2. To enlarge and add to post exchanges and gymnasiums already established: Alcatraz Island, Cal.-Gymnasium and post exchange for prison guard... Angel Island, Cal. (recruit and casual camp).-Gymnasium Barrancas, Fla.-Enlarging present gymnasium by bowling Douglas, Utah.-Addition of bowling alleys to gymnasium. Hunt, Va.-Post exchange with bowling alleys. McIntosh, Tex.-Bowling alleys. Meade, S. Dak.-Bowling alleys.. McKinley, Me.-Enlarging post exchange and providing bowling alleys... Mott, N. J.-Post exchange, gymnasium, and bowling alleys. Preble, Me.-Gymnasium and bowling alleys.. Robinson, Nebr.-Bowling alleys and larger exchange. Stevens, Oreg.-Enlarging post exchange and gymnasium.. 12,000 7,500 173, 200 3. To provide for repairs to and renewals of gymnastic apparatus, bowling alleys, etc., for the United States.... 50,000 4. To provide for post exchanges and their equipment and repair in the Philippine Islands.. 25,000 For posts in Alaska, new construction, maintenance, and repairs. 15,000 Mr. ANTHONY. In these proposed post exchanges to be built is it intended to operate grocery stores and dry goods stores, such as is now prevalent? General ALESHIRE. I should not think so. The Quartermaster's Department only constructs buildings for post exchanges; it has no supervision whatever over their operation or administration. Mr. ANTHONY. The wording is "for libraries, amusement rooms, and gymnasiums." The post at Leavenworth has a lunch room, but not anything for any of these purposes. It has a grocery and dry goods store. The CHAIRMAN. It has no reading rooms? Mr. ANTHONY. No; it is simply for commercial purposes. It strikes me, if it is the intention of the Government to use these posts for grocery and dry goods stores, the danger is that the Government might get into competition with merchants and sell to outside parties. TRANSPORTATION OF THE ARMY. The CHAIRMAN. You have a rearrangement of the language and a segregation of the matter under the head of "Transportation of the Army and its supplies." General ALESHIRE. It is in obedience to the proviso in the army appropriation act for the current fiscal year which provides that estimates for the next fiscal year should be submitted to Congress covering transportation of the Army and its supplies in one estimate, and an additional estimate should be submitted covering other items heretofore carried in appropriation bills under this head. I have grouped together the items covered by the amount estimated for payments to common carriers, etc., for transportation of the Army and its supplies, $3,697,561.65; those for the purchase and hire of draft and pack animals, harness, wagons, carts, and expenses incident thereto, $2,314,613.75; and those incident to the operation of ships, boats, etc., $5,224,437. The total of these three items is $11,236,612.40, and while they have been grouped as appears in the draft of the bill, which follows the estimate submitted, the items of each group are all properly incident to transportation of the Army and its supplies, and I believe should be appropriated as one fund under the old designation "Transportation of the Army and its supplies." The present grouping was made because of some question in construing the proviso directing the segregation of estimates for this appropriation, as conforming to what the intent of the law might possibly be rather than what it was actually considered to be. I think the remaining two new heads "Roads, walks, wharves, and drainage," $994,378, and "Water and sewers at military posts,' $2,711,275, separated from the old form of the appropriation, gives what was intended by the proviso, leaving for transportation of the Army the total of the first three groups or subheads, $11,236,612.40. Mr. YOUNG. This is a decrease of something over $3,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. You have water and sewers decreased. General ALESHIRE. We have estimated separately for construction of roads, walks, wharves, and drainage, and for water and sewers at military posts which were included in the old appropriation. Mr. CAPRON. The total is pretty nearly right. General ALESHIRE. The total is $442,265.40 in excess of last year. The explanation of that, in a general way, would be that we will require next year $230,000 to pay the Southern Pacific Railroad the cost of transportation heretofore credited against their indebtedness to the Government, and increased expenses or cost under certain other items. Those railroads will be out of debt to the Government sometime during next year. We will have that additional amount to pay instead of its being credited to the road in payment of its debt. It is not, therefore, an increased expense, although it is estimated for now for the first time in this bill. That would leave $212,265.40 due to other causes, generally increases in cost of labor and supplies. Explanation of this is given under the several items. of the estimate to which the increases pertain. The CHAIRMAN. It will be in the hearings? General ALESHIRE. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Put that in the hearings, because we can not carry all that in our minds. Item 100.-Transportation of the Army. Of the troops when moving either by land or water. For the United States.. For the Philippine Islands.. Total.. $1,264, 900 12,000 1, 276, 900 Based on actual expenses for similar services during the past fiscal year. This includes items 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 107, 108, and part of 147. From the records as kept it is not possible to segregate these items. In 1907, $1,084,392 was expended for movements of troops in the United States and the Philippines. Approximately 15 per cent, or $192,508 in round numbers, has been added to make estimate for 1909, as movements of troops were not as numerous in the former year as usual. Items 101 to 116 inclusive are estimated for in either the preceding or following item, it not being possible to segregate the amounts required for each. A single bill for transportation often includes several of these items and might so include all of them. Item 117.-Freights, payment of. Transportation branch: For the United States.. For the Philippine Islands.. Total..... $1,925, 430 137,000 2, 062, 430 Includes items Nos. 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, and part of 147. Based on expenditures for similar services during the past fiscal year. This estimate is for commercial rail and water freight, including transportation by commercial vessels to the Philippine Islands, Porto Rico, Alaska, etc., and hire of labor in connection therewith, costing $114,430. The expenditures reported in the United States for the fiscal year 1907 were as follows: To this has been added for the United States $230,000, estimated as the amount that will be required to pay account of the Southern Pacific Company for services between January and July, 1909. The indebtedness of the company to the United States ceases with the payment of the last of its notes in February, 1909, and it will be necessary to pay in cash instead of having the earnings of the company credited to it on the books of the Treasury Department, as is now the practice. Approximately $313,000 has been added for emergencies, always liable to occur. If unused, it reverts to the Treasury. This item also includes $11,000 for the removal of remains from abandoned post to national cemeteries. Item 118.-Wharfage, payment of. For the United States.... $60,000 This estimate is for the hire of wharves, and is based upon actua expenditures for the fiscal year 1907, $49,000. The increase of $11,000 is to provide wharfage for new mine planters and harbor boats since put in commission. Items 119 and 120.-Tolls and ferriages. For tolls, ferriage, lighterage, stevedoring, street-car tickets, etc. Lighterage, stevedoring, and other miscellaneous expenses incident to transportation are included here as a matter of convenience, not being specifically provided for elsewhere. It was estimated that the cost for lighterage of heavy ordnance, stevedoring, etc., would amount to $25,000, and as street-car tickets, tolls, ferriage, etc., costs approximately $20,000, the $50,000 asked for is not deemed excessive. A decision of the Comptroller of August 17, 1897, was that the Quartermaster's Department should only transport ordnance by the ordinary means of railways, etc., to destination and the engineer appropriations bear the expense of placing it where to be used. This with reference to heavy guns for fortifications. This is reversed by a decision of February 23, 1907, which requires the Quartermaster's Department to place heavy ordnance at the place where to be used. This is expensive work, involving building ways or tracks, and will cause considerable increase in expenditures from "Army transportation." Item 121.-Draft animals, the purchase and hire of. such numbers as are actually required for the service. For the United States..... For the Philippine Islands.. Total...... Limited to The period of usefulness of draft horses and mules in this country is fixed, from experience, at five years for horses and ten years for mules, so that one-fifth of the allowance for draft horses and onetenth of that for draft mules must be purchased each year to keep up the allowance. One-fifth of 856 draft horses, at $250 each.. Total.... $42, 800.00 115, 680. 50 158, 480. 50 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. The period of usefulness fixed for the Philippines is five years for horses and eight years for mules. One-fifth of 1,330 draft horses, at $250 each... Total..... $66, 500.00 39, 058. 13 106, 058. 13 Estimate is based on the number of animals required to replace those that die, or are worn out, or disabled and condemned. The period of usefulness of the mule is fixed for this country at ten years. One-tenth of 439 riding mules, at $170... One-tenth of 1,332 pack mules for mountain batteries and machine guns, at $155.50.. One-tenth of 1,130 other pack mules, at $112.. Total..... $7,463.00 20, 712. 60 12, 656.00 40, 831.60 Two hundred and fifty dollars has been included in this estimate for hire of pack mules which is occasionally necessary. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. Estimate based on replacements required as follows, the period of usefulness being fixed for the Philippines at eight years: One-eighth of 105 riding mules, at $170...... One-eighth of 330 pack mules for M. B. and M. G. P., at $155.50. Total..... $2, 231.25 6, 414. 37 13, 370.00 22, 015. 62 Mr. PARKER. I see you have an item in here for draft and pack animals, and that you desire that there should be a remount system introduced as to that. Have you prepared any amendment to this bill so as to enable the establishment of any such remount stations? General ALESHIRE. I think it is in the memoranda which the chairman has. The CHAIRMAN. It includes a reasonable provision for the replacing of unserviceable horses. Under these words, the Department holds it can buy these young animals? General ALESHIRE. Yes, sir. The present system of supplying mules and draft horses has generally proven satisfactory, yet it is believed that a part at least of the draft and pack mules required can be more advantageously and economically supplied from remount depots in practically the same manner as outlined for the supply of remounts for the cavalry, artillery, etc. By supplying young mules 3 to 4 years old they can be purchased in connection with the young remounts at practically no increased expense; the life or period of duration will be increased in about the same proportion as that of the remounts; the Government will have the advantage of growth and consequent increase in value, which for young mules is very considerable; they can be cared for with practically the same labor required to care for the remounts; they can be shipped with the remounts, thus saving considerable for freight and attendants, and on the whole it is submitted that the present cost of remounts and draft and pack animals for the Army during a definite period would be reduced from 30 to 40 per cent. |