The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-22
THE TRANSPORT SERVICE
VAST EXPENSE BUT NOT
SINGLE DISASTER.
Important Movements of Troops. Mu-
nitions, and Supplies During the Past
Year Reported on at Length.

WASHINGTON, u. c.. November g.
Inspector General Breckenridge has
made a report to the Secretary of war
covering the details Of army matters
which were not touched upon in his
previous report.
An interesting feature Of the report is
statement that about % per cent of
the animals purchased for the Philip
pines and Cuba became wholly or to-
tally blind, which indicates the effect of
tropical climate upon their eyesght.
The emergency ration is pronounced
excellent, but ii is recommended that
more care be paid to the packing of
goods for their preservation.
Speaking of the water transportation
for the army, it is stated the inspection
reports show that the ventilating sys-
TENS on the ships were unsatisfactory
and that while the crews were satisfac-
tory and efficient there was an eXces-
sive number employed as compared
with commercial steamers.
THE immense expenditure on. account
of the transport service" says Genera
Breckenridge, attract attention and
demand constant watchfulness and
Carefulness and careful supervision and
scrunity, so that the public interests
may be properly safeguarded." In al
tering and repairing transports it is re-
pOIleu lidJ the sum u SfUUUtUUU, dp-
proXimately was expended at San
Francisco alone up to February %, 1901
Two illustrations of expenditures on
boats are given The Sumner, which
was purchased for S16S, 900, has had ex-
pended on her for fitting up $3.50 900, and
for repairs since 500, 900, making a tota
cost to the government of S91S000; anC
the Warren, which was purchased fol
| 5000, 900, has had expended on her fitting
up $14S, 1874, and for repairs since 1884,.
BAL, making a total cost to the govern.
ment of $542, 535.
General Breckenridge calls attention
to the expense of repairing and refttinl
! transports, and advises careful scrunity
! of this work. He also quotes from the
| reports of officers of his bureau relative
to the coal supply of the transports
and says that it is observed that very
| good qualities of coal at low prices car
be obtained on Puget sound from eithe
| Washington or Canadian coal.
Quoting from Major Lowering he says
that the climatic effect on employees il
| the Philippines is very marked and tn,
! capacity for work of such employees
| diminishes from month to month.
| Col. Bird of the quartermaster gen
! erals office has made a long and com
prehensiVe report of the army trans.
| port service, which he concludes as fol
| lows:
1.-The important movements of armie!
during the yea" viz, the army sent t.
| China, the volunteer army returned
from the Philippines to the United
States and the army from the United
States and China to replace the return
| ed volunteers, together with the trans
! portation of the immense quantities OF
military stores, including small arms
| field and seige guns and their ammu
milton camp equipage, subsistence sup
plies for men and beasts and the ami
mails and wagons required for thu
transportation of these stores on land
necessary for the successful operations
of armies in the field, entailed a vas
amount of labor in promptly and sue
cessfully providing the means for trans
porting these large bodies of troops.
THAT there might be no delay ir
meeting the needs of the military ser
| vice at all points the utmost vigilance
| care and foresight has been required or
/ the part of the officers and men intrust
| ed with the conduct of the army trans.
| port service. 1t is gratifying to re-
| port that no disaster has occurred tC
mar the successful conduct of the ser.
vice, and not a human life has beer
| lost through any defect in the provi-
sions made for these large movement:
| of troops by sea-"