ARTICLE I.

MISCELLANEOUS GENERAL REGULATIONS.

AUTHORITY FOR MANUALS.

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 of the Army. (Decis. Sec. War, Oct. 31, 1895.)

2. Manuals issued by the staff departments and approved by the Secretary of War, when not in conflict with any of the provisions of these regulations, will have equal force therewith. (A. R., 1590.)

DUTIES OF THE SIGNAL CORPS.

3. The Chief Signal Officer is charged with the direction of the Signal Corps of the Army; with the control of the officers, enlisted men, and employees attached thereto; with the construction, repair, and operation of military cables, telegraphic and telephonic lines and wireless installations, field telegraph trains, balloon trains, and furnishing and installing instruments and connecting cables used for transmitting information in connection with fire control at seacoast fortifications; with the preparation, distribution, and revision of the War Department telegraphic code; with the supervision of such instruction in military signaling and telegraphy as may be prescribed in orders from the War Department; with the procurement, preservation, and distribution of the necessary supplies for the Signal Corps and for signaling installations of the lake and seacoast defense. He has charge of all military signal duties, and of books, papers, and devices connected therewith, including telegraph and telephone apparatus and the necessary meterological instruments for target ranges and other military uses; of collecting and transmitting information for the Army, by telegraph or otheriwse, and all other duties pertaining to military signaling. (A. R., 1576.)

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF SIGNAL OFFICE.

4. Signal Office orders from time to time have assigned certain duties to the several administrative divisions of the Signal Office. These duties at present are as follows:

(a) Administrative division.-Will have charge of the routine work of the Signal Office; the receipt and distribution of the mail;

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general office correspondence; the care and preservation of the office files, and all matters affecting the commissioned, enlisted, and civilian force of the Signal Corps.

The officer in charge of the administrative division will exercise general supervision and sign the mail pertaining to any of the other divisions during any temporary absence of the officer in charge, provided that some other officer shall not have been specially designated by the Chief Signal Officer of the Army for the performance of these duties.

All correspondence involving questions of policy, military discipline or establishing precedents should be sent by either division to the administrative division for reference to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army.

(b) Disbursing division.-Will be charged with the preparation of estimates for appropriations by Congress; the keeping of accounts of, making requisitions upon, and arranging for transfer to officers from such appropriation; the procuring of quotations, samples; issuing of advertisements; abstracting bids; making awards; placing orders; arranging for inspection and shipment of supplies; the giving notice to consignees; the invoicing and proper accounting for such supplies; the payment of accounts; the collecting of bills, and all other duties pertaining to disbursements.

From the time a request for a purchase is approved until the articles are delivered and paid for, all correspondence affecting the purchase or the inspection and delivery of, or payment for, articles will be written and signed in the disbursing division, and recommendations or instructions concerning the same from other divisions should be made in the form or memoranda to the disbursing officer.

The disbursing division will also have charge of all matters relating to the auditing of money and property accounts of persons responsible to the United States for money or property pertaining to the Signal Corps of the Army.

(c) Electrical division.-Will prepare all specifications and drawings for the technical equipment and supplies of the Signal Corps and maintain the files of such specifications and drawings for issue; will furnish recommendations on all technical matters which may be submitted, and will have charge of administrative matters and records pertaining to the installation of fire control at coast artillery posts. All requisitions for supplies and equipment for fire control at coast artillery posts will be acted upon by this division and requisition files maintained for all correspondence and data relating to requisitions. A record of fire-control property in stock at signal corps property depots will be maintained by posting the daily reports received from each supply depot. The electrical divi