The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-02
THE BAGGAGE OF SOLDIERS
Railroads Must Transport II as
That of Other Passengers.
a Decision Rendered by the Comp
trOiler of the Treasury Upon "a
Claim Of the Chesapeake and ohio.
Company ImPedimentn Defined.

Claim Of the Chesapeake and Ohio.
Company Impedimenta Defined.
The Comptroller Of the Treasury was
recently requested by the Secretary OF
w ar for his decision in regard 10 Transport
tation over certain railroad lines Of sol
diers impedimenta.
The letter Of the Secretary Of War
states the facts Of the case to be as fol-
BOWS.
have the honor to transmit. herewith.
together with ether papers. a letter from
Major T. r. True. depot quartermaster.
Washington. d. c.. submitting an aC-
count in favor Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway Company. amounting 20
S2,Ss.-15 for transportation Of eighteen
carloads Of impedimenta from Jersey city.
y. J.. To Ogden. Utah, which ecc0mPaui
the movement Of the F0rty-sixth United
States Eolunteers. from South Framing
ham. Mass. to San Francisco, Cal.
1t appears from this letter that the
depot qUartermaster has deducted free
allowance Of $50 pounds per capita for
1854 persons, as noted on the bills OF lad
ing. leaving five cars OF imped. meuta to
be paid for AZ the rate IF 1886 90 per car.
ard that settlement on this basis has been
Of said railway company. he claiming that
his company should be paid for The trans
portation Of all impedimenta. without de-
duct!on Of any free allowance. and stating
that the property transported does not
come under the head Of personal baggage
according TO the decisions Of the Comp
trclier Of The Treasury on the subject
In accordance with the request Of the
Acting Quartcrmaster General of the
Army attention Is invited to enclosed COPY
Of decision of the Second Comptroller OF
Treasury. dated December T. 1893. touch
ing the matter Of movement Of baggage
Of troops, and the matter is submitted to
YOU with request for decision a. tc the
amount that the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company should be allowed for
the service rendered in this case
Mr.. TrGcoweII in his answer. said
The impedimenta and personal effects
OF the men were loaded and shipped in
the same cars and the Chesapeake and
ONO Railway Company as the connecting
line makes claim for car load rates for
the entire amount without making any
deduction on account Of free allowance
for personal baggage OF the men.
No effort appears to have been made
by the carrier when loading the cars for
shipment 10 weigh OF check the personal
effects Of the men and it does not ap-
pear that any cars were set apart for the
men. but the Government property Of the
command and the personal effects Of the
men were ali loaded together and the rail-
road company now claims car load rates
for all that was shipped and cites the
decision OF Second Comptroller Mansur,
Of December y, 1893.
Ne very definite rule seems 10 have
been Esta blished as 20 what shall be con-
stdered as the personal baggage Of sol
der and entitled 20 transportation free
within the limit fixed by the carrier
her Ia of 1r
ing together. as In this case in changing
station. experience has shown that IL Is
not practical TO segregate and weigh the
personal baggage Of each soldier or to
otherwise differentiate between the per
sOnal baggage Of the men and the other
lrHpedimeuta accompanying the troops
These circumstances make the rule as 10
the transported ton Of baggage for lndi-
Viduals stated by Second Comptroller
Mausur inappiiCable. To apply this rule
in cases Of the kind under consideration
would practically defeat the Govern
meut's right to any free baggage allow
ance. Neither IS II just 10 make an ar
DitraTy deduction OF so many pounds UNI
der all circumstances, as seems 20 be con-
! templased by the decision Of Second
Comptroller GilkesOn.
'"The facts should be taken as they ex-
Isl 10 each case and such rule applied
as viii be just 10 the United States and
the carrier In cases Of the kind under
consideration where IL is impractical TO
tell the amount Of personal baggage that
IS carried for each soldier a more rea-
sonlble rule would seem 20 be 20 require
the War Department 70 ascertain in each
I case OF the movement or large bodies Of
troops, aS nearly as practical the aver
age weight Of the amount of personal
B baggage carried for each person trans
ported, and make deduction Of this
amount for eacn person carried from the
. total weight of the impedimeuta and
/ baggage carried. The reason for reQuir-
I Ing the War Department 20 find the av-
erage weight OF personal baggage carried
. LGE Earn person transported is Dect
the knowledge Of the amount Of the per
sOual effects OF the various soldiers trans
ported Is more particularly within the
control of the War Department and can
2 be more readily asCcrtained by its ageu-
1 cies than by the carrier.
I If the carriers are not satisfied With
/ this rule they have il Withiu their DOW
z er 10 project themselves Hy furnishing
/ separate cars FOR the personal baggage.
/ or providing other means Of seErrEatiug
} n from the tmuedimeDta accompanying
I the troops and II not satisfied JhGJ Il is
/ personal baggage may refuse To- accept
I and transport IL as such. when offered
| The personal baggage OF q soldier is
such baggage as Is commonly carried 10y
soldiers situated as the soldiers trans
ported are. and not treated as regimentaI
or company lmpedimeHta. composed OF
such articles as he might carry n ira vel
ing alone Applying this rule. IL does not
seem that Il would be difficult 10 ascer-
tain the average weight OF the personal
| baggage transported for each person with
the troops In this claim or others Of a
like nature.
! 4 have, therefore. 20 inform you that
where the personal baggage Of the troops
and impedimeuJa have been placed to-
gcther In the same cars on the occasion
Of changing stations. and no specific alb
solutC allowance in weight for each per
son carried has been agreed upon in ad-
vance the free baggage allowance should
DE made by determining the average
weight Of the personal baggage carried
I for each person transported. and multi
plying II by the number of persons car
rIsd as passengers Ine free allowance.
of course, cannot exceed the number Of
pounds fixed 10y the carrier FOR each pas
1 sCnEer. hut may boz less.
The amount that you should pay on
tins claim should therefore, BE- ascertain
cd bN GedUCtiug l.2h4 times the weight Of
the average amount of personal baggage
carried for each soldier 90 be- determined
by YOU. from the total weight of the i'm
pedimeuta iu the car in which such bag
gage was carrie l.