Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1907 — CUBA COSTS MILLIONS. [ARTICLE]

CUBA COSTS MILLIONS.

Ilipeawi of Army of Pacification #2,554,970 for 1007. It cost the American government $2,554,970, in addition to the regular ordinary expense, to keep the American army of Cuban pacification in that is.and during the fiscal year of 1907. This fact is shown In the annual report of Gen. Aleshiro, quartermaster general of the army. Of the amount stated $1,015,383 was spent for transportation.. .Gen. Aleshire devotes a few words tt the work of the quartermaster’s department and its ramifications over a great portioD of the world covered by the United States and its territorial possessions, at the same time pointing out that the strength of the corps consisted of but ninety-six commissioned officers and 200 post quartermaster sergeants, in addition to seventy-six line officers who were detailed in connection with the department’s work. y The general points out the urgent necessity for such an increase in the number of commissioned officers as will relieve the department from the necessity of calling upon line officers to perform its duties; also for an increase in the number of poet quartermaster sergeants and the creation of a general service corps fer the work »f the department. Gea. Aleshire expresses the opinion that the limit of cost, now $20,000 for buildings, which can be constructed without special authority of Congress ought to be increased to SOO,OOO. This 4s especially urgent with reference to hospitals. He says that carefully prepared statletics 6how that the prices of nearly all the lumber used In ordinary construction have advanced fully 100 per cent since 1904, and the higher grades of finishing lumber even more than that. Because It is economical the bulk of the coal required for the trana-Pacific transport service Is procured at Nagasaki, Japan, where upon the return trip to the United States all transports take aboard coal to their cargo capacity. The coaling is done very rapidly, as much as 3,063 tons having been put aboard in a workIn* day of ten hours.