SIGNAL CORPS DEPOTS AND POSTS.

964. "The general depots of supply," mentioned in A. R., 187, include the general property depots of the Signal Corps at present established, or that may hereafter be established. Whenever such depots of the Signal Corps are situated at a Signal Corps post, matters of post administration remain in the hands of the division and department commanders. (Cir. 46, W. D., 1906.)

SOLDIERS' HOMES.

Soldiers' Home at Washington, D. C.

965. The following persons, members of the Soldiers' Home, according to section 4814, Revised Statutes, shall be entitled to the rights and benefits herein conferred, and no others:

First. Every soldier of the Army of the United States who has served, or may serve, honestly and faithfully twenty years in the same.

Second. Every soldier and every discharged soldier, whether regular or volunteer, who has suffered, or may suffer, by reason of disease or wounds incurred in the service and in the line of his duty, rendering him incapable of further military service, if such disability was not occasioned by his own misconduct.

Third. The invalid and disabled soldier, whether regulars or volunteers, of the war of 1812 and of all subsequent wars. (R. S., 4821.)

NOTE. Discharged soldiers who served only in volunteer organizations are not received at the Soldiers' Home in the District of Columbia, because provision is made for them in the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. (P. 20, Laws and Regulations for the Soldiers' Home.)

966. Regulations for admission to the Soldiers' Home, Washington, D. C. (A. R., 176-179.)

967. The law which required that 12 cents per month for the Soldiers Home be deducted from the pay of enlisted men was repealed by act of June 12, 1906 (G. O. 115, W. D., 1906. p. 4), and act of May 11, 1908 (G. O. 80, W. D., 1908, p. 8).

National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.

968. The following persons only shall be entitled to the benefits of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, and may be admitted thereto upon the order of a member of the Board of Managers, namely:

All honorably discharged officers, soldiers, and sailors who served in the regular or volunteer forces of the United States in any war in which the country has been engaged, including the Spanish-American War, and the provisional army (authorized by act of Congress approved March 2, 1899), who are disabled by disease, wounds, or otherwise, and who have no adequate means of support, are not otherwise provided for by law, and by reason of such disability are incapable of earning their living. (Acts Mar. 21, 1866; May 26, 1900; Jan. 28, 1901; Regs. N. H. D. V, S. of 1906, par. 83.)

STAFF.

969. Of commander of the Philippines Division. (A. R., 194.) Department commander. (A. R. 195.) Tactical division and brigade organized in time of peace for purpose of instruction. (F. S. R., 3.) General officer commanding a post. (A. R., 196.) Artillery district commander. ̄ (A. R., 302, G. O. 13, 62, W. D., 1908.) Regimental commander. (A. R., 243.) Battalion and squadron commanders. (A. R., 243.) Post commander. (A. R., 204, G. O. 62, W. D., 1908.)

970. Officers of the general staff (staff departments), serving at military posts, do not belong to regiments or battalions, but constitute the staff of the commanding officer. They will attend him on all reviews and inspections; will form in line three paces to the rear of the commanding officer, who may, at his discretion, require them to stand fast when he proceeds to make the “inspection,” or he may instruct one or more to accompany him, and the remainder to retain their position at the post for review. (Cir. 8, A. G. O., 1885.)

971. The tour of duty in the Philippines Division of all staff officers will be two years, as nearly as practicable, counting from the date of arrival in that division to the date of departure therefrom. (G. O. 175, W. D., 1907.)

972. Designation

SUBMARINE MINING.

torpedo companies" changed to “mine

companies." . (G. O. 21, W. D., 1908.)

973. Companies assigned to a mine defense are charged with the care and operation of the mine equipment. (G. O. 62, W. D., 1908, par. IV, sec. 17.)

974. Accountability for submarine mine property. (G. O. 182, W. D., 1907.)

975. Annual allowance of submarine mines for practice at posts supplied with the necessary mine explosive: To each post where a mine company is stationed, three mines; to other posts where instruction in submarine mining is required, one mine. (G. O. 9, W. D., 1908.)

976. Submarine mine property shall not be used for other than mine purposes, unless the express authority of the Chief of Artillery therefor has been previously obtained. (G. O. 86, W. D., 1905.)

977. Mine equipment expended in mine commands. (G. O. 62, W. D., 1908, par. IV, sec. 18.)

978. At posts provided with the necessary material (oil engine, storage battery, transformers, switchboard, operating boxes, etc.), a mining casemate shall be installed, provided a suitable room is available or may be extemporized for this purpose. If for any reason it is found impossible to make this temporary installation, the commanding officer shall make a detailed report showing why it can not be done. W. D., 1905.)

(G. O. 86,

979. Instructions relative to classification of submarine mine cable. (Cir. 21, W. D., 1906.)

980. Test of submarine mine cable, received at an artillery post, for insulation and copper resistance. (Cir. 45, W. D., 1907.)

981. Cable tanks should, if practicable, be kept filled with fresh water; but when this is impracticable salt water may be used until a supply of fresh water becomes available. (G. O. 86, W. D., 1905.)

SURVEYING OFFICER.

982. The post surgeon, unless he be the post commander, can not appoint a surveying officer. (Actg. Scy. War, Mar. 3, 1908; 12205, I. G. 0.)

983. On the approved recommendation of a surveying officer the following classes of property may be destroyed: (a) clothing infected with contagious disease; (b) stores that have become so deteriorated as to endanger health or injure other stores, and (c) unserviceable property of no salable value submitted to a surveying officer under the provisions of A. R., 682. The decision of the commanding officer will be final as to whether such property has salable value.

This paragraph will, in its application to ordnance stores under (c), be limited to utterly worthless articles constituting

the soldier's personal equipments (not arms), horse equipments, and target materials and supplies, the cost price of which does not exceed $100 for mounted organizations and $50 for all other cases. In each case the report will give the dates of receipt of the stores surveyed.

Before ordering the destruction of property or stores under the provisions of this paragraph the commanding officer will personally inspect the same and will be held responsible that the conditions justify the action. In case the invoice value of the stores involved exceeds $500, the approval of the next higher commander will be obtained before destruction of the property, as provided in A. R., 722. A certificate of the witnessing officer that the property has been destroyed as authorized will be appended to the report. (A. R., 720.)

984. Where two reports of survey of ordnance stores pertaining to one organization, covered destruction on the same date of property whose cost price was $99.90 and $98.65, the Secretary of War, March 11, 1908, concurred in the following remarks of the Chief of Ordnance:

"The action of these officers in disposing of the property seems to have been based on a technical compliance with A. R., 720, as amended, but their actions violated the spirit of this regulation and nullified its purpose. If such action were permitted to pass unnoticed an officer might claim that he could, on the same date or about the same date, properly dispose of utterly worthless ordnance property having an aggregate cost price of any amount, provided each report of survey covered property the cost price of which was $100 or under.

"This office reports that cases of this kind have so far been exceedingly rare. It is considered therefore that proper compliance with the spirit and purpose of the regulation can be best enforced by informing the officers concerned that the Secretary of War disapproves of their actions, and, should future cases arise, more stringent measures will be adopted." (12332, I. G. O.)

985. Opinion of the Judge-Advocate-General, October 6, 1903, in case where a board of survey recommended that the price of butter on hand by the Subsistence Department for sale at a post be reduced:

66

In view of the positive requirements of the statute that the sale of subsistence stores to officers and enlisted men shall be at cost price only,' it is believed that the proposed reduction would not be legal. The statute not only provides that the

sale shall be at cost price, but defines the meaning of the term, 'to be the invoice price of the last lot of that article received by the officer making the sale prior to the first day of the month in which the sale is made.'" (5723-B, I. G. O.; 15285,

J. A. G. O.)

986. Report of survey to be prepared in triplicate. Separate reports will be made for each staff department concerned. (A. R., 719.)

987. Approval of reports of survey. (A. R., 721-723.)

988. The third copy of a report of survey on public property pertaining to a recruit depot or to a general recruiting station will be filed at the depot or station. (Cir. 30, W. D., 1908.) 989. Reports on unserviceable band instruments. (A. R., 1188.)

990. Reports on china and glassware of outgoing organizations. (A. R., 1032.)

991. Reports for information of Secretary of War on unserviceable silken colors, standards, and guidons in possession of commands. (A. R., 235.)

992. Whenever loss or destruction of, or damage to, public property, requiring the action of a surveying officer, occurs, such action will be requested by the responsible officer as soon as practicable and in every case within thirty days after discovery of the loss, destruction, or damage, unless exceptional circumstances, which will be explained by the officer's certificates, prevent such action within that period. (A. R., 716.)

TABLEWARE.

993. Estimates are sometimes made for articles of china and glassware, to cover wear and tear, as determined by Inventory and Inspection Report. The term breakage in A. R., 1200, covers all shortage by deterioration of such ware through breakage, chipping, cracking, etc.; shortage through extraordinary circumstances, or through loss or carelessness, is otherwise provided for. Attention is invited to paragraph II, General Orders, No. 7, series 1895, and to Circular No. 10, series 1895, both from this office, the latter regarding inspection of ware after each meal and each dishwashing.

The allowance under A. R., 1200, is abundant, and ware must be so guarded that the outfit shall therewith be kept complete.