The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-08-24
MASTERING OUT OF TROOPS BEGUN.
WAR CONTRACTS CANCELLED.
esvsrsmsnt pisshsrsing Greet Numbers Of EssIsssrs
and Bureau Enylsyw - Transports
Being Dispensed with.

That the government expects the
peace commission to satisfactorily ar
range the conditions OF peace without
the need of further hostilities, is shown
by the active manner In which the
various departments are beginning to
reduce expenses and decreasing the
number Of employees necessitated by
the war.
Retrenchment in nearly all branches
OF the army is following close upon the
cessation Of hostilities. In the ord
nance bureau the force at the various
srsenals Is to be reduced In all cases
where this can be accomplished with
out dotriment to the service. The Rock
Island arsenal probably Will be affect
ed more than any other. There before
the war about 240 men were employed.
When the peace protocol was signed
there were approximately 1000 men
engaged and orders have been issued
which Will reduce this number by two
thirds.
Before and during the war large
numbers of contracts were made with
ordnance firms for supplying mater
iol. In many cases these were made
conditional so that they could be ter
minated within few days after the
cessation OF hostllltles, and the depart
ment has In every case availed itself
of this privilege.
The quartermaster's department is
dispensing as rapidly as possible with
such OF the transports that were char
tered and for which there Is now no
necessity. Considerable labor Is in
volved In this work as board of sur
vey has to be appointed TO determine
the various incidental questions that
arise pending the return of the vessels
to their owners.
In the engineers department the SER
vices Of electricians, mechanics and
laborers engaged In the work of har-
Dor and river miie defense and of
boatmen employed to patrol the ad-
jacent waters to warn approaching
craft of their danger also are being dis
charged as rapidly as Is consistent
with the good of the service.
orders were given last week for the
return to their state rendezvous of the
following named volunteer regiments:
The First Illinois cavalry and the First
Maine infantry now at Chickamauga,
and the Second New York infantry,
now at Fernandina, Fla. The First IL
linois is ordered to Springfield, ILL.,,
the First Maine to Augusta. Me-, and
the Second New York to Troy, N. Y.
These regiments were mustered into
the military service of the government
at the outbreak Of the war at the places
mentioned and their return there Is ac-
cepted as conclusive evidence that they
are to be mustered out.
Similar orders will be issued from
day to day to the other volunteer regi-
ments selected for mastering out. No
official information on this subject is
obtainable at the war department in
advance of the issue of the orders. 1t
is said. however that the Third Geor-
gia infantry, the Third Alabama infan-
try and the First Maryland infantry
are among the number already selected
for mastering out.
The secretary of war Saturday or
dered the Fifty-second Iowa regiment
now in camp at Chickamauga, to pro-
ceed at once to Des Moines, Ia, where
they will be eventually mustered out
There Is Illness in the camp there with
which the Iowa troops are threatened
and therefore the dispatch of the
Iowans home was expected.