Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-11-07
SUBSISTENCE REPORT
Gen. Weston Tells Of His Work 10
Feeding the Army.
WHAT Was EFFECTED IN The ORIENT


Washington, Nov. 2.-The report OF
Gen. Weston, commissary general OF
subsistence, shows that the total ex-
penditures for the subsistence OF the
army during the fiscal year were $lS,-
622,22S. The receipts from the sales
Of subsistence stores during the same
period were $3,2oO,234. An interesting
feature Of the report is u statement
of Col. Woodruff, chief commissary
Of the army in the Philippines, in
which he says: "During the period
covered by this report the command
to be supplied extended from the
great wall Of China on the north to
the island Of Borneo on the south
and the island of Guam on the east,
There were 4sO stations in this archi-
pelago besides the troops in China
and the prisoners in Guam. In addi-
ton to the 6s00O troops and 5000 OIL
GERS in this division, the subsistence
department supplied the delicocies for
the sick, rations for 1000 prisoners OF
war, IS marines, many of the stores
for the navy, rations for 1000 civilian
employees and sales stores for the
army, navy and marine officers, Phil
ipline commission and attaches, and
Americans employed by the army
and by the government in its treas
ury, post office, interior and educa-
tional departments, metropolitan po'
lice, native police and scouts, trans
ports, etc. In other words, nearly
100000 persons, occupying n country
almost destitute Of meat and vege'
tables and other food supplies suit
able for Americans, was supplied
largely from single base, 1000 miles
distant. After the stores reached
Manila they had to be landed in cas-
Goes and then distributed on short
railroads, by cascoes, and then poled
up narrow rivers, by wagon and cara
bo carts along almost bottomless
roads, by pack mules and coolies over
mountain trails, often through hos
tile country, and some Of the posts
supplied were more distant, in point
OF time, from Manila than is the cap
ital Of our country"
Col. Woodruff says that during the
period covered by the report there
has been received at the Manila depot
116,554.S3O pounds Of ration articles
and 62,444,996 pounds OF sale stores
There have been Shipped from this
depot 1ll,77l 500 pounds of ration ar
ticles and 57,O2267l pounds Of sale
stores. Col Woodruff refers to the
charges against the subsistence de-
partment and takes occasion TO say
that such charges were greatly ex-
aggcrated. He denies any Illegal pur-
chases of champagne and says that
the purchases that were made were
necessary for sick and debilitatcd
troops who purchased It at S2 cents
pint.
Estimates for the Interior Department
Washington, Nov. 2. The estimate.
for the expenditures Of the interior
department during the fiscal year be-
ginning next July aggregate Sl7O,-
000,0OO Of which Sli2, ,I6l 200 is asked
for pensions and the administrative
work Of the pension bureau, Sl,06i,-
o70 being for salaries OF the bureau
personnel and $3jO,OOO for the inyesti-
cations by special examiners of peu-
sion cases. In addition to the $l3,-
jl6,2OO already appropriated for the
twelfth census, Sl.972, 100 for the next
year Is asked. Other items call for
s7,0O0,OOO for the Indian service, ST.
2s6,265 for the general land Office, in
cluding the annual appropriation OF
100000 for forest reserves, $l,069,-
207 for the geological survey and
$4,000 for the patent office.
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