A communication from the Secretary of War, inclosing estimates for deficiencies in appropriations for transportation and supplies for the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882. APRIL 6, 1882.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. To the Senate and House of Representatives: I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communication from the Secretary of War, dated the 4th instant, inclosing estimates for deficiencies in the appropriation for the transportation of the Army and its supplies for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, and recommending an appropriation in accordance therewith. EXECUTIVE MANSION, April 6, 1882. CHESTER A. ARTHUR. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, April 4, 1882. To the PRESIDENT: I have the honor to transmit herewith estimates for deficiencies in the appropriation for the transportation of the Army and its supplies for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, amounting to $501,331.04. The accompanying correspondence explains the causes of the deficiency, and I respectfully recommend an appropriation by Congress in accordance with the estimates. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT T. LINCOLN, DEFICIENCIES. Estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, by the War Department. Detailed objects of expenditure, and explanations. Total amount to be appropriated under each head of appropriation. Amount appropri rent fiscal year 1882. QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT. Transportation of the Army and its supplies: Transportation of the Army, including baggage of the troops, when moving either by land or water; of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, from the depots of Philadelphia and Jeffersonville to the several posts and Army depots, and from those depots to the troops in the field; of horse equipments and of subsistence stores from the place of purchase, and from the places of delivery, under contract, to such places as the circumstances of the service may require them to be sent; of ordnance, ordnance stores, and small-arms, from the foundries and armories to the arsenals, fortifications, frontier posts, and Army depots; freights, wharfage, tolls, and ferriages; the purchase and hire of horses, mules, oxen, and harness, and the purchase and repair of wagons, carts, and drays, and of ships and other sea-going vessels, and boats required for the transportation of supplies, and for garrison purposes; for drayage and cartage at the several posts; hire of teamsters, transportation of funds for the pay and other disbursing departments; the expense of sailing public transports on the various rivers, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific; for procuring water at such posts as from their situation require it to be brought from a distance; and for clearing roads, and for removing obstructions from roads. harbors, and rivers, to the extent which may be required for the actual operations of the troops in the field. R S., p. 36, sec. 220; p. 206. secs. 1133-1135; Revised Army Reg. ulations, p. 159, par. 1064, and p. 163, par. 1096, February 24, 1881, Stat. at Large 21, p. 348, sec. 1. $501, 331 04 $4, 114, 000 00 NOTE.-$4,325,000 was appropriated by the acts of June 23, 1879 (21 Statutes, 34), and March 3, 1881 (21 Statutes, 419), for transportation of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. $4,000,000 was appropriated by the act of May 4, 1880 (21 Statutes, 112), for the service of the fiscal year 1881. but it has proved insufficient, and a deficiency estimate for $400,000 has been submitted (see page 10 of House Ex. Doc. No. 33, 47th Congress, 1st session), which will make the total amount required to com plete the service for that year $4,400,000. The necessity of this estimate is fully explained in the accompanying papers. HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI, To the ADJUTANT-GENERAL, Military Division of the Missouri, Chicago, Ill. : SIR: I have the honor to report for the information of the Lieutenant-General com manding that there will be required for the service of the Quartermaster's Department in this military division during the four months commencing March 1, and ending June 30, 1882, the following amounts in addition to allotment to the division, so far as relates to the appropriation for regular supplies, viz, $147,586.78; and for Army transportation, of which no specific sum has been allotted to the division, $1,000,000. This information obtained from data furnished by the several department commanders in response to recent telegraphic instructions of the Lieutenant-General, and from the records of this office is submitted, in order that if the money cannot be spared from the current appropriations Congress may be asked to supply the deficiency. The following table shows in detail the amounts needed in each department and at the Chicago and Saint Louis depots for the period specified, &c., as recommended by the respective department commanders: Under the head of "Army transportation" required in the Department of the Missouri the chief quartermaster reports as follows under date of March 2, 1882: For transportation of the Army, pay of employés, tolls, ferriage, &c.. Rail transportation.. Total Deduct amount on hand available... The depot quartermaster here, who is charged with the settlement of accounts for transportation by rail, says, under date of March 1, 1882: "I have on hand, for payment, railway vouchers amounting to about $210,000. For the remainder of the fiscal year there will probably be $400,000 additional. Wagon transportation is paid to date practically. "As the total amount paid for transportation by rail by the depot quartermaster at this place, during the year and a half ending December 31, 1881, as appears from his quarterly statement of payments made on account of transportation, does not exceed $10,000, I do not understand why so large an amount is reported as necessary for the remainder of this fiscal year. All the unsettled accounts and bills of lading for rail transportation for years prior to this have just been sent to the Quartermaster-General for settlement through the Treasury." And again, by indorsement dated March 4, 1882, on the communication from which the foregoing extract is taken, as follows: The depot quartermaster has been called upon to report why so large an amount is required to be supplied for transportation by rail, and replied as follows, on the 3d instant: 'It is guesswork entirely estimating what amount of money will be needed. The railway accounts for January have not, as yet, come in from the railway officers, so that there will be practically six months' work to pay for; as nearly as can be forseen, $400,000 will be little enough; I would not like to say less.' "I recommend that the item of $210,000 for rail transportation be omitted, reducing to $126,329.08 the amount to be supplied from Army transportation. In four or five days I will recommend action relative to payment of the accounts for rail transportation, either by asking for authority to send them to Washington for settlement through the Treasury, or by reporting the amount necessary to be sent for their payment here." These recommendations are approved by the department commander, who telegraphs accordingly that $126,329.08 will be sufficient for the remainder of the fiscal year [1198, 1882]. I feel bound to remark in this connection that I fear the fact has been overlooked at department headquarters that at the close of the last fiscal year there existed in that department an indebtedness for transportation services aggregating (as reported) over $300,000. Measures are now being taken to adjust and settle this indebtedness through the Treasury. Hence, it should be taken into consideration in connection with the amount paid by the depot quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth. It represents just that much more business than is shown by the quarterly statements "of payments," &c., during last year, and would seem to bear out that officer's statements embodied in the foregoing extracts. Taking last year's business as a basis, in connection with the remarks of the depot quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth, I recommend that $400,000 additional to the sum specified in the foregoing table for Army transportation be asked for, making the amount required under that head $1,000,000. The cause of the deficiency reported herein, under the head of regular supplies, is due to an advance in the prices required to be paid for fuel and forage-principally the latter-in the Departments of Dakota and the Platte, the failure of contractors in some instances necessitating new contracts at increased prices, &c. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES H. TOMPKINS, Assistant Quartermaster-General, U. S. A., Chief Quartermaster. [1st indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI, Respectfully forwarded to the Adjutant-General of the Army, approved. [2d indorsement.] P. H. SHERIDAN, Lieut. Gen., Commanding. QUARTEMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, March 13, 1882. Respectfully transmitted to the honorable the Secretary of War. On March 11 the balance undrawn of the appropriation for Army transportation was $618,484.69 for the entire Army for the remainder of this fiscal year. The Military Division of the Missouri has been furnished on account of estimates for the first eight months of this fiscal year $2,105,153.39, to which is to be added the additional $1,000,000 reported as needed for the remaining four months, and it makes an aggregate of $3,105,153.39. The appropriation for Army transportation for the year was $4,114,000. Attention has already been called to the matter of regular supplies. It has all been allotted except about $19,000. The large accumulation of railway accounts in the Department of the Missouri causes complaint. It could be remedied in part by assigning a disbursing officer at Denver to pay such accounts, and do any other disbursing required by the headquarters of the department, under whose orders he should act. S. B. HOLABIRD, Assistant Quartermaster-General, in charge. [3d indorsement.] Respectfully returned to the Quartermaster-General to report what part of the ap propriation for Army transportation is actually paid out to railway companies, and what part is held, if any, in the settlement of accounts of "land grant" roads. Also as to what deficiency is occasioned in Army transportation for the current fiscal year, and the reasons for such deficiency. The recommendation of the Quartermaster-General as to granting the within request, is desired. By order of the Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, March 14, 1882. [4th indorsement.] H. T. CROSBY, Chief Clerk. QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, March 25, 1882. Respectfully returned to the honorable the Secretary of War, with statements prepared answering the inquiries made. Since the previous indorsement from this office it has been ascertained that the indebtedness in transportation for the current fiscal year is $501,331.04, due mainly to smallness of the appropriation to pay for increased work done under that head, and to general rise of prices all over the country for materials, labor, and animals. The deficiency in regular supplies is $20,603.91, an amount so small that it can be saved by a properly enforced economy in the next three months. RUFUS INGALLS, Quartermaster-General, Brevet Major-General, U. S. A. HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI, GENERAL ORDERS NO. 1. In view of the reduced condition of the appropriations for "Regular Supplies," "Incidental Expenses," "Barracks and Quarters,” and “Army Transportation," all estimates for quartermasters' stores during the remainder of the fiscal year will be confined to such articles as are absolutely necessary for the immediate wants of the service. Commanding generals of departments will exercise the closest personal scrutiny over all such estimates, and will see that the requirements of this order are fully and· strictly carried out. During the remainder of the fiscal year, the issue of grain to all animals throughout the division will be reduced as follows: To horses in active service, 9 pounds. To horses unemployed or performing light work, 7 pounds. To mules unemployed or performing light work, 4 pounds. Official: ROBERT WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. R. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. MARCH 24, 1882. Statement of amounts probably required for the remainder of the fiscal year 1881-'82, under regular supplies and Army transportation. The following statement, in reply to instructions from the honorable the Secretary of War, as contained in third indorsement herewith, is respectfully submitted to the Quartermaster-General. Funds from the appropriation for Army transportation are remitted monthly, upon approved estimates, to the officers of the department charged with the disbursement of its funds. The following shows amounts of such remittances to date: |