When property is shipped to artillery districts in which no signal corps overseer is stationed, the storekeeper will make the inspection called for.

A copy of the inspection report will be furnished the storekeeper, the original being forwarded to the officer in charge of the firecontrol installation.

371. Storekeepers, after receiving and inspecting instruments and other materials of delicate construction or character, should return them to their original packages in order to prevent deterioration on the storeroom shelves.

This applies to all apparatus which will not be used very shortly after its receipt, except the rougher class of construction material. 372. Inspection of stock on hand.-When acting in the capacity of overseer, either for a post or district, the assistant will be expected to check the condition of all storehouses and tool chests, both as to care taken with the equipment and as to the need for renewal.

373. Office equipment.-In connection with the storeroom a small office will usually be provided, which may be used jointly by the senior civilian assistant and the storekeeper.

This office should be provided with a flat-top table for maps, a double table desk, a typewriter stand, a letterpress stand, and a set of pigeonholes, all of which shall be made by the carpenter employed on the installation.

374. Storekeeper's record.—(a) In order to facilitate the keeping of storekeeper's records, a storekeeper's file cabinet will be furnished to each storeroom, with 500 record cards and 26 alphabetical index cards.

(b) Additional record cards will be furnished on requisition, and should be indicated as "Storekeeper's record cards."

(c) The storekeeper shall maintain such records as will show at any time the quantity of each article in stock.

(d) The record followed shall be a card catalogue.

(e) The storekeeper will number his invoices serially and enter the numbers on the cards. If the material is expendable it should be entered on a card, giving the date, the amount, and the initials of the person to whom issued. Unexpendable material will be issued to constructing parties on memorandum receipts. These receipts will be numbered serially and the number noted on the card. When supplies on any invoice have been issued and duly transferred the card covering this property will be turned in to the officer or engineer in charge of the installation. This card furnishes valuable data for estimating purposes and should under no circumstances be destroyed. 375. The following-mentioned supplies constitute the equipment of storekeeper's office. Such of these articles as are not furnished by other supply departments will be supplied by the Signal Corps upon

requisition being rendered for the same, and if special supplies other than those indicated herein are required, they should be asked for promptly. No unusual or unnecessary equipment will be furnished.

376. Of the above-mentioned articles the post quartermaster will, upon requisition approved by the post commander, furnish the following:

377. Push buttons, doorbells, and call buzzers are furnished by the Quartermaster's Department, and not by the Signal Corps. The

Signal Corps supplies call bells and buzzers only for night signals on telephone switchboards.

378. Telegraph instruments for practice purposes will not be issued except to such posts as, in the opinion of the department commander, are of sufficient importance and strength to justify the belief that practical results or benefit would be derived therefrom. 379. Bicycles are not issued for transportation purposes, but only for repair work on telegraph lines and kindred work connected therewith.

380. The furnishing of time service to posts is not a function of the Signal Corps, but of the Quartermaster's Department. (Decis. C. S. O., Jan. 18, 1905.)

381. Master signal electricians of the Signal Corps will be supplied with the following technical books, for which they will be responsible:

Manual No. 2, Regulations for Management of United States Military Telegraph Lines.

Manual No. 3, Electrical Instruments and Equipments of the U. S. Signal Corps.

Manual No. 4, Submarine Cables.

Manual No. 5, Manual of Photography.

Manual No. 6, Manual of Visual Signaling, U. S. Signal Corps.
Manual No. 7, General Regulations, Disbursing and Property.
Manual No. 8, Apparatus for Fire Control and Direction.
Electrical Engineers' Pocketbook, "Foster."
Handbook on Engineering, " Tully.”

Gas, Gasoline and Oil Engines, "Hiscox."

382. Requisition for each separate typewriter will be forwarded to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army for action, and should state fully and explicitly the necessity therefor. This does not apply to such typewriters as are absolutely necessary for the proper performance of necessary work at signal corps posts and at important telegraph offices in the Philippine Islands and Alaska.

383. Enlisted men of the Signal Corps in charge of telegraph and telephone offices at military posts should make requisition, approved by the post commander, to the post quartermaster for stationery for their offices. The issue of stationery by the Signal Corps will hereafter be made only to offices on United States military telegraph lines where its use is not exclusively for military purposes. Telegraph blanks, message envelopes, and printed forms of the Signal Corps will be issued as heretofore.

384. The chief signal officers of the several military departments should not make requisition upon the Signal Corps for the necessary articles of office, toilet and desk furniture, binding, and police utensils, as the purchase of these articles is provided for in the

appropriation of the Army "for contingent expenses at the headquarters of the several military divisions and departments, including the staff corps serving thereat." Allotments are made from this appropriation by the Secretary of War for the headquarters for each military department and division.

385. Stationery and office supplies are furnished by the Quartermaster's Department, as set forth in paragraphs 1068 and 1069, Army Regulations, and the Signal Corps supplies stationery for telegraph offices doing commercial business. A letter from the Quartermaster-General of the Army defining the policy in this matter is as follows:

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL,
Washington, October 12, 1905.

CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER, U. S. ARMY, Washington, D. C.
SIR: In reply to your letter of the 28th ultimo, you are respectfully informed
that stationery and expendable desk supplies have been and are now issued
quarterly on approved requisitions by the Quartermaster's Department, under
paragraph 1069, Army Regulations, to the Signal Corps at points where they
are performing only military duty and for performing military duty only 'at
other points, and that this practice will be continued, the Signal Corps in this
respect being regarded as on the same footing as other corps of the Army to
which the Quartermaster's Department issues stationery, etc., for purely mili-
tary purposes.

Respectfully,

C. F. HUMPHREY, Quartermaster-General, U. S. Army.

386. Requisitions for gravity battery material will be approved, based on the following:

One copper per year.

One zinc for two months.

Two pounds bluestone, per month, for 6 by 8 size.

One and one-half pounds bluestone, per month, for 5 by 7 size.

387. Requests for signal corps blank forms may be sent direct to the property officer, Fort Wood, New York Harbor, and will be supplied direct when the quantities appear to be reasonable. Chief signal officers of departments receiving requests for forms should send them direct to the Fort Wood depot.

388. Manuals of the several staff departments, and blank forms, are subject to issue or sale to State militia the same as other supplies. (Decis. Military Secretary, Jan. 29, 1907.)

389. All testing cells and sets for use in testing electrical installations in seacoast fortifications, except those needed as a part of the mine equipment, will hereafter be issued by the Signal Corps, and requisitions for the cells and sets should be made to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army. (Ext. G. O., 72, W. D., 1907.)

390. Signal corps material will be issued to military schools and colleges of "Class A" only as defined in General Orders, No. 101, War

Department, 1905, G. O. 155, War Dept., July 24, 1907, and published in the Monthly Army List. (M. S. O., 1140355.)

391. The transportation of signal corps stores from property depots to institutions of learning, and from institutions of learning back to depots, is always without expense to the United States.

392. The No. 6 size cells only will be issued for local battery telephones. For Alaska and the Philippines and Porto Rico the No. 6 "Reserve" type will be supplied; this type of dry cell does not deteriorate in storage and requires water to be poured into it when prepared for use.

ISSUES TO THE ORGANIZED MILITIA.

* *

393. "The annual appropriations shall be available for the purpose of providing for issue to the organized militia any stores and supplies or publications which are supplied to the Army by any department. Any State, Territory, or the District of Columbia may, with the approval of the Secretary of War, purchase for cash, from the War Department, for the use of its militia, stores, supplies, material of war, or military publications, such as are furnished to the Army, in addition to those issued under the provisions of this act, at the price at which they are listed for issue to the Army, with the cost of transportation added, and funds received from such sales shall be credited to the appropriations to which they belong and shall not be covered into the Treasury, but shall be available until expended to replace therewith the supplies sold to the States and Territories and to the District of Columbia in the manner herein provided." (Extract sec. 17, act of Jan. 21, 1903 (32 Stats., 778).)

394. All the public property issued to the organized militia will be accounted for under the same regulations that now govern accountability for public property in the Army, and the chiefs of the several supply departments will furnish the governors of the several States and Territories and the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia the necessary blank forms for making the required returns of the public property so issued, and returns will be made annually on the 31st of December of each year and will be sent to the War Department for examination and settlement. (Circ. 9, W. D., 1903.)

395. "SEC. 4. Whenever any property furnished to any State or Territory, or the District of Columbia, as hereinbefore provided, has been lost or destroyed, or has become unserviceable or unsuitable from use in the service, or from any other cause, it shall be examined by a disinterested surveying officer of the organized militia, to be appointed by the governor of the State or Territory or the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia, to whom

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