Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-10-27
PAYING OFF THE TROOPS
THE COMPLICATED TASK WHICH PAY.
MASTERS HAVE TO PERFORM.

Oho VI the Iieasantest Features OF Army
Life Is His Arrival with a Gripsack
Full of Money-How the Soldiers Get
Their Pay-The Volunteer Paymaster.
One Of the pleasantest features of
army life is the coming of the paymas-
ter with his gripsack full of money.
Since the declaration Of war with
Spain the war department has added
seventy paymasters and twice as many
clerks, under the Emergency act pro-
viding for an increase. The work re-
quired is almost wholly that of ex-
pert accountants. Especially is this
true of the department of the east, in
New York city, where, in addition to
keeping the accounts of the volunteers
in this vicinity, the paymasters are
obliged to take care of the accounts of
regulars and retired officers and SOL
dlers. There is no mercy shown to q
green paymaster. Whether he under
stands the work or not, he has to do
the samo amount as is given to pay
master who has been in the service
twenty years. In fact, there is
growing suspicion that the volunteer
paymaster gets the worst of it all
round
The retired list which new paymas-
ters are required to wrestle with in
the paymaster's Office in this city
comprises the accounts of 400 officers
aud men who have been retired from
the service, but who are drawing
three-quarters pay. These payments
are made once each month under an
intricate system Of bookkeeping. It
is so complicated that no business
man of today would think of applying
it to his own business
The re red officers and men are
paid on the first day of each month.
Those residing in New York receive
their pay in currency at the paymas-
ter's office, while those residing out
side the city are paid by check. The
New York pay department is under
the control of Lieut.. Col Wilson, who
ranks next to Paymaster- General
Stanton. Under him at the Present
time are two re@'ilar army paymasters
and three emergency or volunteer
paymasters, all ranking as majors.
AS IN the army proper, there is moth
ing done in the pay department with
comes inpatient at not receiving his
pay at the anticipated time should not
blame the paymaster. 1t may be that
he has not received his orders.
The First New York Volunteers
were paid off recently by Major Fow-
Ter at Fort Hamilton, and the method
of procedure will serve to illustrate
all payments in the field On the
rolls furnished by the company COM
manders an estimate due each man,
less fines, was made by the paymaster,
and the latter, with his clerk, went to
the camp with sufficient currency to
pay off. At Fort Hamilton the place
selected for paying the troops was the
hall of the local lodge of Good Tenn
plars. Each company was lined up,
one at time, in front of the paymas-
ter's desk, and as his name was called
out each man stepped forward and re-
ceived his money.
First comes the captain, who re-
ceives $50; then the first lieutenant,
who takes $125. The second lieuten-
ant walks off with $l16.67, and then
follow the non-co nissioned officers,
beginning with +, first sergeant,
whose compensation is $50 a month.
After the nome commissioned officers
come the privates, who receive $15.6 80
a month instead of $13 month, as
formerly. In fact, in all the salaries
of non commissioned officers and pri-
Yates there has been uniTSrm IN,
crease of 30 per cent.
When an entire regiment is paid of
it is done from what is known as the
roll Of the field, staff and band, con
tanning the names of the brigade or
regimental field officers. Those Off
GERS are paid by the paymaster in the
same manner that other payments are
made, but thc unts are much
1ys aEgsE i, the hgg rsssslying sss1 M
utenant-colonel, $3.50, and 4iajor,
$20S33. Regimental quartermaster
and regimental adjutauts receive
$3.50, while the regimental chaplain's
pay is $l25 month.
Commissioned officers may draw
their salaries from any paymaster, and
it is not infrequent that accounts are
duplicated In such cases there is
trouble in store for the officer. Pay
masters, although they handle large
sums of money, are only under $1O,-
600 bonds. They are responsible for
the accuracy of their accounts, and
the overpayment of money to soldiers
is a loss to the paymaster. The pos
sibility of error is a constant worry to
the volunteer paymasters, who are
unfamiliar with the work, and who are
largely dependent upon their clerks.
For this responsibility their COM
pensation is $20S month. Were it
not for the gold shoulder straps and
the rank of major which goes with the
Office, there are few paymasiers in the
volunteer service who would accept
the place. There are among the vol
unteer paymasters some whose in
comes from their private business ex-
ceeded that of their salary, but whose
oon disnuoli Il o1 flam for armv anrvica