Articles also manufactured in depot during year ending December 31, 1912, etc.-Continued. 2 covers, canvas, for fire hose carriage. 1 box, filing, wood. 41 flies, wall tent. 350 bags coffee and sugar. 1,100 bags salt and pepper. 1,009 waist belts, fair leather. 430 cases, fork. 15 slings, axe. 430 slings, knife. 39 cloths, saddle khaki. 200 frogs, sword, fair leather. 500 lines, guy, shelter tent. 23 slings, shovel, R. P., short handle. 23 slings, pickax. 23 slings, spade. 23 slings, hatchet. 50 slings, color, khaki. 8 slings, shovel, long handle. 20 curtains, bathroom, 78 inches by 40 inches. 2 covers, semaphore. 4 covers, parallel bar. 12 covers, horse, lined. 1,533 pads, elbow, canvas. 2,800 nets, mosquito, cot. 2 troughs, dough, mobile army field oven. The CHAIRMAN. You ask for an increase from three to five clerks and an increase in salary from $1,400 to $1,625 each? Col. MCCAWLEY. With reference to the two additional clerks provided for under the heading "In the Quartermaster's Department where their services are required," it is stated that there are only three clerks now provided under this heading, a number entirely insufficient for the service. These additional clerks are considered essential for the efficiency of the Quartermaster's Department. The duty required of them is what is generally known as "field" duty. In other words, they are shifted from place to place whenever and wherever their services may be required. You will notice, as distinct from that, that the other clerks are all provided for in special offices from which they can not be removed. The three clerks now provided under this head are on duty at the depots of supplies located in Philadelphia, Pa., San Francisco, Cal., and Manila, P. I. Owing to severe climatic conditions, it is necessary to transfer the clerk in Manila at least once every two and one-half years, filling his place with one of the clerks in the United States. With present numbers this causes duty in the Philippines every five years, and in the event of illness a man might be transferred back there after only three years at home. The Quartermaster's Department is frequently being called upon to outfit expeditionary forces, and in every instance an assistant quartermaster is assigned to duty with such expeditions, with funds to disburse. The recent expeditions to Cuba and Nicaragua are excellent illustrations in this case. The assistant quartermasters detailed with these expeditions should have had civilian clerks to accompany them; but owing to the limited number of these clerks available, it was impracticable to furnish them. When these expeditions are ordered to field duty it follows that thousands of dollars' worth of supplies must be carefully accounted for and, in addition, large disbursements made to provide for the health and comfort of these forces while on duty in the field. It will be noted that the Navy Department advanced the pay of these clerks from $1,400 to $1,625 each per annum, and it is urgently recommended that the additional clerks, including the increase in their pay, be authorized. I recommended in my estimates that these particular clerks be placed on the same footing with regard to pay, allowances, retire ment, etc., as Navy paymasters' or general storekeepers' clerks on shore duty because of the similarity of duties and responsibilities. And to effect this I also recommended that the following clause be inserted: Provided, Hereafter these clerks shall receive the same pay and allowances and other benefits provided by law for Navy paymasters' clerks on shore duty, and they shall also be entitled to the same right of retirement with the same retired pay as is now or hereafter may be allowed to Navy paymasters' clerks. Provided further, That in computing the pay and allowances of these clerks credit shall be allowed for all previous honorable military or civil service in either the Navy, Army, or Marine Corps. Mr. HOBSON. I would like to ask you right there whether those persons now acting in that capacity are enlisted men or have been enlisted men, and whether you contemplate promotions in case the provision is adopted? The CHAIRMAN. I understood that these were all civilian clerks. Col. MCCAWLEY. They are, sir. One of the men occupying one of these positions was an enlisted man. Mr. HOBSON. Do you contemplate utilizing discharged enlisted men? Col. MCCAWLEY. It would be my intention to utilize these places as a reward for deserving and efficient enlisted men and also old and faithful clerks. Mr. BUTLER. Sergeants major? Col. MCCAWLEY. Well, more likely quartermaster sergeants, so in the future these men will have something to look forward to for services rendered. The department did not agree with me in my recommendation giving the same right of retirement allowed to paymasters' clerks, although they do very much the same work, and cut that out; but the provision for the pay, $1,625, which is the second grade of pay for paymasters' clerks, was left in. That is the reason why the pay has been placed at $1,625. However, the other provision has been cut out by the department, and I can not say anything except to quote my recommendation. Mr. ROBERTS. Can not you call on quartermasters' clerks to do the duty of these men? Col. MCCAWLEY. No, sir. The other clerks provided for in this act can not be changed from one place to another, as they are fixtures where appropriated for. The only ones who can be moved are these three. Mr. ROBERTS. Can not you under the law detail quartermasters' clerks to do the work? Suppose one of the civilian clerks should die? Col. MCCAWLEY. All of these clerks are quartermasters' clerks; they are the only ones we have. Mr. ROBERTS. Can not you detail a sergeant major? Col. MCCAWLEY. Sergeants major belong to the military part of the service, and their duties are quite distinct from anything these clerks would be called upon to perform. Mr. ROBERTS. Why can not you accomplish your purpose by filling these places with sergeants major as the present incumbents resign or die? You have quartermaster sergeants now? Col. MCCAWLEY. Yes, sir; we have quartermaster sergeants who have their own duties to perform distinct from these clerks. Mr. ROBERTS. If you had enough you could detail them to this work? Col. MCCAWLEY. Yes, sir; they could be detailed, but it is not the best arrangement, as these clerks should be civilians. Mr. ROBERTS. Why would it not be more advisable-I do not mean to dispossess the civilian clerks, but as they resign and die to put quartermaster sergeants in their places? Then you would have a man who gets retirement. Col. MCCAWLEY. The quartermaster sergeant does not perform the same duty as a civilian clerk. He is not exactly the same sort of man, and his duties are performed under the direction of the civilian clerk. A civilian clerk can be bonded, which is a necessary protection for the disbursing officer who must frequently trust him with public funds. The enlisted man can not be bonded. Mr. ROBERTS. Why? Col. MCCAWLEY. There is no provision of law for it. I have never heard of or known of an enlisted man being required to give a bond. You can force a civilian clerk to be bonded by refusing to appoint him. Mr. ROBERTS. Are these clerks bonded? Col. MCCAWLEY. They may be bonded. Mr. ROBERTS. But are they? Col. MCCAWLEY. I do not know whether they are or not. That all depends on the disbursing officers under whom they are serving. If they are willing to bear the responsibility by trusting these clerks, they need not be bonded; but I think most of the clerks are bonded. Col. Richards may tell something about this. Col. RICHARDS. I found in the paymaster's department when I entered it that that was the practice in selecting a man for paymaster's clerk. In selecting a man for paymaster's clerk whom you know but very little about, it is a very wise precaution where you are handling millions. In the end a great many details you must trust to the clerk, and I think it is a very wise precaution. Mr. ROBERTS. It is not generally done? Col. RICHARDS. It is not done now in my office, because I have grown to know the men. Col. MCCAWLEY. Now Col. Richards assumes the responsibility. Col. RICHARDS. The very man I trust the most to-day furnished a bond to me for eight years. Then, when I learned the man, I allowed the bond to go by the board. In many departments of Washington the disbursing officers, I think, as a rule, bond each one of their clerks. The subordinate officers of the Paymaster's Department all bond their clerks. The character of the duty performed by a civilian clerk is a little different from the duty performed by the enlisted man. He is more responsible and you trust more to him. Mr. ROBERTS. One reason why I brought this up is that the Quartermaster's Corps recently organized in the War Department contemplates this very thing, putting the enlisted men in place of the civilian employees as fast as the civilian employees drop out. Col. RICHARDS. Before we leave the whole appropriation, “Pay, Marine Corps." I have an itemized statement which gives the estimated expenditures for 1912, what was the appropriation for 1913, and what is in the estimates for 1914. The statement referred to by Col. Richards follows: |