Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-10
OFFICERS TO GET
NEW FURNITURE
613 Sets of Mahogany Or
dered for Use in Army
Family Quarters.

Six hundred and thirteen sets of ma
hogany furniture for use in Army Off
GERS quarters are now being manufac-
tured under contract let by the
United States Army Quartermaster
Corps, and complete set OF the new
furniture, comprising about 81 pieces
in ALL is now on exhibit in the quar-
termaster generals office in the NUM-
tons Building.
The furniture is to supplement that
already in use, and is not intended for
general installation, but only for those
quarters now in need.
Several new items are included in the
new layout, while the hall divan, hall
tree and bookcase provided for the last
20 years will be eliminated from the
furniture list allowed officers in the
furnishing of their quarters.
The latest design is considered a
great improvement over that provided
in 1908, when an appropriation was
made by Congress to provide such fur
niture for the public rooms of officers
messes and quarters. The old furni-
ture, although of excellent design and
fine, substantial mahogany, lacked
the delicacy to be found in the new
sets.
An attractive dressing table with seat
and mirror is an innovation in the
Army furniture. OF fine grain Afri-
can mahogany, with dull brass trim
mings, the entire set was designed by
an expert artist from one of New York S
leading establishments. Through the
invitation of Brig. Gen. B. F. Cheatham,
the Quartermaster general of the Army,
the New York firm sent one of its eX-
pert designers to Washington, where,
with Gen. Cheatham, Lieut.. Col j. S.
Chambers and Col. L. H. Bash Of the
Quartermaster Corps, study was made
of the situation. Gen. CheathanS idea
was to combine beauty with durability,
and the new furniture possesses both.
Severe Drain on Men.
Although by no means providing for
the complete furnishing of home, the
pieces allowed an officer for his quar-
tiers are the heaviest and most eXpen-
Sive items, including dining room set,
chiffonier, bureau and woman'S dress
ing table, hall table, kitchen table and
officers library desk. Before the ap-
preparation made by Congress making
possible the purchases of these pieces
for officers quarters in 1908, officers
were obliged to furnish completely their
own homes, and on their salaries the
equipment Of home was severe drain
upon the men, to whom, frequently liv-
ing in distant foreign and inaccessible
stations, the home proved the only COM
fort enjoyed by them.
Uncle Sam realized that the trans
portation of furniture from one station
to another was too great an expense to
be borne by the officers of his Army,
and had made provision for trans
portation allowance" The allowance,
however, was inadequate and almost
always an officer in changing from one
station to another was obliged to bear
part of the expense out of his own
pocket.
1t was tremendous saving both to
the Government and to officers when
the furnishing of quarters was provided
for In 1908. It has been figured that
in one change of station alone which
involves the transfer Of two officers, the
saving on the transportation of furnt-
ture more than pays for the furniture
equipment of one set of quarters.
Reign Of agony" Furniture.
Heretofore only officers have been al
lowed furniture for quarters, but the
latest appropriation from Congress will
permit the furnishing of the quarters
Of married non-commissioned officers.
Gen. Cheatham has been ceaseleSS in
his efforts to secure the best quality at
the least expense to the Government
It was while Gen. Cheatham was
major of the Quartermaster Corps that
the furniture provided in 1903 was pur-
chased, and it was under his direction
that the fine quality and dignif1ed lines
Of the 'old mahogany" known to the
Army for the past Fl years was selected.
Army housewives take great pride in
the care given to this Government fur
niture. An anecdote told throughout
Army circles dates back to the days
when the Army woman received with
pride the new dining room set which
added so greatly to the furnishing of
her simple home.
To many conscientious housekeepers,
for many years the new furniture was
known as the agony furniture"