Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-26
Kept Advised of Operations.

! After staung his name and rank and
| date of appointment the direct examination
proceeded. He said that during and since
| the war he has been at his department day
and night.
General Beaver-'To what extent were
you kept advised as to the operations of
| the chiefs of your bureauS?'
| Secretary Alger-"I think, pretty fully.
General Beaver-"Orders from you af-
fecting your various bureaus were COM
| municated to them by the adjutant gen.
eral?'
Secretary Ager-"Yes sir"
General Beaver-"If there was any spe-
cial difficulty affecting any of the bureaus,
were you kept advised?'
Secretary Alger-"Yes, sir
General Beaver-"Were the heads of the
bureaus very rigid in correcting abuses?'
Secretary Alger-"They We're, very strict"
Gen. Beaver-"If abuses existed an no
| remedy We're applied and no information
| came to you, who would be responsibie?'
Secretary Alger-''To what do you refer?'
Gen. Beaverton, only in general way.
! If abuses existed and the head of the bu-
| reau affected refused to apply the remedy
| or TO report the matter to you, where would
/ the responsibility lie?'
| Secretary Alger-"If the report of abuses
| came from outside the department and con-
cerned things inside it | made it my buS-
ness to interrogate the head of the bureau
concerned. If the report came through the
regular channels of the department l would
only know of it as it was reported to me by
the chief of the bureau concerned, with his
comment thereon. If he failed to report
| to then he would be responsible
Gen. Beaver-"Did you have complaints s
| at any time as to the medical and quar-
termaster's departments"
Some Complaints Made.
Secretary Alger-''There were some COM
plants. l cannot specify now"
Gen. Beaver-''Well, in general"
Secretary Alger-"Principally from out
side the army"
Gen. Beaver-'Were they invariably at
tended tor
Secretary Alger-"Yes, sir; always at the
first possible moment"
Gen. BeaVer-"Then, so far as YOU know
in every case was the remedy applied SD
far as the funds in your charge were avail
able and the condition of the country war
ranted?'
Secretary Alger-"Yes, SIR
Gen. Beaver-"Did you ever have any
special complaint as to the food furnished
the army from the army itself?'
SECRETARY Alger-'No, SIR"
Gen. BeaN er-"On the examination of
complaints from the outside, did you find
any of the heads of bureaus guilty of ne
glect to report to you?'
Secretary Alger-"No, SIR"
Gen. Beaver-"Was any head of the bu-
to discharge his duty during the war with
Spain?'
Secretary Alger-"No sir.'
Gen. Beaver-"Did you ever receive COM
plants or hear of any irregularities or
fraudulent contracts for supplies in con-
nection with any department of thu gov
ernment?"
Secretary Alger-"No sir But / only
speak for my own"
Gen. Beaver-''General, were you directly
or indirectly interested. financially in the
selection of any of the camps occupied by
any of the troops anywhere in the United
StatesT'
No Interest in Any Contract.
Secretary Alger (emphatically)-.'No, sir.
L never had any interest in any of the
camps. l do not know any one In my de-
psrtment that had
General Beaver-"GeneraL had Won anv
interest, direct or indirect, financially in
any contract made by any of your bureaus
for materials? ~
Secretary Alger (very positively. with
right hand uplifted)-"Not to one penny
Absolutely. In every single expenditure by
the government l was not interested di-
rectly or Indirectly
General Beaver (at Gov. Woodbury's sug
Seslion1- Does this apply to transports ?''
Secretary Alger-"Yes, sir-evervt hing"
General Beaver-"Have you any knowi-
edge of any complaint made by Major Cen
efai Mhes, commanding the army, at Porto
Rico or since then of the bad quality of
the refrigerated beef and canned roast heef
| furnished the army?'
Information From Miles as to Suoited
Beef.
Secretary Alger-"In my annual report I
refer to short dispatch from General
Miles asking that no more beef be sent to
Porto Rico because there was an abundant
supply there. l think he also said some
thing about beef having spoiled,
General Beaver-"Had you any other in