The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-19
WHAT OUR ARMY COSTS US
SECRETARY LAMONT WANTS S5e, %,
 637 FOR NEXT TEAR.

Pay of the Officers and Men is $13,522 ,sSO -Quartermasters' Supplies Aggregate
 $2,2OO, ,0OOO- Army Transportation &2,- | 500,000-Decrease in the Running Ex- 1 penses ofthe Department at Washington. 1 Washington, Oct. 1S,-Secretary La- mont will tomorrow transmit to the secretary of the treasury his estimates Of expenses requnired by the war de- | partment for the next fiscal year. The aggregate is $52S76,63S The estimate ] for the running expenses of the war office in Washington is $1, AGA, ,236, show | ing @ reduction in the annual expenses Tor salaries and contingencies in that office of $621,942 from the estimates of four years ago. The other estimates include the following:
 1 Pay of army, as fixed by law, $13,- 522, SS0; subsistence of the army, 1,659,- 8S7; quartermasters' supplies, $2,200,- 000; incidental expenses of the army, | $6OO00O; barracks and quarters includ- ing hospital construction, $S35, 900; army transportation, $2,5oo,oO0; clothing, Sl, 100000; Military academy, $521 SIP; Military posts, national cemeteries and national parks, $1 ,55S, ,3SO; national sol | diers' homes, $3,443,214; rivers and har- bors, 5,34S, 900, to meet payment exist ing contracts, the department at this time being unable to say what sum will be required by future contracts for which althority exists; seacoast de- fence increaS Sed to S15 24S S25 In connection with his estimate Sec retary Lamont has made public the following statement of the condition of this work: On the first of July, 1893, but one modern gun had been placed in position. On the first of July 1897, we shall have completed defenses as fol- lows: Thirteen 12-inch 37 10-inch, B. inch and rapid firing guns, and 80 12-inch mortars.
 For the fifteen years preceding 1890, no appropriations had been made for engineering work on our permanent coast defenses, except the small and steadily decreasing sum annually allow ed for the protection, preservation and rerNir of existing wirk which, though obsolete as main reliance, had been so lllCOIptIdltu III lIt iilooClH dClCLoiNC projects as to play an important aux Hilary part. In 1890 was made the first appropriation for modern gun and mortar batteries, followed by one of $750,000 in 1891 and another of $500, ,000 in 1892
 The guns and mortars are of Ameri- can design and manufacture and are more powerful, calibre for calibre, than any carried on shipboard. The secre- tary gives a statement showing the condition of the coast defences after the expenditures authorized by the act of June 6, 1896, (emplacements with guns and mortars that should be in position) The statement includes the following:
 Portland, Me-Two 12-inch five O. inch guns and twelve 12-inch mortars.
 Portsmouth, N. 1.-Two 8-inch guns.
 Boston--Seven 1o-inch and two rapid fire guns and sixteen 12-inch mortars.
 Narragansett Bay-Four 10-inch guns and sixteen 12-inch mortars. The secretary says if the present esti- mates of the war department for per- manent defences should receive the fa- vorable consideration of congress we shall have by June 30, 1898, the follow ing completed system of defence:
 Emplacements-3 12-inch S5 10-inch; 37 S-inch; 120 rapid fire and 2S4 12-inch mortars.
 Guns-One 16-inch; 50 12-inch 95 1O- inch; 75 S-inch Cor more, if the Beth lehem company exceeds minimum de- livery) 129 rapid fire guns, with mounts and ammunition, and two hundred and ninety 12-inch mortars.
 Carriages-4S 12-inch: 94 10-inch, 42 S-inch and 200 12-inch mortars.
 The extreme range of an S-inch gun is 91a miles, of a 10-inch gun 11h miles, and of 12-inch gun 13 miles. The 12- inch breech-loading mortar fires pro- jectile weighing 1000 pounds and at- tains a range of miles for the cast iron mortar and of miles for the all steel mortar.