The times., 1901-05-19
TROUBLE In THE BARRACKS
Marines in Debt object to an Order
by Colonel Russell.
IL

The Commanding officer Says Mer
Who Do Mott settle Canteen Ac.
counts on Pay DHy to Lose Their
Privileges Views of the Men
Much dissatisfaction is evident among
the men at the Marine Barracks over
an order recently issued by the com
rnandng officer, Col. B. r. Russell. The
order restricts from all privileges mer
who have not settled their accounts al
the canteen, and the restriction is eff
fective until the bills have been paid.
The men state that this is an unusual
hardship, and claim that, even though
they declare their intention of settling
their Indebtedness at the next pay day
they are obliged to submit to being
cut off from all liberties. They say that
they are almost defenceless in this be-
cause an account of some sort with the
canteen for eatables is a practical ne
cessity for all men because of the
poor food that is served them at the
mess
| About twenty men in the barracks
are now under the ban of the order and
1
| rack walls until next pay day, when
they will be able to square themselves
with the canteen. They regard this as
| an unwarrantable Interference with
their freedom, and are seconded in their
| opinion by a large number of mess
mates. The officers claim that the en-
! forcement of such an order as that is
: hNyt i- i11ct nd
| and quite according to precedent
The canteen at which the accounts
are held is in the corner of the bar
racks, and is run by private individuals.
| It. is now in the hands of a Mrs.
! Turner. Formerly the barracks had a
navy canteen, the proceeds of which
went to assist in providing extra dain-
| ties for the mess. Since the passage Of
the anti-canteen legislation by Con-
| gress last December the marines have
had to give up their canteen and per-
nit outsiders, for their individual profit,
| to run 1t.
The canteen now frequented sells only
soft drinks and tobacco, and the men
go elsewhere for their beer. 1t is the
| only place in the vicinity at which they
can get credit, and they have availed
themselves generously of this privilege.
1t is because of the credit system that
the trouble has arisen{
The post regulations permit soldiers
to incur debt only to, a certain portion
of their pay, and atrthe barracks this
averages about 81 Some men, by
breaking this regulation, have brought
themselves into trouble. But it is
chiefly those who have run up small
bills and at he,end OF the month claim
themselves unable tofpay who have suf
fered under the new regulation.
Finding that some men were letting
their accounts run in this manner. Colo
mel Russell issued verbal order to the
men about three months ago informing
them that If, after pay day, any man
was found still on the canteen books,
he would be restricted-that is, he
would be kept within the walls OF the
Barracks and denied other privileges
that the other marines are allowed.
In support of their remonstrance
against the order, the men hold that
there are many reasons why a man
might not be able to settle up with
the canteen on pay day, and why he
might be obliged to wait a month be-
fore doing so. They say that man
might have sudden calls upon him from
his family for money, and that there
is usually some cause equally valid, for
his not getting off the canteen books
at paw day.
The men declare that the restriction,
taking away as it does, practically all
liberty from the men, is a very severe
punishment. and not warranted at all
by the offence.
An account at the canteen, they in
sist, is practically a necessity for ev-
eryone. because of the mediocre food
that is served. They say that their
menu consists of beans three times a
week, bean soup twice a week at least,
hash very frequently, slum-a sort of
nondescript stew of beef and potatoes
almost every other day, with dessert
only on Sundays.
To vary the monotony of this bill of
fare and make the things that are
served palatable they declare they
must get things from the canteen, and
on credit. The order of the command
ing officer, they say. puts them between
the devil and the deep sea, as they
must buy, and if circumstances are
against them and they are unable to
pay right on the spot on pay day, they
must suffer the effect of the order and
be harshly restricted Their indigna-
ton at their plight is quite freely ex-
pressed.
The official explanation of the order
is that it was a necessity. One Of the
officers in command yesterday said that
among the better class Of soldiers no
trouble was experienced-that they al
ways paid their debts to the canteen
and elsewhere on pay day, and did rot
have to be forced to settle up by any
severe measures.
The people who were managing the
canteen, he said, found themselves los
ing a great deal of money because of
men who ran up accounts beyond the
proportion of pay allowed and because
of men who ran accounts for months
and then were transferred, leaving
without making any attempt to pay
their debts
The custom of restricting men who
are in debt, he stated, is one very com
monty used and there are plenty of
precedents for the order issued by the