Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-08

An important decision has been rendered
oy the War department in the question of
allowances of retired army officers who are
on active duty. This law which authorizes
the employment of retired officers on ac-
1--WE uuty permits the payment of full re-
tired pay and specifies that there shall be
no further pay or allowances from the
United states. The question came up as to
mileage of such officers who were travelling
under orders. II they were to be denied
travel pay they would be in the peculiar no.
sition of standing the cost of travel upon
which they were ordered by competent au-
thority The law is now construed as re-
garding this repayment of the cost Of
travel performed in the public service as a
reimbursement" for money expended nv
an officer in the performance of a duty in
stead CT as an allowance" with this con-
struction Of the law, It will be possible for
retired officers who are on active duty to
escape taxation for travel of an official
character. Such reimbursement is consid-
cred by the War department to have none
of the quality of further" or additional
pay or allowance beyond the officers full
retired pay, or OF course, in the case of
colonel or a lieutenant colonel beyond the
full pay or allowance of a major.
Captain Michael s. Murray of the subsls-
tence department. on duty at Fort Riley.
Kan, will conduct some further expert
ments in the field with fireless cooking.
1t is the opinion OF some of the commits
sary officers that while ireless cooking has
its place In garrison administration as 1t
does in household economics. It is not al
together applicable to the provision of food
for troops in the field especially those who
are on the march and in time OF war. II
will be cumbersome, 1t is held by these
critics, in the management of army sub
sistence in time of war when troops are
liable to change their base frequently, in
volving long marches. Nevertheless, there
are other subsistence officers who believe
that the f1reless cooker, as 1t is called, has
its value under these very exacting condi-
tions. II is believed, for instance, that it
will not be necessary to carry the army
range or other usual cooking parapher-
MALTA, but that 1t will be possible to build
fire in a trench and start the cooking Of
meat and vegetables and then place the
kettles and pots in the receptacle where the
cooking may be continued and completed
during the march with no more trouble
than that which is entailed in the trans
portation of a few articles of outdoor
cooking and the so-called fireless cooker.
At all events the experiment is deemed
worthy Of a trial and 1t is along these
lines that Captain Murray will be in
structed to conduct his next practical test.
At present these cookers which have been
offered for sale, cost a great deal more
than the ordinary family could afford to
pay, and the apparatus such as is destined
to reduce the expense OF cooking would
involve an expenditure OF something like
$50. although OF course there can be home
made devices which would be inexpensive.
II was at first thought that freless cooking
was not adaptable to anything but garri-
son use, and, as the problem OF subsis-
tence is so far confined almost entirely 70
provisioning an army in the field in time
OF war, the system was not regarded very
seriously. There is a chance, It now ap-