The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-08
WHY VOLUNTEERS
WERE NOT PAID
General lilies Ordered That Their Com
pensatiOn be Withheld.
COL. HECKER ON THE STAND
Care Details Of the Purchasing Of the
Transports.
COL. HECKER ON THE STAND
SAID NO FAvoRITIsM WAS SHOWN
On Routing the Troops on the Several
Railroad Lines-Charged More
Than They Should Have
for Hauling Soldiers.

Washington, Dec. 1.-THE war investiga-
ton commission examined several witnesses
to-day, including Paymaster General stan
ton and Colonel Hecker, quartermaster In
charge of transportation of troops Pay
master Stanton testified that orders and
reouisitions were given to hili from in COM
mand of the forces asking that the pay of
the volunteers be deferred until they should
return to the United States, that being be-
neved the wisest and most judicious course,
pay was withheld in Cuba on the order of
Major General Miles, he thought, and from
the troops In Porto Rico either on orders or
requests of several commanders.
Colonel Hecker, who has just returned
from Cuba, was examined in detail as TO
the charters and purchases of vessels by
the war department. He said between June
20 and July Is he purchased seventeen yes
sells on the authority of the secretary of
war He found 80 per cent Of the vessels
offered wholly unsuited. Colonel Hecker
said in his negotiations he dealt directly
with the owners of the vessels wherever
possible Ee knew of no instance where
more than the cost price was paid for YES
sells. The Atlantic Transport Company had
rendered its entire fleet. For the seveen
ships which the department purchased OF
them, the price paid aggregated 100000. a
saving of 100000 from the asking price.
Were Fair " ue
1.-THE prices paid" he insisted. would
have been a fair value under ordinary cir
cumstances." He said further there was
not single instance where any influence
outside the government and the contracting
parties could have been used in the pur-
chases.
"Was there any possibility for any third
party to be benefited by these sales?"
''In the cases of the Port Victor and Scan
dia there ceretainly was" he replied; Ito
what extent, however, can't tell"
Queried as to railway contracts. he in
terjected that it was not he but the rail-
roads that controlled the rates." as they
charged more than they ought to have re-
ceived. He referred to transportation ar
rangements between Chickamauga and
Newport News and said better rates had
been obtained by letting these contracts in
this city, the tariff having been reduced
from S13 to IS per man for the same SER
vice.
Colonel Hecker made an emphatic denial
that there was any outside influence in
routing the troops on the several lines.
The Shortage of Medicine
Colonel Alden, assistant surgeon-general
said he did not know why it was that only
officers who hustled were able to get
medical supplies for their men, Any short
age, Colonel Alden felt sure, arose in the
distribution of supplies between the depots
and the divisions and regimental hospitals
for the former had pienty. At Tampa there
was abundant supplies on hand before
Skaters army started, but the reports of
medical supplies with the army In front of
II
there was a lamentable lack of even the
commonest supplies. The responsibility
rested on the commander of the expedition
airy force and he felt sure was due to a
failure to land supplies.
Colonel Alden was asked why it was that
a volunteer organization like the Red Cross
could get supplies on the ground ahead of
the medical department had certainly prior
information of the coming movement. He
said that it was because the medical de-
partment was dependent upon the quarter
masters department, the transportation
and commissary departments, and 1t was
not supplied with men enough to carry out
the plans it knew were necessary.