenses are greater and their
allowances are nil. The salary OF a naval
officer Is at it's maximum when he Is at
sea- When on shore duty at reduced pay
ne is allowed something for living expenses,
provided he is attached to navy yard or
naval station. In hat case he is given
quarters 10 live in which are furnished
with carpets, a bed and a few chairs and
nothing more. He thus saves the item of
rent, but nothing else. irasmuch as he is
compelled to defray all other living ex-
penses, such as food, fuel and lights out of
his own pocket
Unlike his brother officer of the army, he
has u pay the full market rates for all
these necessaries. There is no commissary
system in the navy. 1t sometimes happens,
how ever, that when a nun. Der CT naval offi-
GERS are on duty at the same station they
are able to economic in their house
hold expenses by forming a pool for the
purchase of staple articles in large quaint
ties al wholesale rates. But this is the eX-
ception, for as rule their style of life and
moderate incomes will not justify the lump
purchase of coal sufficient for the winter
months Consequently they are not ordi
narlly able to take prompt advantage of
favorable state, of the ma'l ct in that most
necessary and expensive article. The same
is true of flour and all other articles that
enter largely into household use.
Naval officers say that they are fortunate
when their living quarters are provided
no
gas bills to meet just the same as the or
binary civilian householder. Very few of
the officers on duty in this city are sta
TONED at the navy yard, so that very few
of them enjoy the blessings of a home at
government JexpenSe.
Unlike his brother Of the army, the naval
ofncer on shore has Communication of
quarters, he has no allowance of forage for
horses, and he has to pay the full market
rate for everything he buys, with the pos
sible exception off the cloth for his uniform.
which Is possibly the only thing he gets at
cost price.
Compared With the Army.
An admiral in the navy has the relative
rank of major general in the army. The
former gets,a salary of 5000 a year while
at sea and a.salary of 5000 while on shore
duty, whereas his military colleague gets
an unVary ing salary of $500 year. While
at sea the admiral has a ration allowance
Of 30 cents day, but when on shore DUTY
no matter what Its character he has no al
lowance FORMATIONS OF any thing else except
1t be In the matter ofnauarters in case he is
On duty at naval station. In that event
he has no rent to pay, but otherwise he is
on exactly the same footing as every other
citizen of this great and glorious repub-
he gets.
on the other hand, a major general, in
addition to his salary. is allowed $125 a
month communication Of quarters, provided
hGa 1nn
also provided with forage for two horses
in case he has them, and he also has the
privilege Of purchasing all the fuel and
provisions he needs for his family from
the government at cost prices.
1t Is also asserted that the naval officer
at sea is put to greater expense in the mat
ter of entertaining than is his colleague in
the military branch of the service. The
same condition Of things as to salary and
allowances prevails through all the various
grades Of the army and navy, and the
members of the latter branch of the mill
tary service feel that they have been badly
Disseminated against by the law-making
department of the government
In the matter of allowances army Off
GERS stationed in Washington have no adj
vantage over their associates in any other
portion of the United States, no matter
how remote or unattractive their station
may be. They are all governed by the
same system and have equal advantages so
far as allowances and privileges are con-
cerned. Under the existing system of fur
nishing quartermaSter stores and commits
sary supplies, the officers stationed at Fort
Duchesne for instance, are on an equality,
SO far as expense is concerned, with the
officers stationed in Washington, New
York, Chicago, or any other populous CEN
ter. The government buys its supplies for
the army by contract, and sells them to
the officers at the cost price. They cost an
officer at Washington just much as they
&C st an officer at one Of the frontier posts,
for the reason that the government bears
all the expense of delivery.
The system employed is unquestionably of
great financial benefit to the officer for the
resson that he gets all the necessaries of
life at price much less than he would 9TH
erwise have to pay. For instance, this year
he can get all the ccal he needs for his
personal comfort at the rate of s. a ton
whereas his civilian neighbors have to pay
nearly twice as much The same ratio pre-
walls with -four and all the staple COM
modities Of life.
Supply DepOts.
The War Department has supply depots
in all parts of the country wherever the
military is stationed. The principal depots
are in New York. Boston, Chicago, ST.
Louis, Omaha, Galveston, Detroit, Denver,
Los Angeles, Portland and San Francisco
They are maintained for the purpose of
furnishing supplies to the officers and en-
listed men in the different military depart
ments. There is a grocery store at every
post. and subsistence supplies are issued
to the enlisted men, free, and to the Off
GERS at cost price. The articles furnished
are like those Sf any, grocery or commits
sion store., including flour. tea, Coffee
beans, molasses, sugar, lard, matches,
canned goods, cigars. tobacco, ETC. Fresh
meats are similarly supplied at wholesale
rates.
The supply depot for the officers in this
vicinity is now ocated at the Washington
barracks, ferrn@ly known as the arsenal.
1t is in chfrgesof Lieut.. Ira A. Haynes,
fourth artillery regimental quartermaster,
acting under the orders Of the post COM
mander, who in is directly responsible
to the department commander, Maj Gen
Kruger, at New York. This depot has only
been in operation about a year. Prior to
Its establishment, counting from the close
Of the war, all the commissary supplies
for this region of country were issued from
a large depot IN the Monument Grounds,
just back Of the bureau Of engraving and
printing. The historic structures forming
this depot SO well known to the older resi-
dents of the city, gave way to the march