The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-27


sion selected by the president to inves-
tigate the conduct of the war depart
ment held its first formal session today
with all the members present. The
meeting was in the room of the fortifi-
cation and ordnance board of the de-
partment. but it was found to be too
small for the purpose of the board, and
1t was announced that future meetings
| would be held in apartments secured in
/ the Lemon building, on New York ave-
nue..
Today's meeting was strictly secret.
no newspaper representatives or others
not connected with the board being
admitted
After a meeting of two hours dura-
tion, an adjournment was taken until
10 O'Clock tomorrow. The proceedings
were limited to the outlining of a gen.
eral policy and the formulation of let
ters of inquiry which will be made pub
| lie tomorrow.
The letters decided upon are to be ad-
dressed to the secretary of war, the
quartermaster general, the commissary
general, the surgeon general and the
chief of the ordnance department of the
army. They will consist in the main Of
inquiries intended to bring out all the
facts that can be given relative TO the
organization of the volunteer army.
These officials will be asked to give
specific information so as to cover each
of the departments in question con-
cerning the condition of the army both
at the beginning and the close of the
war. For this purpose date in April
has been selected as the one for begin
ming of the preparation and another in
August for the close.
The questions are so formulated as
TO call out answers covering the organ
rrrnN -c
pies, and the making OF contracts with
the transportation companies, and also
to show the methods adopted for fur
niShing supplies to the various COM
mands and for protecting the health of
the soldiers.
There Will be a special effort to de-
velop the motives that actuated the de-
partment in the choice of camp sites,
as there have been charges of favorit-
ism to railroad companies.
The commission also considered sew
eral letters of complaint from persons
processing to have information bearing
upon the subject of investigation, and
decided to address replies to the writer's,
requiring them to put their charges in
specified shape and informing them of
the scope of the inquiry. 1t is intended,
if the replies received to these letters
show the writer's to be in possession of
real information, to summon them be-
fore the commission when it is feasible
to do so, or otherwise to secure their
affidavits. When, however, it becomes
evident that their accusations are mere
idle complaints, with no information
back of them, the writers will not re-
ceive further attention.
The commission also expects to ex-
tend its inquiry before it closes it's
work to the extent Of summoninS before
it the commanding officers of the var
iOuS divisions and brigades, and prob
abby colOnels of regiments from which
complaints have emanated. They will
be expected to give full information as
to the pains they may have taken or
failed to take concerning he location
of their trooSs and their general well
fare
The commission decided to hold two
sessions daily. one from 10 to 1890 D.
m, and the other from 2 to p. m.
DR.. Dhineas S. Conner sat with the
commission today. He arrived from
his home in Cincinnati early in the day
and called upon the president for a
brief interview before joining his fell
low members in the war department.
The president expressed mis- aDDrecia-
ton Ot the doctors acceptance Of the
position, and outlined briefly his wishes
in the matter OF the investigation. DR..
Conner secured a leave of absence for
two or three days, in order to go to
Cincinnati to put his affairs IN shape
to be absent so long as the work of the
commission may require. In DR.. Con-
ner the commission secures the services
of man who is not only eminent in his
profession, but is familiar with the
medical de0artment of the army, in
which he served for four years. He was
born at Westchester. Pa, Aug. %, 1899,
and is q graduate Of Dartmouth col
lege His service in the army extends
from 1862 to 1866, and he was assistant
surgeon and brevet major. He resigned
on the 1st of August, 1866 and since
then has been in practice in Cincinnati.
He is now and has been for many years
professor of surgery in the College OF
Ohio and in Dartmouth Medical col
lege.