The times., 1898-12-22
THE COST OF AN ARMY CORPS.
Details of Expenditures In the
American System.
(From the Atlanta Constitution.)
mir. :. r.nu.-.. IL IL n.

q'rom the Atlanta Constitution)
inquiry among the disbursing officers of
the Seventh Army Corps and the depot
commissary and Quartermaster stationed
at Savannah independent Of the corps, but
| through whom large quantities of sup is
are distributed, leads 10 the conclusion
that the cost to the Government for
maintaining Gen Lees corps OF nearly
Eco men is no less than 81, ,o100o9 a m nth.
or sl2,0O,c;J In the course of year
To reduce these figures to conceivable
basis, il may be said that il costs 10 run
the corps from 5000 10 $500 a day. or
! comparatively comfortable fortune eye-v
twenty-four hours. The largest item OF
/ cost. perhaps, is the pay of the troops
! most of which goes to them directly in
cash. 1t costs about 81, coo 10 pay a req
ment and there are twelve of them ne.
besides couple of independent battalions
with the pay Of corps, division, brigade
ana other officers necessary to keep the
machinery Of such corps in motion. and
their mileage, it may be conservativeiv
stated that the monthly pay roll Of Gen.
Lees corps is n l7ss than ss25, co.
Next in Importance il not equally So
comes the depot commissary's disburse-
ments. Major George W. Caruthers de-
pot commissary here, conservativeIy es-
! Inmates that through his department
alone it costs the government $1,000 a day
to feed the Seventh Army Corps The
actual wholesale value Of the provisions
issued as days rations to the troops is
nearly $500. 1t costs 81 600 a day TO sun
ply the corps hospitals and Mai Ruthers
has been paying out an average of $50 a
day for communication OF rationse in the
month OF september Mai. Ruthe-s paid
out SH,oe0 to the Armour Packing Com
pany for fresh meat alone. The items of
onions and potatoes for the corps for the
same month cost slO,eo0, and ice 81 .oae.
Mai. Ruthers paid the hospitals in Jack
sonville over s30Oo0 month in cash. He
pays out on the contracts he makes for
supplies from s100,00O TO $780, a month.
In the three months of August, September
and October he paid out more than S23L-
en in cash for supplies, Communication OF
ratlons and for other necessary details
The employees in his department alone
cost the Government s2,000 month.
The foregoing figures from the commits
sary department do not include cost OF
transportation. which is always paid by
the Government, and for which the troops
are never charged. Neither do they refer
TO the large amounts of staple supplies.
such as flour, meal and canned goods. for
which contracts are made in Washing
ton, and for which the depot commissa-
ry draws on the contractor.
Next in order comes the Quartermaster's
department, IN which IL is much more
difficult TO get at the cost of supplies for
the corps. owing to wide variations in
their character. There are 2500 mules
and 200 horses in the corps to be fed
| There is all sorts of transportation to be
provided There are clothing tents and
other equipment to be furnished the men
There are 600 to $50 civil employees. such
as clerks, wagon drivers and laborers 10
be paid every month. There are so army
wagons. smbulances. doritys and any
amount of other equipment to be kept
on the rolls. Col. George E. Pond quar-
! termaster of the corps says he pays out
anywhere from s10o, eco TO 100000 a month
in cash for supplies, Communication, sala-
| ries, wages and other things In this de-
| partment.
| Besides this. ne issues from $4,000 to
100000 worth of supplies month, which
come directly from the Government con-
tractors. The quarIermaster's department
issues and pays out on account of the
corps therefore more than s2e0,0oJ a
month, perhaps nearer $3.50, ,000.
In the foregoing figures the trsnsporta-
| tion of the corps as a whole from point
to point has not been considered. Thou
sands more are spent on this every time
| the corps moves. There are expenses also
| for hospital supplies which are secured
| otherwise than through the commissary
/ department The monthly bill FOR teie-
| grams is enormous. and printing and sta
tionery is no small item. Some Of these
items are looked after by the quarter
master II is true, but they serve 20 show
| the detail of large expenses attached 10
| such a corps.