post gardens and such use does not prejudice the interests of any contractor under his contract for supplying fresh vegetables to the post, commutation of the fresh vegetable portion of their rations will be allowed by the commissary at the prices of potatoes and onions in the vicinity of the post or in the market from which the post is supplied, in the proportion of 80 per cent of potatoes and 20 per cent of onions, the commutation prices being determined monthly by the chief commissary of the Department in which the post is situated. Where the raising of vegetables in a post garden is contemplated, the post commissary, with the approval of the post commander, will notify the chief commissary of the period during which the post garden will be relied upon for vegetables, and that period will be excepted from the operation of any contract that may be made for supplying vegetables to the post.

1256b. At posts and stations where illumination is furnished by the Quartermaster's Department, candles are not issued as part of the ration except to individuals whom it is not practicable for that Department to supply with illuminants.

1256c. When troops supplied with travel rations arrive at their destination or rejoin their station, such of the travel rations furnished them in excess of the time actually consumed by the journey as may be in good condition will be turned in to the commissary in exchange for the regular ration, and subsistence upon the latter will thereupon be immediately resumed.

1256d. In adjusting charges to be made against enlisted men or others on account of increased expense to the Government for their subsistence, the value of the garrison or field ration will be estimated at 20 cents each, that of the travel ration at 40 cents.

III. By direction of the Secretary of War, paragraph 1259 of the Regulations is amended to read as follows, and a paragraph will be inserted as paragraph 1259a, as follows:

1259. The ration as issued to troops will be issued on ration returns signed by the medical officer in charge and approved by the commanding officer, to the Hospital Corps, the hospital matrons, the nurses of the Nurse Corps and to such patients in hospital as can be subsisted on the ration as ordinarily issued.

1259a. The medical officer in charge of a general, post, or camp hospital, hospital ship, or transport carrying patients is authorized to purchase, under the laws and regulations relating to purchases of subsistence stores, such articles of food. both solid and liquid, not carried in stock by the subsistence officer who issues rations to the hospital, and to call upon such subsistence officer for the issue of such quantities of articles from the stock already on hand, as in the judgment of the medical officer are required for the diet of enlisted patients under his charge who are too sick to be subsisted on the ration as ordinarily issued; the total combined money value of the stores hereby authorized to be purchased and issued as above in any month not to exceed the rate, calculated on the month's transactions, of 40 cents per man per day for those actually requiring special diet. Subsistence officers are authorized to pay all duly certified bills of purchases made by medical officers under the provisions of this paragraph, or to make the purchases themselves at the request of the medical officers and to make issues for special diet hereunder from stores on hand at their request, provided the rate of 40 cents per man per day for those enlisted men actually requiring special diet is not exceeded in any month.

IV. By direction of the Secretary of War, paragraphs 1269 and 1277 of the Regulations are amended to read as follows:

SAVINGS.

1269. All articles of the ration (excepting fresh beef, dried or pickled fish, soft bread, fresh or desiccated vegetables and dried fruit) due a company, bakery or other military organization not needed for consumption will, if public loss will not result, be retained for reissue by the commissary, and will be paid for by him as savings at the invoice prices. The entering of a more expensive component article of the ration on the ration return with the view of leaving it undrawn and selling it to the commissary as savings and purchasing from him for use in its place a less expensive article of the same component is prohibited. Savings not needed by the commissary for reissue may be sold by companies, bakeries, or other organizations to any purchasers.

1277. When an officer orders cominutation of rations to be paid, or rations to be issued, to a soldier on furlough to enable him to reach his proper station, the paying or issuing

officer will report the full amount paid, or the money value of the issue, to the soldier's company commander. Should the soldier reach his station on or before the last day of his furlough, the company commander will charge the full amount of the payment or issue against his pay on the next muster and pay roll. Should he reach his post after the expiration of his furlough, and the delay be not excused, the full amount will be similarly charged. Should the over-staying of his furlough be excused, the full amount, diminished by the value of the ration, at 20 cents per day, for the number of days during which he was absent after the furlough had expired, will be charged.

V. By direction of the Secretary of War, paragraph 58 of the Subsistence Manual is amended to read as follows:

58. Where the exact quantity of canned meats, canned tomatoes or canned baked beans to which a company or detachment is entitled can not be furnished without breaking a can, an over-issue of one can of the smallest size on hand will be allowed. Trade packages of canned baked beans being of varying weights, contents of cans will be estimated as follows in making issues:

So-called 1-pound cans, 10 ounces; 3-pound cans, 344 ounces.

BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL MILES:

H. C. CORBIN,

Adjutant General,

Major General, U. S. Army.