The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-27
THE EXTRA ALLOWANCES
MADE TO ARMY OFFICERS DOING CIVIL
DUTY IN CUBA.
REPORT OF SECRETARY ROOT
To the Senate I'm Answer To a Re>olu-
tion OF Inquiry-Four Onicers Draw
ing Pay I'm Addition to Their Salaries
and Statutory Allowances, Ranging
from Eighteen Hundred to Seventy
Five Hundred Dollars Each per Year
The Secretary's Justification.

Washington. April es.-Secretary OF
War Root today sent 10 the senate his
reply to the resolution OF April zlsr.
as to whether officers Of the Unit n
States army in Cuba or Porto r. q
have received any compensation f,r
their services there other than the
compensation 10 which they were en-
titled by law 10 receive as salary and
allowances. and If so the names and
rank OF the officers and the amounts
received by them. The reply is IA fol-
lows:
Pursuant To the orders Of the sec
retary Of war. dated respectively March
/, 1899, April 19. 1899. and May 9. 1888.
copies OF which are annexed hereto. al
lowances have been paid officers 81 the
army who have been required To live
in the city of Havana and to perform
important civil functions in connection
with the administration OF the gov
ernment of Cuba as follows:
ITO the military governor Of Cuba,
at the rate Of $500 per year.
ITO the military governor OF Ha-
vana, at the rate Of s5.e00 per year.
island OF Cuba. at the rate OF 81. 500 per
year.
ITO the treasurer OF the island OF
Cuba, at the rate OF $500 per year.
These payments were in addition
to the salary and allowances which the
said officers were entitled as such to
receive out Of the treasury of the
United States. | am not aware OF any
other payments Of the character de-
scribed in the resolution to any Of
fcerS in Cuba. / annex hereto n re-
port received some months since from
the headquarters division of Cuba
showing that none other have been
made.
The payments have been made
monthly from the dates stated in said
orders until the present time. The
precise dates OF payment will appear In
an itemiZed statement of receipts and
expenditures now in the course OF
preparation under a previous resolution
of the senate. Payments to the mill
tary governor of Havana VIII cease
with the termination of that Office on
May !, 1900
The names and ranks Of the Off
GERS receiving the payments were: As
military governor of Cuba. Major
General John r. Brooke until the 18th
day of December, 1899 and Major Cen
eral Leonard Wood, United States vcf-'
unteers, since that time: as militaI -
governor of Havana, Brigadier Gen
eral William L. Ludlow; as collector
Of customs for Cuba, Major Baker NJ
Bliss: as treasurer OF the island OF
Cuba, Major E. F. LAID. United State
volunteers.
| No allowances have been made to
| any officer in Porto Rico ether than
| the statutory salary and allowance out
| of the treasury OF the United States
The payments specified were made
| out of the revenues of the island of
| Cuba, on account of government
thereof, and they were made on that
| account for the reason that IL was i'm
| possible for the said officers To prop
| erly perform the necessary duties per
! tanning to their positions without the
| expenditure of the full amount OF such
| allowances in addition to their statu-
| tory salaries and allowances out of tne
| treasury of the United States.
| The aggregate Of the payments thus
made prior 10 the 1st day of the pres
ent month was s17.441 The total re-
ceipts of the island of Cuba collected
cred by the aforesaid expenditure
therefrom amounted to s21. .02s. .572. and
the total disbursements under their
direction amounted to $19. .2s0.51
| Similar allowances to officers OF
the army performing civil functions I'm
Mexico and California were approved
by congress by the act Of March .. iS49.
and the act Of February 3. 1853.
THE said payments were authorized
| upon the oral advice OF the torney
general that the same were in IL res
poets lawful.
Very respectfully.
"ELIIiU Poet.
| Secretary OF VAR