The Portland daily press., 1900-04-02
FOR THE ARMY.
1t Takes Many MnIions 10 Pay the
Bills.


SfBC1AL TO IKE Phkss1
Washington, March s1.-Ths Houss
this week has completed the oensidsra-
ton Of the bill which appropviatss
money for the support Of the army of tbs
United states. In view of the promi-
nenoe which the army has attained te-
fore the people as result Of the war
with Spain, and In view OF the future
demand which will be made on IL for
Philippine servioe. IL may be Of interest
to note some features of the expenditures
for the soldiers. Unole Sam 10 always
prompt with the payments TO his resu-
lar servants, and the appropriation bill
which is now in process Of enactment
is to provide for expenditures In the
FISCAL year ending June 8, 1901. The sx.
penditufe1 for the current year were
made by the last Congrsss.
The army bill, which for the House
file IL mum bered $3.50. appropriates
total Of over hundred and eleven mill
ions Of dollars. The secretary Of War
asked for hundred and twenty-eight
m iIiions Of dollars, but the House de-
clded that his demands could be mo FER
ated about sixteen millions Of dollars,
So they took over nve millions Of dol
lars of the sum devoted n pay of tie
the travel pay OF enlisted men, mill on
of the supply bill and eight million dol
lsrs OF the sum devoted to transportation.
II 10 very com mon thing for the
House TO Gus down the estimates of the
Executive departments. In fact 1t Is
sometimes suspected that the cabinet
officers arrange their estimates 20 that
after they are out down there will still
remain 9 comfostable provision for the
eervioe.
Perhaps the most Interesting item In
tbs army bill Is the pay roll, 1t takes
the line officers for year, and over six
teen millions Of dollars to pay the sol-
diers Of the line The retired officers OF
the army require a million and quaItsr
Of dollars year. There are also retired
enlisted men. The officer Is retired ct
the aae Of OF eixty -four years; the enlist
ed msn are rstired after serving thirty
years with the coioFs. Enough enlisted
men are thus retired to receive total
Of six hundred thousand dollars annually
IN pay. Each enlisted man gets SIS
month reg ularly, and three-fourths when
retired. There is also a comm utation for
clothing which brings the retired income
up to nearly twenty dollars u month.
Besides the pay Of the line OF she army
there are many other lines OF service,
staff, hospital, engineer CORDS, ETC., TO
bring the total annual pay of the army
up 70 nearly forty three million dollars
for the year.
The army must be fed as well az paid,
and the ordinary food costs nearly ten
million dollars year. This Is the regu-
lar Taoions for healthy men. The siok
Ia the hospitals need delicaotes which the
regular rations do not afford. and over
eight hundred thousand dollars are spent
In year for this purpose. This is in
addition to the REGULAR medical and hos
pital supplies, which ooss half million
dollars u year.
The clothing bill, including camp and
garrison eauippage is eight MILL on dol
lars annually. The soldiers do not draw
all the clothing to which they are entitled,
and theI get accumulation In money for
1t This Communication amounts to
million dollars a year.
The army system allows the soldiers
to deposit their savings with the govern
ment and receive interest thereon. Also
II, for any reason, pay is detained for
time, the soldier receives interest
thereon. This interest amounts to two
and a quarter millions of dollars year
Transporting the soldiers from place to
place, especially since we have begun
waginR war on the other side OF the
world, costs considerable the bill for a
year being thirty millions of dollars.
The horse has always Teen Of great I'm
portanoe In war. In the Bible times he
was even OF more account than the man.
In some of the SMILES at least END In
the Middle Ages horse and man were
together and insepsrable. The foot SOL
dier has come into greater prominence 10
modern wars, but the horse IL stillta
valuable auxiliary. 1t costs Unole Sam
seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars
year to buy horses for his cavalry and
artillery.
Of course the small expenses OF an
army OF sixty-lve thousand men are very
numerous Our general staff, which
hardly deserves the name when CON-
pared with the elaborate organizations o
European military Embellishments, 90 st
about eighty, thousand dollars year.
One of the regular expenses is the cost
of powder for the morning and evening.
guns that salute the rising and setting
sun ~ every military post. II costs
twenty-five thousand dollars year for
Uncle Sans boys to thus speed Old Sol
on bis course from Augusta, Me-,
arsenal, to the forts In far of Luzon.