The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-11-25
SECRETARY ALGER 5 REPORT
MAKES A RECOMMENDATION FOR
TWO ADDITIONAL ARTILLERY
REGIMENTS.
MORE TROOPS NEEDED IN Alaska
Revival of the Grade of Lieutenant
General recommendation In
creased Number of West Point
Cadets Also Recommended.

Washington, Nov 21.-In his first an
nual report Secretary Alger makes many
recommendations for the betterment OF
the administration of the war depart.
ment based on the conclusion of his sub
ordinate officers. He asks favorable
consideration of the proposition to add
two regiments to the artillery branch
pointing to the valuable Notifications
now being erected, which, he says,
should not be manned by corporaTs
guard.
He says of Alaska that as many az
100000 people will be gathered there
next year and a military force should
be sent to the territory and large cmer-
geDcy powers should be granted to the
president to repress lawlessness. Prob
ably the creation of an additional mill
tary reservation may be the best means
to meet the problem. A boat for the
patrol of the Yukon Is also asked for
as well as increased pay for the en-
listed men serving in Alaska.
Secretary Alger commends the revival
of the grade of lieutenant general, say
ing all the great nations were giving
their officers much higher rank than
does the United States. He endorses
the recommendations of the superin-
terdent of the military academy that
the number of students at West Point
to nominate n cadet. AS an alternative
he suggests that the president be au-
thorized to appoint ten cadets at large
each year. Favorable comment is made
upon the work of military colleges of
the country, but it is suggested that
the law be amended so as to erase de-
tails of army officers only to such col
leges as have at least $50 pupils.
Attention Is called to the needs of
tf.nn Nf nriG ltn mol i'm lodi f.ti
over military reservations and of hall
of records for the storage of official pa
pers.
phe estimate for army transportation
is increased by 100000 to provide
means for moving heavy ordinances.
To provide for the new posts heeded
ION the sea coasts an estimate OF S2,0OO,-
coo Is submitted.
Until recently the hospital ut Hot
Springs was open only to soldiers of
the regular army, but Secretary Alger
has just amended the regulations SO as
to authorize the admission of suitable
cases among the veterans of the late
war.
In the opinion of the secretary an in
crease In the engineers corps in officers
and enlisted men Is indispensable. lie
points to the immense value and extent
of the work now in the hands of this
corps and contends that 1t could be bet
ter supervised and improved in quantity
and quality by the assignment of more
officers, which Is now impossible.
Secretary Alger transmits, with reduc-
ton. the estimate of the chief of en-
giheers for the next fiscal year, amount
ing to $4S,72S, $50, more than double
the appropriation for the current year:
He says these are largely in excess OF
what they should be at time when
the demands upon the treasury are as
great as now, therefore he recommends
large reduction.
In Justice to the chief of engineers,
Secretary Alger says these estimates
were made by his own direction that
the facts might be placed before con-
gress showing what the expenditures
would be were all the requirements of
the river and harbor laws complied
with, and he cites the fact that the out
standing contracts for river and harbor
work will require an expenditure of over
ST., 100000.
The secretary endorses the project for
the construction of the ship canal con
Meeting lakes Union and Washington,
within Puget Sound, but states that ac-
tive operations can not be commenced
for some time as the right of way has
not yet been acquired.
Secretary Alger commended especially
for patriotism, generosity and zeal Col.
Burlington and Capt. Crozier, the inven-
tors of the disappearing gun carriage,
who generously donated the invention of
the gun to the government.
The report closed with the renewal of
the recommendations that provisions be
made for the erection in Washington OF
n statue of Gen. Grant.
The estimates for the next fiscal year
aggregate $685. AS, 900 rs against &c.,
1872, All, the amount of the appropria-
tions for the current year. The prin-
cipal items of increase are in rivers and
harbors, where the estimate Is S4S, 49,
100 as against $50, S,02S; Notifications
and sea coast defenses, $13,3TS,571 as
against $9,517 ,141, and military posts,
parks and cemeteries, $2,55S, 800 against
$685.