DUTIES OF THE QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT. Under existing laws the Quartermaster's Department, under the direction of the Secretary of War, provides the Army with military stores and supplies requisite for its use, such as clothing and equipage, tents, band instruments, tableware and mess furniture, equipments for post bakeries, fuel, forage, stationery, lumber, straw for bedding for men and animals, all materials for camp, and for shelter for troops and stores, furniture for barracks, such as bunks, benches, chairs, tables, lockers, heating and cooking stoves for use in public barracks and quarters, tools for mechanics and laborers in the Quartermaster's Department, furniture, text-books, papers, and equipment for post schools, reading matter for post libraries, wagons, ambulances, carts, saddles, harness, water supply, sewerage, plumbing, illuminating supplies, and heating for all military posts and buildings. The Department is also charged with the duty of transporting, by land and water, troops, munitions of war, equipments, and all articles of military supplies from the place of purchase to the several armies, garrisons, posts, and recruiting places. Under act of Congress amending section 1661, Revised Statutes, for arming and equipping the militia, this Department supplies quartermaster stores, clothing, and equipage to the militia of the several States and Territories, and transports the same to said States and Territories. It also furnishes transportation for ordnance and ordnance stores issued by the United States to the militia of the several States and Territories. It also transports the property for other Executive Departments on requisitions, payments therefor being made by the respective Departments to the carriers upon accounts forwarded through the Quartermaster-General's Office for that purpose. This Department prepares the necessary plans and constructs all buildings at military posts, such as barracks, quarters, storehouses, hospitals, etc., builds wharves, constructs and repairs roads for military purposes, builds all necessary military bridges, provides, by hire or purchase, grounds for military encampments and buildings; contracts for all horses for cavalry, artillery, and for the Indian scouts, and for such infantry and members of the Hospital Corps in the field campaigns as may be required to be mounted; pays for all incidental expenses of the military service which are not provided by other corps. The care and maintenance of national cemeteries is an additional duty of this Department. It also provides suitable headstones to mark the graves of all soldiers, sailors, or marines who served during the late war, including those who have been buried in private cemeteries and other burial places. Section 1139, Revised Statutes, makes it the duty of the Quartermaster General, under the direction of the Secretary of War, to prescribe and enforce a system of accountability for all quartermaster's supplies furnished the Army, its officers, seamen, and marines. The administration of the affairs of the Department during the last fiscal year was conducted under the able supervision of my predecessor, Gen. R. N. Batchelder. CLOTHING AND EQUIPAGE SUPPLIES. The sum of $1,100,000 was appropriated by Congress for this branch of the service for the past fiscal year. There was placed to the credit of the appropriation for clothing and equipage during the fiscal year the sum of $178,545.89 and the sum of $84,573.95 from sales to officers, etc., making a total of $1,363,119.84 available for clothing and equipage supplies for the fiscal year. Of this amount the sum of $1,076,783.09 was paid out during the year, leaving a balance on hand June 30, 1896, of $286,336.75, which will be required to meet outstanding obligations entered into prior to July 1, 1896. The issues to the militia of the several States and Territories during the fiscal year amounted to the sum of $180,914.18. The following issues were made during the fiscal year, which, with the sales credited to miscellaneous receipts, represents a total loss to the clothing appropriation: To the militia of the District of Columbia... $1,357.26 For Apache Indian prisoners of war at Fort Sill, Okla. 2, 114.99 Sale of old pattern and unserviceable clothing and equipage at the Philadelphia, Pa., Jeffersonville, Ind., St. Louis, Mo., and San Francisco, Cal., general depots, less expense of sale. 24, 807.97 18, 424. 71 Total ISSUES TO INDIAN PRISONERS OF WAR. 46, 704.93 During the past fiscal year the total charge against the appropriations of this Department on account of issues, etc., in maintaining the Indian prisoners of war held in confinement by the military authorities at Fort Sill, Okla., was as follows: Clothing and equipage Other quartermaster's supplies Employees (superintendents, interpreters, packers, and teamsters). $2, 114.99 6, 896.53 2,756.80 Total.... FORAGE CAPS. 11, 768. 32 The new pattern forage cap was introduced into the Army on January 1 last. The first issue called forth some criticisms, which were immediately inquired into, resulting in a cap with heavier cloth, lighter and nonshrinkable lining, and better workmanship. The caps will hereafter be made of dark-blue cloth, weighing about 163 instead of 14 ounces to the linear yard. Upholsterers' hair cloth, thoroughly shrunk, will be used as a stiffening for the sides with no heavy lining in the crown. The aim of the Department has been to construct a cap that will combine lightness with durability and retention of shape, which seems to have been accomplished. Actual use in service will soon demonstrate whether the object sought has been attained. CAP DEVICES FOR ENLISTED MEN. This Department has had under consideration for some time the improvement of the cap devices for the enlisted men of the Army. An order has been placed with manufacturers to furnish devices for the Engineer Corps, and the cavalry, artillery, and infantry arms of the service. This device is of solid brass, to which are fastened, by means of hard solder, the letters and numbers and also a screw by means of which the device itself is rigidly fastened to the cap. The entire ornament is gilded and therefore need not be taken from the cap for the purpose of cleaning. This device is comparatively inexpensive and considered more durable. Samples for devices for enlisted men of the staff corps are now under consideration. BUCKSKIN GAUNTLETS. To overcome the continued dissatisfaction with the leather gauntlets furnished to mounted troops it has been decided, after years of experiments with goat and calf skin gauntlets, to hereafter make them of the genuine oil-tanned buckskins, which, if properly made, it is believed will bring about satisfactory results. ARCTIC OVERSHOES. The attention of the Department having frequently been called to the excessive weight of the arctic overshoes, the subject has received careful consideration and a new standard of improved quality and of lighter weight adopted. The weight of the new shoes is 2 pounds 14 ounces per pair against 3 pounds 8 ounces per pair of those formerly supplied. SHOES WITH RUBBER HEEL LIFTS. During the past year 500 pairs of the present pattern shoes, provided with rubber heel lifts, were purchased by this Department and issued to troops at a number of the military posts for trial. From reports received it appears that these heels are apt to come off; they last only a few weeks, requiring frequent repair and the issue of extra heels. For these and other reasons it is not considered advisable to introduce them into the Army in lieu of the present standard. RUBBER PONCHOS. An improvement has been made in the rubber ponchos, by the adop tion of one that will combine lightness with durability. Standards have been procured and distributed to the general depots to be followed in making future purchases. The weight of the new ponchos is fixed at not less than 1 pound 15 ounces nor more than 2 pounds 2 ounces, while the average weight of those formerly issued was 2 pounds 8 ounces. IMPROVEMENT IN TENTS. Letters patent upon the improvements in a tent support for conical wall tents, submitted by Maj. Charles W. Williams, quartermaster, United States Army, have been granted by the Interior Department to the officer named free of charge, so that the invention may be used by the Government without the payment of royalty thereon. Reports have been received from the posts where 12 of these improved tents were sent for trial, from which it appears that with a few minor changes these tents will prove of great value if adopted for general use. The subject is receiving further consideration. AUSTRIAN SHELTER TENT AND OVERCOAT COMBINED. Sixteen of the above-mentioned tents and overcoats combined were furnished this Department free of charge by the patentees, Messrs. Isaac Mautner & Son, of Vienna, Austria, and sent to several military posts for trial. From reports received, the general opinion is that the tents are not adapted to the wants of our service, and that the troops generally prefer the equipments furnished by this Department. During the year all the demands from the Army and from the militia for clothing and equipage supplies have been promptly met. TRANSPORTATION. During the past fiscal year the Quartermaster's Department furnished transportation for 458,953 persons, 3,932 animals, and 91,067 tons of material and supplies. The sum of $103,541.36 was expended during the fiscal year for the principal movement of troops, exclusive of deductions on account of land-grant and bond-aided railroads. For summer encampments, practice marches, etc., the sum of $6,452.76 was expended, and also the sum of $7.626.13 for the transportation of enlisted men engaged in rifle competition and target practice. Four thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight persons, 1,270 animals, and 37,783,821 pounds of freight were transported during the fiscal year over the bond-aided Pacific railroads, their branches and leased lines. The 8 steamboats owned by the Quartermaster's Department were kept in service during the year, at a cost of $91,930.93, including repairs. In addition to that sum, an expenditure of $3,769 was made for the hire of vessels temporarily required while 3 of the Government steamers were undergoing repairs. An additional sum of $6,394.25 was also expended during the year for the charter and hire of additional vessels which were temporarily required. TELEGRAPHING ON ARMY BUSINESS. Under a decision of the Comptroller of the Treasury of February 17, 1896, disbursing quartermasters pay telegraph companies transmitting messages over lines operated by these companies along the bond-aided Pacific railroads, and the heretofore existing prohibition in Army Regulations, 1208, has been withdrawn by General Orders, No. 17, Adjutant-General's Office, 1896. CAVALRY AND ARTILLERY HORSES. There have been 873 cavalry and 86 artillery horses provided during the year, at an average cost for cavalry horses of $130.54 each, and for artillery horses of $149.10 each. The standard of the horses required for the cavalry and artillery service of the Army has been more explicitly indicated, and the qualities as described in the Army Regulations are being rigidly insisted upon. The horses were purchased exclusively under the contract system, as provided by law. Thirty-eight team horses and 283 mules were purchased at a cost of $35,973.20, the average cost of the former being $171.46 each, and the latter $104.09 each. During the fiscal year there were sold, died, etc., 1,144 cavalry and artillery horses, 47 team horses, and 241 mules, leaving on hand at the close of the year 6,004 cavalry and artillery horses, 238 team horses, and 3,082 mules. ROADS, WALKS, ETC. The sum of $178,408.55 was expended during the year for roads, walks, grading, and bridges; $10,879.89 for wharves, and $259,255.34 for water supply, sewerage, plumbing, and drainage. REGULAR SUPPLIES. The sum of $82,905.47 was expended for lighting, heating, and cooking apparatus, and $24,471.79 for tableware and cooking utensils. BARRACKS AND QUARTERS. By act of Congress approved February 12, 1895, there was provided under the head of "Barracks and Quarters" the sum of $750,000, of which the sum of $100,000 was made immediately available for improvements at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, leaving for other purposes $650,000. This sum was expended during the fiscal year in the construction of barracks, officers' quarters, storehouses, stables, etc., for the repair and alteration of buildings and for rent, over one half of the same being expended for repairs and alterations and for rent. There was also expended during the year the sum of $44,824.76 for the construction and repair of hospitals at military posts. MILITARY POSTS. Congress, by act approved June 30, 1896, provided the sum of $225,000 "for the construction of buildings at and the enlargement of such military posts as in the judgment of the Secretary of War may be necessary." This sum was apportioned as follows: Fort Crook, Nebr.. Fort Ethan Allen, Vt. Fort Monroe, Va.. Fort Myer, Va... Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y. Presidio of San Francisco, Cal.. Fort Thomas, Ky.. Balance June 30, 1896.. Total.. $9,916.95 23, 887, 15 2,504.00 21, 373.00 360.00 16, 620. 43 11,998.26 35, 344.00 20, 906. 20 53, 137.00 28, 001. 44 951.57 225,000.00 Some of the buildings authorized at the posts above mentioned have already been completed, others are in course of erection, and others under contract. PRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. The planting and cultivation of trees on the Presidio Reservation was continued during the year. The roadway to connect McDowell and First avenues (via pumping station), contracted for last year, was completed at a total cost of $8,137.14. A further sum of $1,055.76 was expended to provide a drainage system for this roadway to protect the embankment leading to the bridge across the arm of Mountain Lake. A contract has been entered into for the construction of a roadway to connect McDowell avenue with the road in the ravine to the southwest of the national cemetery, at a cost of $2,375. The stone and iron gateways at Lombard street and First avenue entrances to the reservation, contracted for in the previous fiscal year, have been completed, at a cost of $3,886.89.. A contract has been made for the construction of a stone inclosing wall along part of the reservation lines, for an estimated length of 2,200 feet, at $4.67 per linear foot. |