Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-10-02
BUREAUS ARE :.
TO Be MERGED
War Department Consolidation
Under New Law.

OUOOU eUOW tDNWo
MEShIRE At THE HEAD.
ouartermaster, Subsistence and Pay
Under His Direction From Quarter.
master Corps-Chanoes to Take Et.
feet Nov. 1.
In conformity with legislation enact
Cd at the last session Of congress the
Quartermaster's, subsistence and pay
departments Of the army will be con-
solidated Nov. into one general sup
ply department, to be known as 1.-THE
quartermaster corps" Major General
James B. Aleshire, now quartermaster
general, will be in charge, with Briga-
der General Henry G. Sharpe, now
commissary general, and Brigadier
General George R. Smith, now paymas-
ter general, as his chief assistants.
Active preparations are in progress
at the war department for the merging
Of the three staff departments with a
view to putting the new law into eff.
feet in the United States by Nov. /
and in the Philippines by Jan. /, 1913:
In the consolidation it is proposed to
reorganize the clerical forces of the
three departments for business pur-
poses on the following basis:
One chief clerk $500, five chiefs of
division at $2,40O each, six principal
clerks at $1,000 each, ten clerks class
at $500 each, twenty clerks class 3 at
$1,000 each, thirty-four clerks class 2
at 81, 400 each. ninety-six clerks class
1 at 81 200 each, sixty clerks class / at
81, ZOO, six messengers at $40 each.
fourteen assistant messengers at $72O
each, twelve laborers at $500 each, one
female messenger at $3.50, one advisory
architect at $4,000, one experienced
builder and mechanic $4,000, one in
spector Of supplies $4,000, three drafts
men at 1900 each, seven craftsmen at
$1,000 each, five craftsmen at $1.4OO
each, one craftsman $1,000, one super
vising engineer $2,750, two civil engi-
neers at 81 800 each, one electrical engi-
neer at $4,000, one mechanical engineer
$1,000, one sanitary and heating engi-
neer $500, one blue print operator
$500. one marine engineer $500, one
assistant marine engineer $1,000; total
personnel, 293; total pay, $376,O7O per
annum.
Classified Force Undisturbed.
This arrangement contemplates pro-
vision for all the classified employees
In the existing bureaus with slight
changes in classification, but without
change in compensation.
With the consolidation, all the e.
listing designations in the quartermas-
ter's, subsistence and pay departments
will be discontinued, and the designa-
ton "quartermaster corps'' alone will
be used for officers Of those depart
ments. In order, however, to avoid
delay all correspondence until Nov.
will be addressed as in the past, thus
continuing until that date the desig-
nations of commissary general, pay
master general, chief commissary and
chief paymaster. Thereafter all CON-
munications concerning the business of
the three departments will be adj
dressed to the chief of the quarter
master corps or to the depot, trans
port or constructing quartermaster, as
the case may be.
From now until Nov. l and so long
after as the accounts, returns and cor
respondence concerning the officers of
commissaries and paymasters require
1t for the purpose Of calculation the
designation of position will be placed in
parentheses below the signature and
rank. according to the following gen.
eral form: Colonel Q. NJ. Corps, q. 8.
A. (Chief Commissary)," or "Major,
9. M. Corps, q. s. A. Paymaster)."
Similarly the designations of the post
commissary and the post quartermas-
ter sergeant are changed to "quarter-
master sergeant" and the designation
Of army paymaster's clerks is changed
to "pay clerks"
Ago Limit For EnIistments.
Tentative plans subject to the ap-
proval of the secretary Of war fix the
age limit for original enlistments in
the new quartermaster corps at from
eighteen to thirty-five years. That
will apply to those who have not been
employed In either Of the three de.
partments. The maximum age limit
of enlistments in the case of unclassi.
fed civilian employees probably will
be extended to forty-five years. Va
cancies in the classified service In the
new department will be filed by en-
listed men only as they occur, and no
classified civilian employee will be
removed.
Those who desire to resign from their
present position in the classified serv-
Ice will be given an opportunity to
enlist for the same position. It is stat
ed, however, that as the classified EN-.
ployees in the Washington Offices of
the three departments come under the
executive departments. they cannot be
replaced by enlisted men. It is plan
ned to I'll the positions now held by
extra duty men in Offices outside Of
Washington under regulations like
those governing the transfer Of en-
listed men Of the line to the hospital
Nnrna If tho armv Suoh o,op1ovooo