Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-08
STATE HOUSE.
Figures from Report Of
Secretary Of War.
A Bear and a Salmon for the
Fish and Game Museum.
Veterans and Their Pension Money
Department Notes.


War. VIM. II. Taft, for the year 1904.
has been received at the adiutant gen.
erals office. 1t is book of 216 pages
and contains comprehensive account
of the operations of the war depart-
nent Cor the past year. which forms
good reading for those interested in
matters military.
Among other subjects taken is the
organized strength of the regular army
of the United States. and also that or
the militia. At the date of the last re-
ports received from the military de-
partments. oct. Il. 1904, the actual
strength of the regular army WAS 3.744
officers and 56.439 enlisted men. maxi
ing total Of 6O,1S3. and they were dis
tributed as follows: In the United
States. 46,+62; Philippine islands,
1881; Porto Rico. 10; Hawaii
an islands. PIG; China. 1876: Alas
ka. l,042. The organized strength
of the militia of the United States was.
on oct. I. 1904. as follows: Officers.
s.S05: enlisted men. 1O7.132. making a
total of 1881. Names quota was
rs officers and III enlisted men, max
ing Il total of 1892.
In speaking of the military maneu-
vers ut Manassas. in September. Secre-
tary Taft says. in part. after defining
the two problems in which the maneu-
verS consisted: THE solution of these
military problems was highly satisfac-
tory, not only in the ability and skill
displayed by the division and brigade
commanders but in the zeal and intel
ligent interest manifested by the Off
GERS and men of the entire command
The conditions approXimated as closely
to those of actual war rs it is possible
10 make them in time of peace, and the
maneuVers were highly successful"
This pension office Of ours paws
pretty promptly" said one of the gen.
| tlemen who holds an office at the State
| House. yesterday morning. as he was
| looking over his mail. and drew from
an envelope cheque for the amount of
| the quarterly allowance which he re-
celveS from Uncle sam: aud then. az
| he folded the bit of paper and placed it
| i'll pocket book. he continued, as he
| thoughtfully returned the book to his
| pocket: "All we have to do is to send
in our voucher on the morning of pen.
| sion day, and we get the cheuue in the
| afternoon mail. And speaking of pen.
| SiOnS, it. is Il popular feeling that the
| tendency among the old soldiers is to
spend their pension money foolishly, as
| soon as they get it,, but it is not so.
| Here is proof of my statement. over
| at Togus there are over 1000 Of these
men. who receive. annually, in PEN
| SONS from the government $3.50. 9G7.17
and of the number of men mentioned
| above. have been told. by an officer OF
the Home. that not over 200 or 300
spend their pension money for liquor,
or in other foolish ways. Many of the
veterans at the Home have relatives to
whom they send money from time to
| time, this being especially noticeable
| during the holiday season, and much
| money is also spent in legitimate ways
in the cities within easy reach of the
Home. Still another way in which
they put their money to good use is to
deposit it in savings banks. The Gar
diner savings institution seems to be a
popular bank with them, and it is I'M
| derstood that many Of the veterans
have bank accounts there. and some of
them pretty good ones. They also do
business with the Augusta banks. Peo-
pie are apt to think that because they
see a few old soldiers about the city
streets. more or less the worse for wear
at pension time. that they are repre-
sentativeS of the whole, but it is not
So