The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-27

The report OF Brigadier General Bates,
Paymaster General of the Army. for the
fiscal year ended June 50, was made pub
lie yesterday. The report shows that the
total expenditures in paying the army
regulars ard volunteers, amounted to
SOL, 133, SCS.22. During the year the amount
received in deposits from soiiiers was
s3.215. 5i466. OF this Sizes, 81 has beea
repaid. the amount of interest gwen in ,
s432S4S9
The following reference is made to the
emergency fund Of SO, 100000:
THE s3,0G0.0O0 Cemerecncy fund.- ap-
propriated under the act of January 5,
1899. was taken to Havana, Cuba, under
the immediate charge of my predece ssor
in office. on the 18th of March, 1899
THE first distribution to the disband-
ing Cuban army was made May %, 1899.
The last was practically made on the 18th
Of September. 1899, and on the 21st CT that
month the unexpended balance amount
ing to s455,2o0, was turned into the TT as
ury of the United States to the credit of
the appropriation named.
This Department was charged with
the accountability and responsibility OF
this fund. and it was disbursed under the
direction of the division commander in
Cuba. The payment to each non-l om.riS
stoned officer and man of the Cuban army
was s15, and the number paid was 80, 1880. -
recommendation for increase of pay
for troops serving outside the territorial
limits Of the United States is made as
follows:
Congress, no doubt in recognition Of
the extraordinary hardships imposed upon
those portions of the army serving in the
places above named. made provision for
rewarding such service in the act Of May
&c of this year. Unfortunately the very
specific terms of that provision restricts
its benefits TO service in places therein
named, and, as a consequence, excludes
the troops serving in China or who may
serve in Guam. which is one of the La
drone Islands, from participation in the
bonus.
I'm order that officers and enlisted men
serving beyond the limits of the United
States and in places not named in the act
of May Is. 1900. and in view Of the fact
that the Comptroller decided on June %,
1900, that the benefits of said act could
not apply to service other than in the
places specified. have the honor to sug-
gest that Congress be asked to legislate in
general terms that
The pay proper of all officers and
enlisted men now serving. or who have
served since May %, 1900, in Alaska, or
in any countries beyond the limits of the
United States, shall be increased 10 per
centum for officers and 20 per centum
for enlisted men over and above the rates
of pay proper as fixed by law in time
of peace and that the time of such service
shall be counted from the date of en-
barkation from the United States until
date of return thereto.
The report concludes as follows:
Il wish again to call the attention OF the
Secretary to the excellent work performed
by the officers of the Department. Since
the breaking up of the insurrectionary
army in the Philippines our troops have
been widely scattered throughout the ISL
ands in small garrisons, which has more
than doubled the amount of work for the
in paying them. Notwithstand-
ing this, and the fact that the limited
number of officers in the Department pre-
vented any increase of force, the troops
have been regularly paid. The number of
detached posts paid IN the
Philippines is. as above stated, 400, and
the means of communication between them
most primitive and dangerous. Three Of
GERS have broken down in health during
the season, but all have been or will be
to duty very soon. There has
been neither remonstrance nor complaint
from any officer in the Department from
Cuba, Porto Rico, or the Philippines, but
all alike have cheerfully, intelligently. and
performed the duty assigned to
them"