The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-27

w. specting extra allowances to
army officers serving as ad-
ministratve officers in the new de-
tendencies is straightforward and con-
elusive. Inasmuch as the Democratic
campaign workers appear to want to
build party issue upon this grant
of special pay for special work, it may
be well to give the secretary's version
in his own words.
Pursuant" he says. ito the orders
of the secretary of war dated, respect
lively, March 1, 1899; April 49, 1899, and
May Q. 1899 allowances have been paid
four 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 ad-
ministration of the government of
Cuba. as follows: TO the military gov
ernOr of Cuba, at the rate of 81, 500 per
year; to the military governor of Hav-
ana, at the rate of $1,000 per year; to
the collector of customs for the island
of Cuba, at the rate of 81 800 per year;
to the treasurer of the island of Cuba,
at the rate of $l,S00 per year. These
payments were in addition to the sal
airy and allowances which the said Off
GERS 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 resolution to any officers in Cuba.
| annex hereto a report 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 itemizcd
statement of receipts and expendl-
lures now in the course of preparation.
Payments to the military governor of
Havana will cease with the termina-
tion of that office on the 1st day of
May, 1900. The names and ranks OF
the officers receiving the payments
We're: AS military governor Of Cuba,
Major General John r. Brooke, until
the 18th day of December 1899 and
Major General Leonard Wood. l.. S. V.
since that time; as military governor
of Havana, Brigadier General William
Ludlow; as collector Of customs for
Cuba, Major Tasker M. Bliss; as treas
urer of the Island of Cuba, Major L.
f. Ladd, L. S. V. No allowances have
been made to any officer in Porto Rico
other than the statutory salary and
allowances 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 there
of, and they were made on that account
for the reason that it was impossible
for the said officers to properly per-
form the necessary duties pertaining to
their positions without the expenditure
of the full amount of such allowances
i'm addition to their statutory salaries
and allowance out of the treasury Of
the United States. The aggregate rf
the payments thus made prior to the
first day Of the present month was $17,-
44l.66. The total receipts of the island
of Cuba collected by these officers dur
ing the period covered by the afore-
said expenditure therefrom amounted
q to $2l,026, 572.76. and the total disburse
ments under their direction amounted
to $19, 9,2S0,5 ,5l221. Similar allowances TO
officers of the army performing civil
functions in Mexico and California
were approved by congress by the act
of March 3, lS49, and the act of Feb, 8,
1858. The said payments were author
lied by the president of the United
States upon the oral advice of the at
torney general that the same We're in
all respects lawful"
The fact that $4,000, 900 of Cuban
revenues have been collected and dis
bursed at total cost to Cuba of only
sl7, 800, or not quite one twentieth ot
one per cent, does not indicate that
there is much material in this matter
for the construction of Democratic
campaign arguments; but If our
friends, the enemy, want to use what
there is, they are cordially welcome.