The evening times., 1900-04-28
4 new TRAVEL PAY BILL
Discharged Soldiers to Receive
Transportation to Their Homes.
Favorable Report of the House Mill
tary Affairs COMMUNICATIONS
of the Present Law, Enacted When
Ii Took. Five Months to Go to Cali
fornia-Large Sum to Be Saved.

The Committee on Military Affairs has
directed favorable report on the bill pro-
and subsistence OF officers and enlisted
men when honorably discharged from the
service of the United States.
The committee, in'its report, says:
THE act of January II, 1872 was re-
enacted without change January 29. 1873,
and at a time when, by reason of the close
of the war OF 1872, legislation on the sub
ject of the travel pay and subsistence Of
honcrably discharged veterans Of that war
became necessary.
AT this time, however. owing TO the un-
settled and unimproved condition Of our
country and the total absence of railroads
and other means of rapid transit, and the
poor and often impossible condition of the
few roads then existing the provisions Of
the acts of 1872 and 1913 making twenty
nfiles of travel a day .he basis Of eompu-
tation was reasonable and just.
with the advent Of railroads new ba-
sis should have been established and the
law brought down 10 date. This has not
been done, and, strange as il may seem,
the honOrably discharged officers and men
OF the Spanish American war and from
the Philippines travelling in ease and com
fort at the rate OF from 900 TO l 1,Oe0 miles
a day. are discharged Ynder the provisions
of a statute which has remained practi-
cally the same from the time when the
soldiers OF the war of 1872 walked home
afOot
The bill introduced seeks TO modernizs
the law by allowing Communication Of trav-
-Ing allowance that Is. of transportation
md subsistence, for both officers and en-
listed men al the rate of cents a mile
from the place OF his discharge 10 the
phase Of his residence at the time Of his
appointment in the case OF an officer, and
to the place Of his enlistment in the case
of an enlisted man.
This makes cents per mile the basis
Of computation when the Government does
not furnish in kind instead of pay accord
ing 10 rank and rations at the rate OF one
day for every twenty miles OF travel To
illustrate; Suppose a colonel received his
commission at Washington. but was dis
charged at San Francisco The distance
is 3,l47 miles. Under the laws as they
now exist. and have existed for eighty
eight years. the colonel would be entitled
10 his salary as colonel at the rate Of
1912 per day for as many days as twenty,
the number Of miles considered 10 be a
days travel is contained in 3,l47, or
157 Is days, or Si,529.Si. That is 10 say,
a colonel, on being discharged at San
Francisco can travel in comfort TO Wash
ington in six days and yet demand the
sum Of $l,529.S1, although his railroad
ticket will only cost him S17-
Under the provisions Of this bill allow
ing him only cents mile he could de-
mand the sum Of S125.SS This sum- less
the cost Of his ticket. would leave him
SiS.SS for meals and chair and sleeping car
privileges.
This bill makes no distinction between
officers and enlisted men. The allowance
is the same. and the charges for transpor-
tation made by railroad and sleeping car
companies are the same; but under the
existing law. whereas the colonel gets 81.
52S.Sl. private only gets Sl34. 20 in trav-
cling from San Francisco TO Washington.
There is no sense in this wide discrep-
ancy.
The enlisted men under this bni will
be little affected by its operation. In
stead Of securing the sum OF $l34.26 under
existing law in travelling from San FRAN
cisco TO Washington. he Will be entitled
to Sl25.SS. which. after deducting his rail-
road ticket. wOl a leave him $4S-SS for
utdlsI BtIlu. etc
In order that the wild extravasance of
the existing law. especially as il applies to
officers Of the higher ranks may De made
more apparent. ! have attached hereto as
part OF this report certain schedules care
fully prepared and furnished by the Audi
tor OF the Treasury for the War Depart
ment. These schedules or tables comprise
the cases OF four enlisted men and four
officers Of different rank betty cen different
cities with the calculations 10 the travel
ing allowances under the Law as IL row
exists and has existed since 1s12-13 and
what would be the cost to the Government
at cents a mile as proposed by the bill.
AN examination OF these tables viii
lead to the conclusion that the passage OF
this bill will result in saving many thou
sands Of dollars to the Government
The bill further provides that the Gov
ernment may furnish both transportation
and subsistence in kind for the whole or
any part Of the distance. and IL IL does so
no Communication shall be allowed for the
portion SO furnished. In case, however,
the Government finds II advisable or con-
venient to only furnish transportation and
not subsistence the latter shall be COM
muted at the rate of cents per mile a
sum amply sufficient TO pay for meals in
transit, even at rates charged on dining
cars.
In all sea travel no communication is al
lowed. but transportation and subsistence
in kind must be furnished by the Govera-
ment. So long as We retain troops IN 0lsr
island possessions the Government VII
have 10 maintain transports, and these
transports can bring home discharged Of
ficers and men,"