Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-02
BURDEN ON OFFICERS
Cost of Transportation of Their
Families.
CUSTOM IN OTHER LANDS
Railway Companies Allow Reduced
Rates.
FORBIDDEN BY THE NEW LAW
Legislation Recommended That Will
Allow the Roads to Accord Dis
elimination in Certain Cases.
FORBIDDEN BY THE NEW LAW
By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
The interstate commerce commission has
decided that the government can contract
with the lowest bidder for the transporta-
ton of troops and government property at
lower rates of transportation than are
charged the general public This decision
is based upon the broad ground that the
allowance of special and lower rates to the
government Is a benefit to the public and
not discrimination against them.
1t Is very desirable to secure an amend
ment to the appropriation bill permitting
the families Of officers and enlisted men to
have the benefit of this decision. Secre-
tary Taft, in his recent annual report, says:
For many years it has been customary
for most western and many eastern rail-
roads to extend to army officers and mem
bers Of their families free or reduced trans
pOrtation. 1t appears from press reports
that the interstate commerce commission
In a recent ruling has held that the pro-
visions of the railway act, passed during
the last session Of Congress. prohibit the
issuance Of such free or reduced rate trans
pOrtation.
1T is not believed that the practice is
open to the objections that were raised
against the abuses that existed prior to the
enactment of the new legislation above
mentioned, and at which it was aimed. The
rates given were Of great assistance to off,
GERS changing station, especially to go to
the Philippines. Each time an officer is
transferred he is obliged to defray the ex-
pense of moving his family from his own
personal funds, and since the ACQUISITION
Of our insular possessions these transfers
often involve long journeys, where the rail-
road fare is expensive. In many instances,
particularly where change Of station ne
ceSsitateS a journey across the continent,
the cost of transportation, without the ben
eft of reduced rates that formerly obtained.
would make it pecuniary hardship for
officers to take their families with them,
and. in some instances, would preclude it.
at seems to me that the case Of depend
ent members Of an officers family might
the law relating to free or reduced trans
port alton. 1t is greatly in the interest of
the service that officers should be accom-
panied by their families to stations in our
dependencies"
The railway rate law went into effect
January ! and unless some provision Is
made at the present session for the ex-
emption of the families of army officers
great deal of embarrassment and distress
will be caused faithful servants Of the
government whose regiments have already
one post to another within the United
| States and from several Of the posts in
! this country to the Philippine Islands.
| The railway companies are usually very
generous; the members of the interstate
| commerce commission sympathize with the
| officers and would be glad II Congress
would relieve them, but the law forbids
any exceptions and prohibits any railway
| from carrying the families of officers at
contract prices or at reduced rates or free,
| or giving them special rates for their bag
gage and household effects. Every officer
| will be compelled to pay full rates for his
| wife, children and servants and, In many
| cases, 1t will be absolutely impossible for
| them to do so. Their pay is not sufh-
cient to permit It; the law prohibits them
| from anticipating their pay accounts or
| from borrowing money by pledging their
| future pay and very few army officers have
| property which they can offer as security
| or friends from whom they can borrow
| without security.
| An Officers Predicament.
An officer whose regiment has been or
dered to the Philippines has furnished an
| illustration of the painful predicament of
| himself and many of his comrades in the
service in letter recently addressed to
| friend In Washington. He says that his
| family is so large and his expenses are SO
great that he has been unable to save any
| of his pay and that unless he can borrow
| money to pay the transportation of his
| family to the Philippines he will be COM
| PEELED to poison them or place them in
| some charitable institution while he Is
| serving his country out there.
His family consists of his wife, his
| mother who is the widow of a gallant Of
fcer who died for his country five children
| and a nurse, altogether eight persons.
| whom he Is trying to support, and to edu-
cate his children upon his pay, which Is
$165 a month. If he leaves them in this
| country he will be compelled to rent
| house and maintain separate establish
| ment here which will consume his entire
| bills, his uniforms and other necessary ex-
| penses in the Philippines. He says that
| with his quarters, fuel, light and other
allowances at the military post where ne
| is now stationed and contract prices for
| supplies at the commissary, he finds 1t
| dffficult to make both ends meet During
| his absence all these allowances will be
| cut OF and his wife will have to pay rent
| and full market prices for everything re-
| quired.
his mother, who is entirely dependent upon
| ing so infirm as to be great care upon
| his wife. who has also her Ave children.
This necessitates the employment OF
servant to look after his mother, which
/ costs $40 q month, the entire amount of
/ her pension. The children are all under
l seventeen years Of age and are healthy.
1 vigorous, active youngsters, who wear out
| shoes and clothing with amazing ease and
| 1t requires forty of fifty dollars month
| to keep decently clothed and pay their
/ laundry bills.
The officer says that he hesitates to
| speak from any other point Of view for
/ fear he may be accused of being senti-
mental. but he observes that even soldiers
| are fond Of their wives and children and
| feel separation from them as keenly as
| any other human beings.
| What Passage Will Cost.
II he decides to take his family with him
| to the Philippines he will be compelled to
borrow not less than 81, 600. because it will
| cost every cent of that sum- and more, to
pay their transportation. That means a sac
| rifice of more than six months pay. He
/ submits a memorandum of ito ms as follows:
| Wife, mother, five children and nurse, al
together eight persons, are to be transport
ed. Two Of the children are under twelve
| years of age and can go on. half-fare tick
cts, making seven full ticls2ts necessary.
fares to San Francisco, Il SIT each $3.50
| sleeping berths, at $40 per BERTH. 76
"A meals per day for five days, at 80
cents OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 10
Railway expenses to San Francisco 1915
The members Of the party VIII undoubt-