Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-16
THEARMY TRANSPORTS
Quartermaster General Hum
phrey Commends Service.
HIS ANNUAL REPORT
THE PAST FISCAL YEAR A BUSY
ONE.
Vast Amount Of Construction Work
New Military Posts Established
Change in Uniforms.


$46 125. 673 during the past year. Although
not so active as the four preceding years.
the year just ended was, a very busy one.
Upon the quartermasters department de-
volved the duty of providing transporta-
ton for troops in the United States and
between the United States and the Philip
pines a vast amount of construction work,
the establishment of new military posts and
reconstruction of others and arranging for
the change in the uniform Of the army.
During the year 1886 marble head stones
were provided by the department to mark
the resting places Of those who had serv-
ed their country in the ranks.
The New Army Uniform.
In a chapter regarding the new uniform
Gen. Humphrey says:
ut is evident that the desired results can
be best obtained by taking up one organ-
cation at a time and completely uniformins
1t under the new order. and thus let the
change throughout the army be gradual ana
the time of it's final accomplishment De de-
termined by the supplies to be issued. mus
the number of organizations to wear the ol9
uniform will be constantly olmlnisheo anu
the best opportunity offered thereby for ex-
hausting the old stock to the fullest eA-
tent practicable.
"Aside from the question of minimizing
the loss to the government by exnaustlns
supplies on hand is the problem OF chane-
ing the uniform from the old to the new
with the least expense to the enlisted men:
REQUESTS from organizations ana parts VI
organizations now fully equipped WIN inc
old are being received for issue or the ne"
uniform. To comply with these requests
would entail much loss upon the eniisteu
men who are provided with the OLD clothing,
as 1t would hardly be desired 10 nave sonis
members of an organization in the one ana
some in the other uniform. To keep the loss
down to the minimum 1t has been decloeo
that issues of the new UNIFORM Snail con
mence with organizations returning noii.
the Philippine Islands, as after tour OF
service in those islands the commands nave
practically no articles OF wooden UNIFORMS
in their possession. and the prospect .,
three or four years service IN me oLovt
States justif1es their equipment throughout
with the new uniform.
"Under existing orders the Artillery corps
and engineer troops serving in the United
States wear the old full-dress UNIFORM. ms
will be continued until the stock on hand IS
exhausted, except in the cases OF battalions
or companies returning from the Philip
pines"
The Army Transport Service.
Gen. Humphrey makes a vigorous argu-
ment in favor of the army transport serv-
Ice. saying. In part:
The fiscal year ended June 30. 1903. saw
continuance of the heavy demands upon
the army transport service and an econom-
ical, efficient and highly satisfactory re-
Spouse to those demands.
.Since its organization in 1893 the army
transport service has done great WORK
Five years continuous experience IN 1or-
eign service convinces me that the aoan-
Comment of this branch Of the ser
vice would be mistake so long
as we have garrisons beyond seas the
transport service will be a most valuable
RI ho TRANSPORTATION
cilities Even assuming that commercial
lines had been in position to handle the
great volume of business OF the army our
ing the past few years-which they az.
mittedly were notI do not believe that
II could have been handled as economically
for the government, and certainly not near
SO satisfactorily, as 1t was by the trans
port service.
there are considerations In favor Of the
maintenance of the transport service which
can not be estimated in dollars and cents.
Not the least among these considerations
are the comfort of the enlisted men dur
ing the long ocean voyage; bright, SAM
tal-y and comfortable hospitals in which TO
properly care for those who become SICK
en- route, as we'll as the sick being orought
home: the privilege which enlisted men
and civilian employees, as well as ofncers,
ire granted of having their families trans
ported to them while serving In the Is
lands: the bringing home the remains OF
ex-sodIiers and civilian employees who die
in the Philippines.
Cost Of the Service.
Careful compilation of expenditures
made by all officers on account OF the
transport service shows the total cost OF
tho transoceanic transport service during
the fiscal year 1902-03 to have been l,7o2,-
$50 46 The transportation by commercial
lines of the same number of passengers
and the same amount of freight mail. &c,
between the United States and the Philip
pines and Alaska would have cost 81. 0oD.-
1880. Care has been taken to make this
compilation most inclusive, and II there Is
any error it IS on the side of charging toa
much against the transport service rather
than too little. 1t will be noted that the
difference in favor of the transport service
is 81, 24S. 439. A.
THE cost of the oceanic transport serv-
ice, as we'll of the interisland branch,
during the last fiscal year was to some ex-
tent extraordinary because of the number
of costly accidents.
while it is true that the government
can. under present conditions, obtain con-
tracts for oversee transportation at figures
far below the prevailing tariff rates. it Is
not possible to predict what rates would be
obtainable under changed conditions, II Is
not believed that any material saving
would result in the long run, and 1t is
positive that there would be no comparison
In the quarters occupied by the soldiers
In the hospital accommoda atoms for the
sick.
1T has been thought proper, in an OFF,
cial report, to refer to the army transport
service as "a most costly luxury AS to
Its costliness. l submit the actual figures
and facts. l do not know in what respect
the service can be looked upon as a luxury
unless reference is made to the excellence
OF the enlisted mems accommodations. If
1t be luxury to furnish our enlisted men
with the class of accommodations now pro-
fded on all of the army transports, then l
favor the continuance of that luxury
1T has also been remarked that the
service is defended or excused on the
ground of memorable military necessity
In my opinion. the transport service needs
no defense whatever, and no excuse is Of
fered for it.by the department charged with
its operation. /. for one, do not claim that
there Is any memorable military necessity
for Its continuance, but submit that the
service is unquestionably very valuable
and economical military convenience
II venture to say that not an officer who
has had duty in the Philippine Islands, and
expects ever to see further service there.
and who has given the matter any thought
at all, will be found to favor the abolish
ment of the army transport service either
in its transoceanic or interisland branches"
Barracks and Quarters.