Attention is invited to the following provisions contained in section 26, act of Congress approved February 2, 1901, concerning the Quartermaster's and other staff departments: SEC. 26. That so long as there remain any officers holding permanent appointments in the Adjutant-General's Department, the Inspector-General's Department, the Quartermaster's Department, the Subsistence Department, the Pay Department, the Ordnance Department, and the Signal Corps, including those appointed to original vacancies in the grades of captain and first lieutenant under the provisions of sections sixteen, seventeen, twenty-one, and twenty-four of this act, they shall be promoted according to seniority in the several grades, as now provided by law, and nothing herein contained shall be deemed to apply to vacancies which can be filled by such promotions or to the periods for which the officers so promoted shall hold their appointments, and when any vacancy, except that of the chief of the department or corps, shall occur, which can not be filled by promotion as provided in this section, it shall be filled by detail from the line of the Army, and no more permanent appointments shall be made in those departments or corps after the original vacancies created by this act shall have been filled. Such details shall be made from the grade in which the vacancies exist, under such system of examination as the President may from time to time prescribe. All officers so detailed shall serve for a period of four years, at the expiration of which time they shall return to duty with the line, and officers below the rank of lieutenant-colonel shall not again be eligible for selection in any staff department until they shall have served two years with the line. That when vacancies shall occur in the position of chief of any staff corps or department the President may appoint to such vacancies, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, officers of the Army at large not below the rank of lieutenantcolonel, and who shall hold office for terms of four years. When a vacancy in the position of chief of any staff corps or department is filed by the appointment of an officer below the rank now provided by law for said office, said chief shall, while so serving, have the same rank, pay, and allowances now provided for the chief of such corps or department. And any officer now holding office in any corps or department who shall hereafter serve as chief of a staff corps or department and shall subsequently be retired shall be retired with the rank, pay, and allowances authorized by law for the retirement of such corps or department chief: Provided, That so long as there remain in service officers of any staff corps or department holding permanent appointments, the chief of such staff corps or department shall be selected from the officers so remaining therein. OFFICERS DETAILED FOR DUTY IN THE QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT. Under authority contained in the above-mentioned provision, three officers, at the close of the fiscal year, had been detailed from the line of the Army for duty in the Quartermaster's Department for a period of four years, to fill vacancies in this department. POST QUARTERMASTER-SERGEANTS. Under act approved February 2, 1901, Congress authorized 150 post quartermaster-sergeants, an increase of 45 over the number previously authorized. This increase has enabled the department to appoint a number of these sergeants and assign them to duty in the Philippines and at other points where their services were urgently required. At the close of the fiscal year there were 138 of these sergeants in service. The remaining vacancies will be filled from the most efficient applicants who are from time to time designated for examination for the position. DETACHMENT OF ARMY-SERVICE EMN, QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT, WEST POINT, N. Y. Maj. John B. Bellinger, quartermaster, U. S. A., reports in reference to this detachment as follows: Number of men in detachment July 1, 1900 . 139 Number of men transferred or discharged during fiscal year ended June 30, 1901, including one man omitted last year.. 52 87 Number of men enlisted in and transferred to detachment during fiscal year ended June 30, 1901 53 1 141 Number of vacancies June 30, 1901 Total.... The commanding officer of this detachment reports that all the members thereof have performed their work in a satisfactory manner during the fiscal year. CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT AT LARGE. The subject of employees was given careful attention during the past fiscal year, and wherever possible the force has been reduced to the lowest limit consistent with the best public interests. Based upon a report of a board of officers sent to Porto Rico to investigate the question of civilian employees at that place, a large reduction in said employees has been effected and steps taken to classify under civil-service rules, from July 1, 1901, such of the war emergency employees on duty there who entered the service prior to and on May 29, 1899, and whose continued services were found to be necessary. This action, when consummated, will make the civilian employees of this department serving in Porto Rico subject to civilservice rules the same as all other classified employees. By reason of the discontinuance on June 30, 1901, of the army transports running between New York, Cuba, and Porto Rico, large reductions of war emergency employees on duty on said transports and in connection with the transport service in New York City have been made and steps taken to close up the transport service at that place. Further reductions will be made from time to time in the force of employees hired in connection with that work, until the business relating thereto is entirely completed. The embarrassment caused by the restrictions and limitations in the laws enacted prior to the war with Spain, covering the number of civilian employees paid from the appropriations of the Quartermaster's Department and the maximum salary and aggregate amount to be paid therefor, was relieved by the following provision, contained in the act approved March 2, 1901 (army appropriation bill): That the number of and total sum paid for civilian employees in the Quartermaster's Department, including those paid from the funds appropriated for regular supplies, incidental expenses, barracks and quarters, army transportation, clothing, camp and garrison equipage, shall be limited to the actual requirements of the service, and that no employee paid therefrom shall receive a salary of more than one hundred and fifty dollars per month, except upon the approval of the Secretary of War. EMPLOYEES, QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE. There are 218 clerks and other employees provided for this office. Of this number 120 are permanent employees; the remaining 98 belong to the temporary force. The clerical work connected with this office is important and very voluminous, and as a rule the clerical force, both regular and temporary, have rendered very efficient and satisfactory service. A large part of the temporary clerks have now had two or more years' experience in the work of this office, and as their efficiency is constantly increasing it is believed that it will be for the best interests of this office and the public service to absorb into the regular force a portion of these temporary employees. Otherwise the most efficient of them will undoubtedly seek and secure permanent places elsewhere, as opportunity occurs, resulting in the loss of their experience and training to this office. I therefore recommend that such action be taken to induce Congress, at its next session, to provide for the permanent appointment of at least 50 per cent of the temporary force of this office. The remaining 50 per cent can be retained in their temporary character for another year, or until it can be definitely determined how long their services may be required. Since the beginning of the Spanish-American war the work of this office has increased to a large extent, thereby entailing upon some of the principal clerks much additional and responsible work. They have performed their enlarged and important duties, without any increase in pay, in a most efficient and creditable manner. In my judgment, at least four of these principal clerks should be increased from their present rating of $1,800 to $2,000 per annum; and, familiar as I am with the importance of their work and the innumerable details with which they are charged, I can not too strongly recommend this deserved increase to your most favorable consideration, with the hope that action may be taken to accomplish this at the next session of Congress. Very respectfully, F. M. SCHREINER, Captain and Quartermaster, U. S. A. The QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL OF THE ARMY. List of quartermasters, U. S. Volunteers, who have been mustered out of volunteer service since last report. List of quartermasters, U. S. Volunteers, who have been mustered out of volunteer service since last report-Continued. List of quartermasters, U. S. Army, holding volunteer commissions who have been mustered out of volunteer service since last report. Roster showing stations and duties of officers of the Quartermaster's Department, U. S. Army, July 1, 1901. McCauley, Chas. A. H Hathaway, Forrest H Jacobs, Joshua W. Bird, Charles..... Clem, John L Washington, D. C.; temporarily absent on tour of Chief quartermaster, Department of the East, Nov. 22, 1899 Philadelphia, Pa.; in charge general depot, Quar- Mar. 5, 1896 termaster's Department. Chicago, Ill.; chief quartermaster Department of July 15, 1900 the Lakes. San Francisco, Cal.; chief quartermaster Depart- Nov. 13, 1898 San Antonio, Tex.; chief quartermaster Depart- Apr. 7,1900 Manila, Philippine Islands; chief quartermaster July 1, 1901 St. Louis, Mo.; in charge general depot, Quarter- Oct. tion at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. 9, 1899 Jeffersonville, Ind.: in charge general depot, Apr. 30, 1897 Quartermaster's Department; also in charge of quartermaster's establishment, Chickamauga Park, Ga., since March 31, 1901. Philadelphia, Pa.; assistant to depot quartermaster; Apr. 17, 1896 Omaha, Nebr.; under orders to proceed to San Fran- Vancouver Barracks, Wash.; chief quartermaster Washington, D. C.; on duty in Quartermaster-Gen- Feb. 3, 1899 June 21, 1895 San Juan, Porto Rico; chief quartermaster District May 2,1899 |