The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-27
OPERATIONS OF THE DEPART.
MENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR
IN DETAIL.
WORK DONE ON GREAT LAKES
of the Traffic Value for
Single Year.

|
pany formation adopted century ago
and abandoned by other nations since
the development of modern magazine
rifles, and he quotes Gen. Sheridan
and Lieutenant General Schofeld in
support of the necessity of this reor-
ganization Of the infantry The COM
pletion already of some coast defenses
and the approaching completion of
other modern batteries render neces-
sary larger force Of artillerists. but no
other increase of the army is asked
for. The plan of sea coast defense in
wolves 100 distinct batteries in oven
| twenty harbors.
The number of line officers serving
with their commands, as shown by the
report, is larger than at any time since
the war, and the secretary expresses
the belief that still further changes
can be made to advantage in this di-
rection.
The report shows that, according to
/ the statements Of department COM
manders, the discipline of the troops
was never better than now. The num-
! Der of trials by general court martial
| was about Is per cent less during the
| past year than the year before. In
no previous year of the history of the
! army has the health of the troops
been so satisfactory. Under the new
| system, established by Secretary La
mont, the army has for the first time
been paid monthly. Over ST., OO0, 900 was
| disbursed. The saving to the govern
ment by the system is about $25. 900
annually, and it appears to encourage
economy among the men, as soldiers
| deposits this year are over 500, 900
more than last year
Under the new recruiting system
| S,498 men were enlisted last year. of
whom nearly one-half were secured at
| garr1soned posts without expense. De-
| sertiOn in the army is decreasing. De-
serters in 1888 numbered 3,578; in 1893
only 1852 and last year 1855. The post
exchange, the general cooperative
store, maintained without expense to
the government, at nearly all military
Statlons by the enlisted men, in which
are kept for sale most of the commod-
tiles that are in demand at military
posts, Is now generally approved. The
| receipts last year from all sources were
more than one and a half million dol
lars, with net profit of about $3.50 OOO
Inc thirty-five army officers ASSIGNED
70 duty With the national guard of the
| states report steady Improvement in
the militia. Investigation this wear ha g
SHOWN serious deficiencies in the arms
anu Equipment OF this branch of the
service. When the states furnish the
/ armorles and defray all expenses. in
cldentaI to keeping their forces in
training, Secretary Lamont suggests
that the United States should nrovide
tnem with the implements which thew
VIII need in active service-arns and
REID equipment-as the supnIv ON hand
is totally inadequate for serious ana
prolonged operations The Secretary
recommends that Springfield rifle. cali
per 40, be issued to state troons. that
the states be allowed to return to the
war department obsolete arms and
equipments to be sold, and the pro-
ceeds credited to the states, and that
the states be allowed to purchase from
the department supplies at regulation
| prices.
ARMY DETAILS.
Fifteen regiments of regulars are on
| outy east of the Missouri and tho
meridian of Kansas City, twenty are
located on the plains land mountains
between the Missouri and the eastern
eouhoary OF the Pacific states, and
llVe are On the Pacific coast. There
are Y military posts The army CON
slsts or 25,426 officers and men. or 284
peloW the legal maximum. The effec-
1882 f'0"0i OIL was
The report shows that, whereas on
t me Isl OF july, 1893, Of our modern de-
tense, but one high power gun was
mounted; by the LIST of JuIv next
three will be in position, 70 high mower
preech-loading guns and 95 breech-
loading mortars of modern design and
ny t,so, ttie ionoWlng July On completion of
@ork I'd alreaoy under way or provided
Tor, I2S guns and 153 mortars A hat
terry Of two or three of these guns
taxes the place of the former preten-
! nous fort and is vastly more effec-
| tive.
The total number of emplacements
PROVIDED for to date is 12S for guns and
156 for mortars, of which 92 for e11nS
and rs for mortars were annronrie tnd
Tor at the last session of congress The
secretary says that the department in
making these allotments. was s11ide6
py desire to protect as many of the
seaports as practicable against mar
auulng attacks or isolated cruisers and
to utilize to the best advantage the
guns for which carriages could he nost
speedily furnished. Before the end IF
the present year there will he eleven
Finch, AZ 10-inch, eight S-inch six
rapid fire guns and lip mortar emnIace-
ments. A very large proportion of en-
guns mounted on disappearing car
| riages.
Secretary Lamont dwells upon the
securing Of a satisfactory carriage &C
the solution of a difficult problem b1It
he says that still more difficult nroh-
lem was the designing of disappear
Ing all around fire carriage for the 10
inch breech-loading rifle The Difficult
ties in this case have also. il is he
Heved, been satisfactorily solved One
Finch all around traverse disannear-
ing carriage is now under construction
and and 10-inch carriages of smaller
design are about to be commenced Tho
number Of carriages. completed and
building, all Of which will be finished
within the next fiscal year, is twenty
Finch, siXty-nine 10Irlch. eighteen g.
inch for guns, and 1853 for mortars. The
total number of guns completed to
uate, since the first appropriation. Is
s1Xty-one S-inch, afifey-six 1O-inch
twenty-one 12-inch and eighty mortars'
With the money already provided. there
will be completed Tby dune 30. 1897
seventy-two 8-inch guns; eighty-seven
1o-1nch guns; forty7seven 12-inch guns
and lightweight 12-fnch tmortars.
The estimates Of the department for
the next fiscal year aggregate SIC. 1872
26S With this appropriated. provision
will have to be made for 1853 high-power
gun emplacements; 1923 rapid-fire e11r,
emplacements; 800 12-inch mortar EN-
placements; 1858 high-power steel guns.
81 rapid-fire guns; 290 12-ipch mortars:
$50 8, 10 and Pinch gun carriages: geo
12-inch mortar carriages
The armament of troops with the
new magazine a1r.s was completed in
May, and the armory is turning out 123
rifles or carbines per>day under the ap-