The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-26
CUBKS REVENUE USED
The Payments Were Authorized by
the President.
ON THE ATTORNEY. GENERALS ADVICE
MILITARY officers Performing Civil Duties and
Receiving Extra Pay Were Governors of
Cuba and Havana, Collector of
Customs and Treasurer.
Customs and Treasurer.
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, April % Secretary Of
War Root today sent to the Senate his re-
ply to the resolution OF April 21st as tc
whether officers of the United States
they were entitled by law to receive
any compensation for their services there
other than the compensation to which
they were entitled to by law to receive
as salary and allowances, and if so the
names and rank of the officers and the
amounts received by them. The reply IS
as follows:
Pursuant to the orders of the Secre-
tary of War, dated respectively March
1st, 1899, April 10Th, 1899 and May 9th.
1899, copies of which are annexed hereto,
allowances have been paid your officers
of 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 Govern
ment of Cuba as follows:
ITO the Military Governor of Cuba at
the rate of 81 900 per year.
40 the Military Governor of Havana
at the rate of $1,000 per year
ITO the Collector Of Customs for the
Island of Cuba, at the rate of 81, $50 per
yeaE-
ITO the Treasurer of the Island of
Cuba, at the rate of 81, 800 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 described in the resolu-
tion to any officers in Cuba. l annex
hereto a report received some months
since from the headquarters division of
hot- hnn
made. The payments have been
made monthly from the dates
stated in said orders until the
of payment will appear in an itemized
statement of receipts and expenditures
now in course of preparation under
previous resolution of the Senate. Pay
ments to the Military Governor of Havana
will cease with the termination OF that
office on May list, 1900.
The names and ranks of the officers
receiving the payments were, as Military
Governor of Cuba Major General John r.
Brooke, until the 18th day of December
1899, and Major General Leonard Wood,
U. S. V, since that time; as Military
Governor of Havana, Brigadier General
William Ludlow; as collector of customs
for Cuba, Major Baker M. Bliss, as
Treasurer of the Island of Cuba, Major
f. +. Ladd, U. S. V.
mo allowances have been made to any
officer in Porto Rico other than the
statutory salary and allowance out Of
the Treasury of the United States.
The payments specified were made out
of the revenue of the Island of Cuba. on
account of government thereof, and they
were made on that account for the reason
that it was impossible for the said Off
GERS to properly perform the necessary
duties pertaining to their positions with
out the expenditure of the full amount OF
such allowances in addition to their
statutory salaries and allowances out of
the Treasury of the United States.
THE aggregate of the payments thus
made prior to the 1st day OF the present
month was $17,441. The total receipts of
the Island of Cuba collected by these
officers during the period covered by the
aforesaid expenditure therefrom amount
ed to $21 ,026, ,572 and the total disburse-
ments under their direction amounted to
$19, ,2S0,512.
Similar allowances to officers of the
army performing civil functions in Mexi-
and California were approved by Con-
gress by the act of March 3rd 1S49, and
the act of February 3rd, 1858. CA copy of
the second section of the said first men
toned act is annexed hereto)
THE said payments were authorized by
the President of the United States upon
the oral advice of the Attorney General
that the same were in all respects lawful.
Very respectfully,
"ELIHU ROOT.
Secretary of War"
Secretary Root accompanied his reply
with the following:
Section of An Act to Provide for the
settlement of the Accounts of Public
Officers and Others who May Have Re-
ceived Moneys Arising from Military
Contributions, or Otherwise in Mexico
(Approved March 3rd, 1S49. Stats. at
large, vol. 8, p. 61S.)-And be it further
enacted that where an officer has had the
supervision of the collecting of the mill
tary contributions at any of the ports
in Mexico and has at the same time, ex-
ercsed civil functions under the tempor-
ary government there established, or
where an officer or other person shall
have performed the duties of collectors at
such ports, such officer or person shall be
allowed a compensation which shall be
assimilated in amount, as nearly as may
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