Evening star., 1898-08-29
Repayment Wanted for Expenses in
Enlisting Troops.
PROVISION MADE BY CONGRESS
Appointment Of a Treasury Depart
ment Commission.
REG ADOPTED

for expenditures of the war with Spain are
beginning to pour into the Treasury De-
partment, and the Office of Auditor Brown,
who passes upon War Department ac-
counts is getting to work upon them.
There seems to be a misapprehension on
the part of some OF the claimants, said
Auditor Brown to a Star reporter today.
that creditors can present their accounts
direct to the War Department. 1-le law
provides that all accounts must be paid by
the states, and the general government
| will reimburse the states.
tine principal delay likely to be occa-
stoned in the settlement of the claims arises
from the failure in some cases to properly
| receipt the bills and have them approved
| by the governor. When the vouchers are
| presented in proper shape this office will
pass upon them promptly"
After the call tor troops the Secretary of
| War sent telegram, April -, to the gov
| ernorS OF the states advising tnem that all
necessary expenses the subsistence,
| transportation, shelterlng and maintenance
| of volunteers during the interval between
| their enrolment (enlistmenD and their
| muster into the service of the United
States would be met by the general gov
ern1nent.
| Action by Congress.
| Then Congress the last day of the session
rassed law providing for the reimburse
ment of the states for the expenses of fur
nishing volunteers. This law provides that
The Secretary of the Treasury be directed,
out of any money in the treasury not other
wise appropriated, to pay to the governor
| Of any state or territory or to his duly au
| thorized agents the reasonable costs,
charges ana expenses that have been in
Cured by him in aiding the United States
to raise the volunteer army i'll the existing
war with Spain, by subsistins, clothing,
| supplying, equpping, paying and trans
porting men OF his state or territory who
We're afterwaTd accepted into the volunteer
army of the United States Provided That
| the transportation paid for shall be only
the transportation of such men from the
place Of their enrolment for service in the
volunteer army OF the United States to the
place OF their acceptance INTO the same by
the United States mastering officer and
that the names Of the men transported shall
appear on the muster rolls of tile volunteer
army Of the United States: And provided
further That such claims shall be settled
upon proper vouchers to be hIed and pass
| ed upon by the proper accounting officers of
thS treasury: And provided further, That
IN cases where the money to pay said costs
charges and expenses has been or may
hereafter be borrowed by the governors of
their respective states and territories and
interest is paid may hereafter be paid
on the same by the governors or their
states or territories, from the time it was OF
may be so borrowed to the time of its re-
fundment by the United States or there
after, such interest shall not be refunded
by the United States: nor shall any inter
est be paid the governors or their states or
territories on the amounts Ia:d out by them
nor any other amount refunded or paid
than is in this act expressly mentioned"
A Claims Commissions
Early in June bills and claims began to
reach the War Department, and a claims
commission, consisting of Maj. Baird, pay
master United States army, and Mr.. j. Q.
Kern, was appointed to segregate the state
claims from the accounts which would
properly be paid by the War Department
Ihe state claims were forwarded to the
auditor for the War Department and re-
ferred to the claims division of which Mr.
W. A. Rogers is the chief.
1t has been found that a large proportion
or the claims Will neceSS:tate further action
upon the oart of the state officials In MANY
cases no receiDted bills We're attached and
the governors approval was omitted. 4
feature of the situation which will cause
the department considerable work has
arisen in this way: Some of the volunteers
who offered their services and proceeded to
the state capitals with their companies
were subs equently rejected by the medical
ofhcers, and consequently Were not mus
tered into he service. In such cases the
states VIII have to pay the cost of trans
portatlon of the rejected soldiers and the
oiilclais mere will have to compare the mus
ter rolls of the War Department with the
original enrolment lists.
Treasury Regulations.
Regulations have been provided by the
AUDITORS office, and approved by Secretary
Gage and Controller Tracewell, for the pre-
sertaticn of the state claims
Original itemized bills must be furnished
II all cases where it is practicable to 90 SO
and in cases where they are omitted salts |
factory reasons must be given for their
omission. All accounts or claims for reim-
nLfsement M must be properly stated and GER |
t!fed TO on vouchers. The vouchers given |
by The creditors of the states and terri |
tories, with their receipts for the amounts |
actually paid them, must accompany the |
clalmS Tor reimbursement as evidence of |
The payment of said creditors and in sun
port OF SAID accounts or claims, and no |
payment will be made directly to a creditor |
o. state or territory.
The certificate in support of every ac- |
count, voucher or claim for reimbursement |
must be made in the following form ure |
scr1ned by the controller of the treasury |
as required by law, and must be signed by |
the governor who incurred and paId the |
costs, charges and expenses for which re- |
endorsement is sought:
Il hereby certify that the above account
is correct and just; that the services were
rendered and the articles furnished as |
stated; that the costs, charges and EXPENSES
therefor are reasonable and have been in
Cured and paid by me in aiding the limited |
States to raise the volunteer army in the
war with Spain, either by subsisting, cloth
ing, supplying, equipping, paying, or trans
porting men OF this state or territory who
were afterward accepted into the volunteer
army of the United States; that in all cases
where reimbursement or payment is
sought from the United States for the
transportation of men, such reimburse
ment or payment is only for their trans
portation from the place of their enroll
ment for service in said army to the place
of their acceptance into the same by the
United States mastering officer, and that no
part of the above mentioned costs, charges
and expenses is for interest on the same
or any part thereof on any money bor-
rowed or used to pay the same or any part
thereof.
The transportation to be reimbursed as
reasonable costs, charges and expenses that
have been incurred and paid by the COVER
nor of any state or territory in aiding the
United States to raise the volunteer army
Is only the transportation of men of his |
state of territory who were afterward ac-
cepted into the volunteer army. of the I
United States, from the place of their en-
rollment for service in said army to the |
place Of their acceptance into the same |
by the United States mastering officer. The |
names of the men transported must appear
on the muster rolls of the volunteer army
of the United States.