Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-17
REBUILDING ARMY POST
QuRrternaItsr General Humphrey Recon-
msnds New and Modern Buildingp
MAKING REPAIRS is UNSATISFACTORY
Points Out the Injustice of Present
system of Allowance for Quarters
for Omcers on Detached
Duty.
CFrom a STAFF Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Nov 16.-CSpecial Tele-
gram. m.)-~Quartermaster General Humphrey
in his report to the secretary of war, de-
votes considerable space to the question
of repair to old posts. He states there are
number of garrison posts which were
originally established and built thirty or
more years ago with material and under
methods of construction less substantial
than now in use, that they have outlived
their usefulness. In his judgment, being
cramped, inconvenient and uncomfortable,
and as these posts in many cases are oc-
cupled by troops. annual allotments are ex-
tremcly large to keep them habitable. He
therefore urges the rebuilding of old forts
with modern structures or their abandon
ment. Among the posts which he recon-
mended should be abandoned or rebuilt are
Niobrara and Robinson in Nebraska and
Washakie in wyoming.
The work of reconstructing old posts now
in progress along the lines suggested in
clude Fore Meade, S D.; Fort Omaha and
Fort Douglas, Utah. He recommends that
sufficient appropriations should be made to
continue the work of rehabilitation until
all the old buildings which have reached
| the limit Of serviceableness have been re-
| placed with new ones.
Reporting on the purchase OF horses at
| posts, which was included in the last army
| appropriation bill, General Humphrey
states that negative results have been OBJ
tanned from the authorizatio ton. 1t is pos
! sible he says that better results may be
obtained after the provision has been
longer in force and becomes more gener-
ally known, but as it now stands there has
been developed only additional expense foi
advertising in calling first for open market
supply and later for contracts and delay
in securing the horses required.
Allowances for Quarters.
Upon the subject OF allowance Of quar-
ters to officers Quartermaster General Hum
phrey is pronounced in his opinion that q
readjustment Of allowances. for quarters
and rates of Communication is needed. lr
fact, he says it is becoming all the more
urgent III ] could think of any way
said General Humphrey Ito state condi
tions so as to show more clearly the un
fortunate and embarrassing position II
which officers find themselves when ordered
on duty to stations in cities where Their
are no public quarters, and In which they
must rent dwellings for themselves. thai
has already been done would gladly do 80
Details on duty which require officers Il
accept communication OF quarters almost in
other cities Of denser populated sections o
country. where rents arc very high. ant
so far as I can learn always far ahov
the communication for Reromodations an
tlorized Cor tfe different grades of of
GERS for quarters appropriate to the rank o
the officer"
Hlnshaw at Capital.
Congressman T.. II. Hinshaw. wife ant
SON. arrived in Washington last night an
are domiciled at the Hamilton Mr. Hin
shaw said that his early arrival in Wash
ington was due to tho fact that he had con
siderable departmental matter to look afte
before the reconvening Of congress.
Omaha Firm Gets Contract.
The secretary of the interior today exc
cuted a contract and approved the bond q
Callahan Katz Phelan & Shirley of Oman
for the construction and completion of d
vision No. 3, main canal. Huntley irrigatio
project in Montana The contract of tn
above firm was for $532lO and involves tn
handling of 27O.90O cubic yards Of earth.
The secretary Of the interior has awarde
the contract for 1000 barrels Of cement. I
be used on the first forty-hve miles of tn
interstate canal, North Platte irrigatio
project Nebraska. to the Portland Cemer
company Of Denver, at $l.59 per barrel, d.
: Iivered free on board cars at Denver. I
case this company does not qualify, IL
recommended that the contract he awarde
! to the Illinois Steel company OF Chcag
= the next lowest bidder,
o Postal Matters.
r Carriers appointed: Nebraska-R Riverdal
! route /: William II. Watson, carrier; /
E. Watson, substitute. Scotia route
n Fred Blyen, carrier; E. NJ. Krebs, subst
e tute. Iowa-Pocahontas, route .: r. I
d winegarden, carrier; II. Winegarden, sui
stitute.
william A Bratt has been appoint,
Il postmaster at Clarence. Converse count
d Wyo., vice Sarah +. Lyon. resigned
The First National bank of Shoshon
s Wyo., has been authorized to begin bus
Il ness with $4,000 capital. c. II. King
e president; J. X. Moore. vice president, an
IL Theodore Becker, cashier.
n POWDER PLANT BI 0WS II