The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-11
EXPLAINS DELAY
Of SOLDIERS PAY
Paymaster General Consolvo
. Makes Lengthy Report to Ad-
jutant-G General
sETBACKs ENCOUNTERED
Improper Execution of Payrolls
Responsible for Much OF the
Trouble.

Criticism BY the press and many
complaints to the Office OF the adj
tutant- general concerning the tardy
payment Of the virsinia troops which
participated In the 0ettysbsrg camp
Of instruction. has brought forth
from Leutenant-Co Colonel Charles Fl.
Consolvo, paymaster-general.
lengthy report explaining the difsi-
Guilty encountered In paying the
militiamen.
Colonel Consolvo states that II had
been first arranged to pay the sol
diers at Gettysburg. but funds had
not been placed to his offciai credit
with the depositary designated by the
war department by the day of break
ing camp and the plan had to be
abandoned.
Cash Payment Abandoned.
II WAS then suggested that cash
payment be made through officers at
each home station. The adoption of
this plan would have saved Colonel
Consoivo the issuance OF fifteen hum
dred checks. When it was found
impossible to make payment by cur
rency q reduisition was made on
July Is to the war department for
1000 blank checks. The department
tAkVt CNkoA aAsfcCa payAhCht ~ ShA
rency, to be done by the paymaster
or deputies. This method would
have required thirty days, according
20 Colonel Consolvo and he renewed
his request for the checks. The
necessary blanks were received July
26. During the time between the
end OF the encampment and<the ar
rival of the checks calculation of
the pay rolls and their completion
~ vra and
many errors In the rolls necessitated
that they be returned to command
Ing officers for correction. Instead Of
doing this. however. Colonel Consolvo
merely noted the errors and returned
the rolls with the checks. thereby
saving further delay.
Extra Days Pay.
A few days prior TO the receipt of
the checks by Colonel Consoclvo Of
ficers of the field artillery requested
the return of their rolls in order to
add one days pay, on account of the
failure OF the organizations to reach
| their home stations before midnight
| OF July 9. At this time all of the rolls
| had been prepared with view to pay
ment on the basis Of ten days SER
vice.
Payment Of one company began
July rs and all checks available were
A
other checks came In and the pay
: ment continued as rapidly az II was
ascert0ined which organisations were
/ entitled to the additional days pay
and the rolls were altered according
ly.
| After further delay caused by failure
Of some officers to promptly return
their pay-roils which had been sent
them for corrections. all checks had
/ 10 ar>1 1nA H,xT Ann ~
6 to all of the organizations entitled
to pay for the Gettysburg service
In concluding his report Colonel Con-
solve writes:
Il am informed this payment was
much quicker than the troops have
been paid for any previous encamp-
ment. except those at which payment
was made before departure from
camp.
carslessnsss Caused Delay.
1.-THE proper preparation by some
of the organization commanders OF
their pay-rolls would have tended &c
) expedite settlement by saving time Of
| careful strutiny of the rolls to guard
against errors. In many cases no two
copies of the rolls were similar, names
hsing- spelled nns-w2y- ON ons eepy
and another way on other copies
names entered out Of order. dates Of
enrolment Incorrect. rolls not signed
by organization commanders. rate Of
pay incorrectly stated, too many non
commissioned officers entered on roll
artifcers entered on rolls. and failure
to complete rolls beyond column fol
date Of enlistment. All the errors and
omissions took considerable time ir
checking and completing and re.
auired unnecessary correspondence.
hired, at my own expense. for ths
preparation Of the rolls and for other