Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1885 — THE ARMY. [ARTICLE]

THE ARMY.

Secretary Endicott’s First Annual Report of the War Department. The Secretary of War in his annual report to the President savs the expenditures or appropriations by the War Department for tho fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, were £15,850,990.54, of which $18,164,894.60 were for public works, including river and harbor improvements. The appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, is $31,762,413.40, of which .$2,247,892.34 is for public works. This large reduction ns compared with the appropriations of previous years is caused by the failure of Congress to pass the river and uarbor bill. The increase of expenditures for 1885 over those of 1884 was mainly for river and harbor improvements. The estimates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, ns received by the Secretary, amounted to $81,782,423.97, whloh ho has reduced to $18,204,18 4.48, of which sum $16,465,630.18 is recommended for public vvorkß, including river and harbor improvements. The Lieutenant Oeneral commanding reports that the army at the date of the last consolidated returns consists of 2,154 officers and 24,705 enlisted men. Desertions in the army during the past year have greatly diminished, hut it is difficult to adjudge an adequate punishment where a man has deserted several times. In a caso occurring recently tho recruit had previously ed six times, and the Lieutenant General remarks that, while there were more flagrant cases, this matter ought to bo brought to the attention of Congress, in order tliut a proper punishment might be provided. With regard to the Signal Service tho Secretary says: “I am unable to concur in the recommendations of the chief signal officer for legislation to provide for the permanent detail of fifty enlisted men from the lino of the unity for duty on the military telegraph lines; for including tho appropriations for tho Signal Service in tho appropriations for the army ; and for the reorganization of the Signal Service corps of officers by appointing a Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major, and eight Captains, and tho promotion of Second Lieutenauts. “The duties in which the corps is now engaged are civil, and not military. It performs no military service; its only exercise that is military in its character is the nrt of military signaling, which, owing to the pressure of meteorological duties, lias been neglected in the past, though it is proposed to press the study mure vigorously in the future. Nor is this study- as pursued in the corps important to tho army, which receives, through its own officers, all the necessary instruction. It is evident that the studies aud labors of the signal servico in the scientific field upon which it has entered will more and more absorb and engross its energies, and it must ultimately become a purely civil organization. It would, therefore, be unwise, with this prospect before us, to provide for its permanent attachment to the army, and to give to it tho unbending organization and discipline of a military body. It must depend upon tho efforts of men who aro engaged in technical study, and any officer who takes part in its work must be valuable for his studious and scientific labor, rather than for Ills military ability and liis soldierly qualities.”