Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-24
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Requirement Does Not APP
ply to Engineer School.

The controller of the treasury has rem
dered decision on question raised by
Maj. Edward Burr. Corps Of Engineers, as
to whether the certificates on pay rolls re-
quired by treasury circular, No. %. 1895,
are required on the rolls of the offices of
the Engineer Depot and Engineer School
at present located within the District of
Columbia. BY the terms of the circular
such certificate is required on all pay rolls
for the executive departments in Washing
ton and for all bureaus. offices and divisions
in under them within the District of
Columbia, and for the independent offices
and commissions therein.
1.-The Offices to which you direct atten-
uon.'' says the controller, do not appear
to be under an executive department with
In the sense of this circular. They are an
adjunct of the army under the~control of
the Secretary of War. They are not indie
pendent Offices within the sense of the cir
cular. The Independent offices referred to
are those which report direct to Congress,
such as the office of the public printer.
HeEce, L conclude that the provisions of the
circular do not apply to the offices men
toned in your submission. While the circu-
lar In question does not technically apply
to these Offices yet good accounting would
require that pay rolls, especially as to
civilian employees therein shall contain a
certificate embracing the facts in said cir
cular set out applicable to these offices.
There Is not a fact set out in the certificate
which Is not prerequisite to a legal and
valid payment
Obsolete Pontoon Equipment.
In support of a recommendation for an
appropriation of $4,000 for engineer equip
ment, Gen. Mackenzie, chief of engineers,
states that nearly all the available pontoon
equipment dates back to the civil war and
Is practically useless Experience during
the past two years., says he, particularly
at the Manassas maneuvers, shows that
the greater part of our pontoon equipage
is, through old age, absolutely unfit for field
service and cannot be relied upon for a
march of 100 miles Recently the wagons
pertaining to the bridge equipage in the
Philippines Were condemned, and it has
been impossible to replace them. as there
are no wagons on hand that are deemed
to be worth shipping to the Philippines.
II the army m Is to have any field bridge
the present equipment be thoroughly over
hauled and parts of 1t entirely rebuilt. This
work should be undertaken without delay,
and the notifications should be In accord
with the best practice determined by
the experience of modern armies since the
civil war
Tobacco for Bluejackets.
One of the most difficult problems of the
supply department of the navy is to OBJ
tain suitable smoking and chewing tobacco
fo' the bluejackets. The government buys
the tobacco in bulk by contract and sells
1t to the men at little more than actual
cost. The officials are now struggling over
the bids for the sale of about 100 900 pounds
OF tobacco. representing about $50, 600
Eight dealers competing for the con-
tract for next years supply, the bids rang
ing from 81 cents to 40 cents pound.
Thirty samples of the tobacco have been
shipped to the navy yard, New York, for
a thorough test to determine which shall
be purchased This tobacco test is one of
the most exacting and unwelcome duties
imposed upon officers of the pay depart
ment. The tobacco is tested in a practical
way by smoking and chewing the various
samples, and the members of the inspection
board are permitted to enlist the services
the different samples. The system is at
tended with difficulties because of the
diversity of opinion among individuals re-
gardng the virtues Of the respective
brands.
The authorities also endeavor to avoid
the possibility OF combinations among the
dealers and to keep clear of the tobacco
trust. Last year 1t was alleged that two of
the bidders were in collision to secure the
contract but 1t was not proved. While
there is "a suspicious resemblance between
samples submitted by rival bidders for next
years supply. there is no good reason to
suspect the existence of combination
against the government.
From Texas to the Philippines.
Arrangements have been made by Gen.
eral Greedy chief signal officer, to demol-
ish about 800 miles of telegraph erected in
Texas in 1S75-76 and use most of the mate
rial, including about $4,000 worth of iron
poles, in the construction of a telegraph
line In the Philippines At one time the
line was removed on the theory that it was
of no further USE but 1t was promptly re-
placed, as the country was full of trouble
I,It ov1I {1rfr f1,,
it difficult to protect their stock. The tele-
graph Hne proved of great assistance In
maintaining peace, and when it was rebuilt
General Greedy erected iron instead Of
wooden poles. They have been most en-
during and are now to be transferred to
the Philippines.
Night Drills Without Light.
Military drills at night were the subject
of recent correspondence between the
general staff and officers of the depart
ment of the east. An artillery officer at
one of the New York forts pointed out that
his post was without means of proper ilu-
mination at night, and that, there being
no electric power at the post, 1t was not
possible to use searchlights make GER
tain nocturnal use Of position finders and
1. was held that drill at night was of little
value. and the advantages of drill might
be better obtained in the daytime. This
view was not approved by the authorities
In Washington. They insisted that the
night drills must be kept up whether or not
there are facilities for Illumination 1t was
officially declared that SO long as night at
tacks in war are to be expected, the coast
artillery must drill at night in time of
peace, and the drills must be conducted In
way which would be followed in action
with such equipment as there is on hand,
it being borne in mind that there might be
war, without all the facilities for con-
Quoting 1t.
Must Attend REGULATIONS.
In response to an Inquiry on the subject,
General Chaffee, chief Of staff. says that
the War Department has invariably disap-
proved requests from graduates of the
United States Military Academy to be ex-
cused from reeitations and examina tions In
the subjects successfully completed by them
while at the academy.
Joint Maneuvers Next Year.