The times., 1899-11-15
COST OF NAVAL SUPPLIES.
The Annual Report of Paymastcr
General INenney.


The annual report Of A S. Kenney, Pay
master General of the Navy and Chief of
the Bureau OF Supplies and Accounts, for
the fiscal year ending June 60 1899, was
made public yesterday. It includes a sum
mary of all the money expended by the
Navy, itemtzed accounts Of which have been
published in others reports. It is estimated
that the appropriation necessary for sup
plies and accounts for the fiscal yead ending
June so, 1899, will be $500, 32O.13. The re-
port says:
The financial operations of the bureau
during the fiscal year herein exhibited COW
er all expenditures made from appropria-
! tiOns for the naval establishment and show
/ in principal items as follows. Total cred
/ its, including balance from last fiscal year
I $141, G17 2518i; total debts. $f3. .l45 992 20,
! leaving a balance of appropriations June
! 30. 1893. of $6S. All 1884. Amount drawn
/ from the Treasury, $64 1874 265.82; expendi-
/ lures on account of construction including
| the labor, material, and purchase of ships.
/ 81 .9G4 1861. Cost Of repairs TO ships and
| equipage, at home and abroad &C. 754, ,97445;
/ cost Of maintaining ships in commission.
| including pay and rations of officers and
! men, incidental expenses, and material eX-
! pended S13, ,9S3. 1741S; expenditures on ac-
count of the Marine Corps, s1443, ,225. 80.
! Cost to the navy Of the lighthouse estab-
| lishment, S51 1902; Of the Coast and Geo
! detic Survey, $124, ,S2252; of the Fish Com
mission, $44, 1887. For arming and equip
ping the Naval Militia of the several States.
including material, 1892 23L89.
The deposits Of savings by seamen show
| an increase Of $50. 091. A. the deposits dur
ing the year amounting to 1907 861.31 and
| the repayments 1921, 769 81 the total amount
/ to credit of the fund on June 30, 1899. be-
| ing $374,64409. The interest paid at per
cent per annum upon above repayments
amounting TO S12, ,757.72.'
The report calls attention to the neces-
sity of various new storehouses for which
I appropriations have been asked in other
! reports At the New York navy yard
$50 600 is wanted for a storehouse and
$1S,000 for a new pay office; at League
Island navy yard 1921, $40 is desired for a
storehouse; at Norfolk $50 900, at Port
| Royal, $50, 900, and at Mare Island $40 900
Regarding supplies in the Philippines the
report says.
1T has been necessary TO keep in store
at Manila large quantity Of supplies, es-
pecially Of provisions and clothing and
while the needs of the service have always
been promptly and fully met, there have
been unavoidable losses due TO climatic
causes, the ravages of insects, and lack OF
?
the necessity of repairing Immediately the
building now there under the charge OF
the general strOekeepeT, and of providing
Others, as ] believe the losses TO the Gov
! eTnment from stores that must be con-
demned for reasons stated above Will be in
excess Of the expenditures necessary TO pro
vide proper stOrehouses. The bureau de-
sires 10 establish a naval-supply fund de-
partment at Cavite as soon as possible, as
the needs for such stores grow more ur-
gent each day, but is reluctant to do so on
account Of the loss which would necessa-
rily be involved"
Efforts are being made to provide com
| forts Tor the naval officers in the Philip
pines and Alaska, on which the report
says:
"The inability of officers to procure the
ordinary articles Of provisions etc neces-
sary to their welfare, in remote places
like Cavite, Guam, and Sitka. has recently
resulted In much personal discomfort to
! them. The commander-in-c chief OF the
Asiatic station asked for naval commits
sary store department n Cavite. and the
bureau desired to comply with the request
Arrangements had also been perfected by
! which naval ofiscersz there would be per
mitted 10 draw cdzhmissary stores from
! army commissaries, but the Comptroller
of the Treasury having decided that such
practices would be Illegal, and also that
there was no authority in law for the es-
| tablishment Of naval commissary store
| departments, IL was necessary 10 abandon
both plans. Legislation granting to off,
GERS and enlisted men Of the Navy and
Marine Corps the privilege OF buying com
missaTy stores from the army and the es-
! tablishmeut OF a naval commissary store