MANUAL FOR THE SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 1. The manuals concerning the several staff departments will contain, besides extracts from general regulations, such rules as have special application; but no regulations, orders, or instructions will be embodied therein which are in conflict with the Regulations for the Army. -Decision Sec. of War, Oct: $1, 1895. 2. Regulations for the government of the Subsistence Department, prepared and published under the authority of the Secretary of War, are distributed to its officers by the Commissary General.-A. R., p. 184, note 1. 3. The supply of the Army, and the direction of the expenditures of the appropriations for its support, are by law intrusted to the Secretary of War. He exercises control through the bureaus of the War Department. He determines where and how particular supplies shall be purchased, delivered, inspected, stored, and distributed.-A. R., 821. Vide Rev. Stats., 216, 217, 219, 220. 4. The functions assigned to any officer in Army Regulations by title of office devolve upon the officer acting in his place, except when otherwise specified.— A. R., 15. 5. An officer who succeeds to any command or duty stands in regard to his duties in the same situation as his predecessor. The officer relieved will turn over to his successor all orders in force at the time and all the public property and funds pertaining to his command or duty, and will receive therefor duplicate receipts showing the condition of each article.-A. R., 16. 6. An officer of the Subsistence Department, though eligible to command, according to his rank, shall not assume command of troops unless put on duty under orders which specially so direct, by authority of the President.-A. R., 17. 7. Staff officers not serving under department commanders will apply to the War Department for orders directing necessary travel on public business.—A. R., 81. 8. The general depots of supply are exempted from the supervision of department commanders except in cases of emergencies.-A. R., 208. 9. Staff officers assigned to the command of an officer are under his supervision and control in all matters pertaining to or affecting the command which are not specially excepted therefrom by the regulations or orders of the War Department.-A. R., 826. 10. Commanders of departments, in order to avoid unnecessary clerical labor and accumulation of papers, will call upon officers under their orders for only such abstracts or reports, in addition to those required by regulations, as may be needed for proper administration.—A. R., 827. 11. It is made the duty of commanding officers to cause returns, requisitions, and estimates pertaining to their respective commands to be promptly made and forwarded; and they will carefully examine estimates and requisitions, and satisfy themselves that money or articles asked for are in amount, quantity, and kind actually required for the public service during the period covered.—A. R., 828, 829. (7) 12. The Army of the United States shall include a Subsistence Department which shall consist of one Commissary General with the rank of brigadier general, three assistant commissaries general with the rank of colonel, four deputy commissaries general with the rank of lieutenant colonel, nine commissaries with the rank of major, twenty- -seven commissaries with the rank of captain, mounted, and the number of commissary sergeants now authorized by law, who shall hereafter be known as post commissary sergeants: Provided, That all vacancies in the grades. of colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major, created or caused by this section, shall be filled by promotion, according to seniority, as now prescribed by law. That to fill original vacancies in the grade of captain, created by this act, in the Subsistence Department, the President is authorized to appoint officers of volunteers commissioned in the Subsistence Department, since April twenty-first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight.—Secs. 1 and 17, Act of Feb. 21, 1901. (G. O. No. 9, A. G. O., 1901.) Vide Rev. Stats., 1140. 13. The Subsistence Department, under the direction of the Secretary of War, provides for the distribution and expenditure of funds appropriated for subsisting enlisted men, and for purchasing articles kept for sale to officers and enlisted men. The Commissary General furnishes lists of articles authorized to be kept for sale, and gives instructions for procuring, distributing, issuing, selling, and accounting for all subsistence supplies.—A. R., 1351. 14. Inspectors general and acting inspectors general will, from time to time, designate the articles which, in their opinion, should be procured and kept for sale by the Subsistence Department to officers and enlisted men. These recommendations will be submitted to the Secretary of War for his action.-A. R., 964. 15. No officer belonging to the Subsistence Department, or doing the duty of a subsistence officer, shall be concerned, directly or indirectly, in the purchase or sale of any article entering into the composition of the ration allowed to troops in the service of the United States, or of any article designated by the inspectors general of the Army, and furnished for sale to officers and enlisted men at cost prices, or of tobacco furnished for sale to enlisted men, except on account of the United States; nor shall any such officer take or apply to his own use any gain or emolument for negotiating or transacting any business connected with the duties of his office, other than that which may be allowed by law. Sec. 1150, Rev. Stats. 16. Copies of general orders and circulars from the office of the Adjutant General of the Army are furnished by division and department commanders to all officers on duty, at their headquarters; post commissaries, through commanding officers of their posts; regimental commissaries, through their regimental commanders; officers of the staff departments, through the chiefs of their respective departments. Special orders from the office of the Adjutant General of the Army are furnished chief commissaries of divisions and departments by the respective commanders. Extracts of special orders are furnished to all concerned only, either direct or through the immediate commander.-A. R., 867. CHIEF COMMISSARIES. 17. The chief commissary of a division, under the direction of the division commander, will have general supervisory direction and control over the commissaries in his division.-G. O. No. 110, A. G. O., 1898. 18. The staff of a department commander includes a chief commissary, to be detailed by the Secretary of War from officers of the Subsistence Department or officers of the line detailed by the Secretary of War to act in their stead. Such chief commissary will have charge of the depot of his department at the place where headquarters are located, and will when practicable make purchases.-A. R., 214, as amended by G. O. No. 140, A. G. O., 1901. |