New-York tribune., 1901-01-06
ARMY BUREAU EXPANSION
THE WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS OF THE
WAR DEPARTMENT.
ASTONISHING GROWTH IN RECENT YEARS
THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES BORNE
ON THE PAYRoLLs
fB1 TELEGRAPH TO THE rnrnuyrl

Washington. Jan. 5.-Few people have any
conception Of the magnitude to which some of
the War Department bureaus have expanded in
recent years. Generally. the so-called annual
Register OF the War Department" is very mis-
leading. because il sets out only lists Of the
War Department employees proper In fact
these form only small proportion OF the cler
ical and other force attached to three or four
OF its bureaus. Some years ago the list of some
thing like thousand clerks in the newly Gre
ated Record and Pension Bureau. which an
peared tn these annual registers created sur
prise but that list in its palniest days was
meagre compared with the numbers carried on
the rolls Of the 'Quartermaster's Department
at large" names that are not printed in the
War Department Register
The last blue Book" presumptivelv a con
plete roster OF all and every description of Gov
ernment employees contained the names of 1855
chief clerks. common clerks. stenographers
typewriters, copyists, messengers, janitors, in
terpreters, veterinary surgeons. engineers. as
sistant engineers. blacksmiths. cooks. wagon
masters, teamsters. first and second class pack
ers, storekeepers, warehousenen. checkers cut
ters inspectors and assistant inspectors, har-
ness makers. carpenters. watchmen, boatmen,
herders chief plumbers assistant plumbers,
plumbers, etc, belonging to this "Quartermas-
ter's Department at large" Eight vessels were
carried as owned by it July l, 1899 besides
which there was list of thirty-two Army trans
ports, owned by the War Department, under
charge Of the Quartermaster's Department. All
the foregoing were directly under the employ
OF the Quarterrnaster's Department. In addi-
ton there IS a further list OF 212 clerks, COM
missary clerks. first, second third and fourth
stewards, chief cooks, second and third cooks,
pantrynen, butchers, walters, scullions cap
tains boys" messnlen, etc.. carried the rolls
CuHei timer h1rr we'd
on the transports which belong to the Quarter
masters Department.
ENGINEER CORPS THE LARGEST OF ALL.
It is popularity supposed, even by Army men
themselves, that the Quartermasters Depart
r,ent is the most important in the War Depart
rnent so far as numbers and expenditures go.
In respect 10 numbers that is a mistake. An
other hyCYra-headed Office, with body append
age and a department at large" If anything
more extraordinary still, knocks the quarter
masters Bureau silly. IT carries the modest title
Of ssCorps Of Engineers" but It is one Of the
great Washington bureaus, nevertheless. Its
department clerical force. as recorded in the
War Department Register, numbering only some
eighty persons-clerks, messengers, etc-is SO
modest that 1T gives little clew to the vast rami-
scarions of this surprising branch Of the United
States Government. Its department at large
are never seen by the public. The Army itself
knows little concerning the extent of Brigadier-
General John NJ Wilson's following. II is doubt
f,1 ~ he himself knows the total 1T is more
than double that of the Quartermasters Bureau,
with all its great transport feet and supply
branches The last "Blue Book embodied list
OF 10 223 names on the various rolls lat large
of the Engineer Bureau Of July i, 1888. since
which date there has probably been an increase
rather than otherwise This did not INCLUDE the
engineer officers nor the War Department cleri-
cal force, nor either the Mississippi or missouri
River Commission, all Of which would add some
eight hundred or nine hundred more names TO
the roster.
This army Of employees is under the direction
NJ 12s engineer officers Of the Regular Army
one brigadier-generai, at the head Of the Bureau
proper here in Washington; seven colonels, four
teen observation-disclosures. twenty-eight MAJORS
fhirty-five captains. twenty-eight first heuten-
ants and fifteen second lieutenants. Several OF
them are required to assist the chief. In turn
these engineer officers are assisted" by upward
OF one hundred and eighty civilian engineers
The principal duty OF these military engineers
and their numerous assistants is TO superlhteho
sha river and harbor work Of the country.
few OF them are also engaged upon forlihcaIioiiS
but e considerable proportion are employed upon
miscellaneous duties. The great majority OF
.be,r subora.nates OF course. come under the
sn.-ar head of laborers, but there are hundreds
20 clerks stenographers and other clerical as
.,..en.s The variety Of employees in the en-
,,5reer ssdepartrnent at large" is even more hoh-
5,~s,+ than that Of the Quarterrnaster De-
..ans And not TO be outdone at any poiht'
,,.. .sr,esneer Department at large" also owns
a. &C., ~ sr,sns a greater one, indeed, than that
- r,errnaster-General. IT is composed OF
,1o ,s.ssrs Of ali kinds besides the hfteen OWNED
-, ~ Dssessssippi River Commission and ten
-. helonging to the Missouri River corninis-
60, both of which enterprises are prac'icai'S
,,,se, the control OF the Corps or Engineers
THE TWO RIVER COMMISSIONS
,u,r q, che industrious logrolling now going
On % secure the insertion In the taVer anu 10
- hsu ~ various doubtful items Tor the nm
.,nenss, O. numerous creeks ana SO caiieu
e. -be defrsrnent of the crying wants loA
- rsrf,nrs and waterways, IL may pe III
~.a,,,g 20 note that there are ~ persons en-
,---aa hv the Mississippi River COMMISSION
rsxos ,bs members OF the Commission. anu
s.,,,ar engineer officer, who acts as sec1e1aiS
- .,sbursing officer. The list includes seven
-, nine civilian engineers, inspectors
sr.,g,tsroen. axernen carpenters. a computer'
,aoks deckhands, gauge Observers laundresses,
rrtnters pressulen, recorders. steam engineers
+errarss sto}.ers, surveyors and walters. quite
. .rse4y for one small Commission, with a meet
of civ ssteen vessels. But perhaps they are re-
,,,res FOR the Mississippi rs a great stream on
tho bosom OF which floats an increasing COM