Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1889 — UNCLE SAM'S FIGHTERS. [ARTICLE]

UNCLE SAM'S FIGHTERS.

DIGEST OF SECRETARY' PROCTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT. The Head of the War Department Gives Details Relating to His Branch of the Government—Figures from the Postoftice Department. [Washington telegram.] Secretary of War Proctor has prepared his annual report on the workings in his department. It is as follows: Salaries and contingent expenses.! 1.933,01515 Military establishments 24,314.607 33 Public works, including river and harbor improvements 13.481.835 00 Miscellaneous objects 6.894.574 26 T0ta1146.654.12174 The appropriations for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, are as follows: Salaries and contingent expenses.! 1,953,680 00 Military establishment. Support of the army and military academy 24,352,220 46 Public works, including river and harbor improvements 3,563,624 00 Miscellaneous objects 4,119,765 72 T0ta1m989.29018 The estimates of the department for the next fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, are as follows: Salaries and contingent expenses,.! 2,013,650 00 Military establishments 25,403,148 86 Public works 11,190,134 74 Miscellaneous objects 5,551,040 35 T0ta1144,157.973 95 The Secretary recommends the reorganization of the artillery brane i of the army and the addition of two regiments, one or both of which might be of colored meu. The infantry and cavalry arms of the service have each two regiments of negro troops, of whom he says that their record for good service is excellent. They are neat, orderly and obedient, are seldom brought before courts-martial and rarely desert. The secretary reccommends that the limit of the retired list be increased to 450 from 400, the present figure. Secretary Proctor says that the public impression that desertion is on the increase is earoneous. The total of desertions for the fiscal year 1889 was 29.3 of the enlistments and 11.6 of the total strength of the army. The causes assigned include restlessness under the restraints of discipline, disappointment at the details of the service, and of its lacx of inducements, dissipation and in some cases ill-treatment. Investigation does not disclose that ill-treatment prevails to any appreciable extent. The employment of enlisted men in ordinary labor undoubtedly creates discontent. The pith of the whole question is to make the service worth seeking, and then enough good men will seek it and be glad to stay in it. It is a fact that the soldiers in the colored regiments rarely desert, whereas the percentage of desertion in the rest of the army is so large. Their previous condition in civil life largely explains it. To the colored man the service offers a career; to the white man too often only a refuge There is but little incentive for young and intelligent men to make a profession of soldiering. The hope to achieve a commission is but slight, but oven then they receive less compensation than the private soldier who is placed upon extra duty. The distance between the highest grade of non-commissioned officer and the commissioned officer is far too great in my judgment To a considerable extent, however, the remedy lies with congress. The value of the National guard to the country is fully recognized by the secretary. To enhance its efficiency and promote the interest of the young men of the country in it, he recommends that members of it, upon passing some proper system of examination, be made eligible to commissions in the regular army as second lieutenant?. The exposed condition or our seacoast is next dwelt upon and the necessity of defensive work urged. The principal commercial ports should be at once placed in a position to resist attack, and the work continued until every vulnerable point on our coast was adequately guarded. Once built the cost of their maintenance would be light. There are now on hand 2,<>00 muzzle-loading guns available for their armament, and defensive work begun in July, 1890, could be equipped the following year with with flinch breech-loading guns. The secretary recommends revision of the articles of war in regard to military punishment, which at present are illdefined. Neither is it certain, and there is nothing to prevent the heaviest punishment for the most trivial offense, and vice versa. Mr. Clarkson, in his annual report, shows the number of postoffices established during the year ending June 30, 1880, to be 2,770, a decrease over the previous year of 1,090. The number of postoffices discontinued was 1,147, a decrease of 498. The whole number of postoffices in the country is 58,999, an increase of 1,623. The total nnmber of postmasters appointed during the year was 20,030. The total number of free delivery offices is 401, an increase of 43. The total number of letter-carriers is 8,257, an increase of 1,911. He recommends the extension of the free-delivery service to ah places having a population of 5,000, and where the postoffice has an annual gross revenue of SB,OOO. The appropriation for the service for the present fiscal year is $8,000,000. The estimate for the next fiscal year, commencing July 1, 1890, is $9,059,485. The aggregate estimate for the compensation of postmasters, clerks in postoffices, rent, light, fuel, miscellaneous and incidental items for the Presidential and second class offices is $22, - 967,500, an increase of $1,237,420 as compared with the previous year. Second Assistant Postmaster General Whitfield in his annual report says that the annual rate of expenditures for star route services on June 30, 1889, was $5,228,387. The number of routes is 15,077, and the aggregate length of the routes is 213,331.81 miles. The appropriation for. the last fiscal year was $5,40i),090, and the sum expended $5,177, - 195.43, leaving an unexpended balance of $222,8(14 57. The appropriation for the current fiscal year is $5,650,000 and estimated expenditures $5,902,216, leaving estimated deficits of $252,216 55. He recommends the anpointment of a commission to recommend to Congress neceseary star route legislation, and also recommends that provision be made for the families of postal clerks killed while on duty in the shape of a civil pension list.