The times., 1898-10-03
MR.. ALGER AND HOT ROLLS
The Secretary of War Faces a
Peculiar Dilemma.
STORY OF A BAKERS BILL
Acting Secretary MefkIejohn Prom
i=ed the Pension ONCE Ladies' Re
/! lief Association That the Depart
ment Would Pay for the Bread
; They Fed 40 Hungry soldiers Pass
ing Through.

the ordinary variety used in making Eve
cent sandwiches in the city restaurants
and dairy lunch rooms Is proving 20 te a
perple&ng problem to certain officials Of
the War Department in more directions
than one
The rolls in question were purchased by
the PeRsion -Ofsce Ladies' Relief Assecia-
ton and dispensed to the hungry sole ,eIs
Nho-passed through Washington on trains
last fmonth en- route to their l,olnss end
mastering out places. These troops, in a
majority Of cases. were r7yenously hun-
CRY when they reached the railroad STOP
ping place on Maryland Avenue, lear
Ninth Street, and greedily devoured the
rolls made into tempting ham or tongue
sandwiches and served to them by syuiI-
ing ladies wearing immaculate white
aprons. The demands upon the funds of
the relief association became so great
finally. that the ladies began 20 cast about
for ways and means to continue iaair
good work
II was suggested that as the troops had
enlisted to fight for the flg and were
therefore wards of the War Department
an arrangement might be made by when
the war Office would pay for at least some
OF the food supplies which were being
distributed by the ladies.
Aid Refused by AI=er.
This proposition was met by the decla-
ration Of Secretary Alger that the soldiers
In camp or en- route, were furnished with
ample food supplies and that they could
not therefore. be hungry on the trans
when they passed through Washington
or any other place. Ar. Alger would not
admit the weakness of the commissary
branch Of his department by entertaining
for a minute the thought Of paying for
the rolls, coffee or any other kind OF food
The fact remained, however, and was
demonstrated daily that the soldiers were
hungry and the ladies continued their
work OF mercy, furnishing money from
their private means TO feed the men who
had enlisted TO serve their country.
When Secretary AIger left Washington
TO make his extensively advertised in
spection Of the camps Assistant Secre-
tary Meiklejohn became the chief execu-
tive. pro TEN, Of the War Department.
Several ladies of the relief association
brought TO his attention the work of
their organization, and it was suggested
to him that it would be only fair for
the War Office to assist financially the
humane efforts of the Pension Office
ladies in furnishing food to the passing
troops
Acting Secretary Meiklejohn was i'm
pressed with this request and promised
that the Government would nav for all
the hot rolls which were served to the
soldiers. The Acting Secretary instruct
ed the ladies to keep strict account of
the rolls they used and render the bill to
the War Department after the last of the
soldiers had passed through
The work of the relief association is
now al an end, and the bill is .sadv
for settlement by the War Office. The
exact amount Of cash due the baker is
not known yet, but the account kept tv
the ladies shows that he furnished for the
hungry soldiers 67.2s4 rolls, worth at
wholesale nearly $500.
Facing a Dilemma.
Secretary Alger has returned from his
inspection trip and is now in charge of
the department, hence when the bakers
bill Is presented to him this week he will
find himself in a dilemma To pay it will
be to admit the Incompetence of his COM
missary department and thus embarrass
himself, since he has declared that the
soldiers were always well provided with
plenty OF food and that there was no
necessity for the relief societies similar 10
that organized by the ladies of the Pen
zion Office.
To refuse to pay the bill would place
Mr. MeikleJohn in a most embarrassing
position, as he was Acting Secretary of
War when he promised to have the bread
paid for, and had full authority to take
such action.
Secretary AIger has therefore decided,
ii Is said, TO pay the bill under protest,
and the commisSary department has re-
ceived orders to that effect But his de-
cision does not settle the matter by any
means
The commissary department now finds
itself confronted by the stiII .perplexing
problem Of the 67,294 rolls of bread It
may not prove to be as difncuft a problem
70 solve as was that Of the loaves and
fishes in the good old Bible days. but the
commissary- officials are doing much
thinking and figuring in their efforts to
meet the emergency.
The Bill, VIII BE Paid.
When Assistant Secretary AIeikleiobn
was asked about the matter he said the
Government would pay the bill according
90 his promise
But how and when? These are the
questions people are asking. There is
certainly no Congressional appropriation
fo~ any such purpose.
a commissary officer SAID. when asked
about the 6, ,294 rolls problem:
he bill viii certainly be paid. If |