(f) When public property for which an officer serving under a department commander is accountable has been inspected by a division inspector-general or his assistant, the inventory and inspection reports are to be sent by the inspector to the department commander for proper action. (Chief of Staff, May 19, 1905, published in Cir. 17, A. D., 1905, and Cir. 30, Philippines Division, 1905.) 240. Animals. -Public animals will be inventoried singly, with brief description of color, sex, age, and distinguishing marks. (A. R., 912.) 241. Public animals inspected and found unsuited for one branch of the service may be transferred to another for which they are fitted. When of no further use for any branch of the service they will be submitted to an inspector and if condemned sold at public auction or destroyed under the following circumstances: First, to terminate suffering (from disease or other cause); second, to prevent contagion; third, on account of incurable disease or injury; fourth, on account of old age, when to sell them for work in the hands of irresponsible persons would be cruel and cause suffering to the animals. Horses belonging to troops of cavalry or to batteries of artillery will not be sold or turned in to the Quartermaster's Department unless previously acted upon by an inspector. (A. R., 1081.) See paragraph 787, post. 242. "Inspection reports condemning cavalry horses for being vicious, unmanageable in ranks, etc., should not be approved except in rare instances." (Cir. letter, A. G. O., Sept. 3, 1896.) 243. "The Secretary of War directs that no horses be inspected or condemned in your department unless it is clearly manifest that they are entirely unsuited for the service for which they are required." (Cir. letter, A. G. O., June 5, 1900, to division and department commanders.) 244. Books.-Inspectors-general will, at the annual inspection of posts, condemn and destroy such library books as may be unserviceable and worthless. (A. R., 344.) See paragraph 156, ante. 245. Soldier's handbooks, excepting those in hands of enlisted men, copies of Drill Regulations, Army Regulations, Smallarms Firing Regulations, manuals and other books of instruction (Government publications) issued to organizations, will be accounted for on the muster rolls of the organizations. When lost, worn-out, or damaged they should be disposed of under Article LIX, A. R., 1901 (Art. LIV, A. R., 1908), as in case of other government property. They will not be turned in to the War Department unless especially directed. Soldier's handbooks issued to enlisted men will be dropped from the muster rolls. (Cir. 2, W. D., 1904.) 246. Buildings.-Public buildings which have become unserviceable and can not be kept in repair at reasonable cost, or which occupy ground required for new buildings or other improvements, will be entered upon a separate inventory and brought before an inspector for his action. (A. R., 912.) 247. Orders of the Secretary of War are required on inspection reports of public buildings. (A. R., 920.) The Commanding General, Philippines Division, is authorized to give such orders as may be necessary on the reports of authorized inspectors to dispose of temporary buildings. (Acting Scy. War, Nov. 8, 1907; 11785, I. G. O.) 248. Submarine mine property.-Submarine mine property ordered by an inspector to be turned in to depot shall be shipped to the torpedo depot at Fort Totten, N. Y. (G. O. 86, W. D., 1905.) 249. At national cemeteries.—Held, that under sec. 1241, Rev. Sts., unserviceable tools and materials, which had been in use at a national cemetery, could not legally be ordered to be sold upon the mere inspection and report of their unserviceableness made by the superintendent of the cemetery, but that, as required in the section, there must be first an inspection "by an officer (i. e., commissioned officer) designated by the Secretary of War." (D. J. A. G. 2281.) Quartermaster's property. 250. Band instruments. When any band instrument has become unserviceable, it will be submitted to a surveying officer. A copy of his report will be forwarded to the QuartermasterGeneral with a view of having the instrument repaired, if practicable, or otherwise diposed of. When an instrument needs minor repairs, involving only a slight expense, and the work can be done in a workmanlike manner in the vicinity of the post, it will not be necessary to submit the instrument to a surveying officer. (A. R., 1188.) NOTE. As a general rule, band instruments are not submitted to an inspector until they have been transferred to depot and examined by experts to determine whether or not they are worth cost of repairs. (Indorsement Q. M. G., Sept. 14, 1907; 11243-D, I. G. O.) 251. Bedsteads. The old pattern bedsteads should not be condemned unless they are absolutely unserviceable, as the reduced condition of the appropriations for clothing and equipage makes it impracticable to supply bedsteads of new pattern to meet the demands. (Recommendation of Q. M. Genl., approved by Actg. Scy. War Oct. 29, 1907; 11953, I. G. O.) 252. Clothing.--An inspection report on damaged clothing will set forth the amount of damage to each article; also a list of such articles as are fit to issue to prisoners. (A. R. 919.) 253. White summer clothing (coat, trousers, and cap) issued to members of recruiting parties at general recruiting stations, will be submitted to the action of an inspector when no longer fit for service. Such clothing will be charged to the enlisted men only in case of loss or damage. (A. R. 1176.) 254. Hereafter, blankets and articles of uniform clothing that have been condemned as unserviceable or obsolete will not be sold at auction without special authority from the War Department. If they are of no value they will be destroyed in the manner prescribed in the Army Regulations. If they are fit to be issued to prisoners they will be held for that purpose at the place of condemnation, in whole or in part, or shipped to such quartermaster's depot as may be designated by the Quartermaster-General for renovation, storage, and issue to the United States Military Prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., or to the Pacific Branch thereof at Alcatraz Island, California. (G. O. 186, W. D., 1907.) 255. General authority granted for shipment from time to time of condemned clothing (articles needed for issue to prisoners in the Philippine Islands excepted) from Manila to the San Francisco depot of the Quartermaster's Department; but chevrons, hat cords, letters, numbers, hat and cap ornaments, leggings, uniform hats, coats, flannel shirts, and trousers, which are believed by inspectors to be not worth the cost of transportation to the United States for sale, are to be destroyed. (Scy. War, March 24, 1908; 12314, I. G. O.) 256. Colors.-Service colors and guidons will be submitted for the action of an inspector when unfit for further use. (A. R. 235.) 257. Silken colors, standards, and guidons when unserviceable are submitted to action of a surveying officer, but not for action of an inspector. (A. R. 235.) 258. Tableware.-A. R. 1187 does not contemplate action of an inspector on china and glassware. (See par. 993, post.) Agate and similar tableware should be treated the same as china or glassware, namely, that 5 per cent per quarter be allowed for breakage, and that it be not submitted for the action of an inspector. (Q.M. G., March 2, 1904; 12443, I. G. O.) The decision of the Quartermaster-General of March 2, 1904 (see above), pertains only to breakage of china and glassware at posts. Unserviceable china and glassware pertaining to messes on transports, mine planters, etc., may be acted upon by an inspector. (Scy. War, June 4, 1908; 12443, I. G. O.) 259. Silverware (tableware) not to be replated. (Q. M. G., March 23, 1894.) 260. Trumpets.--Trumpets and cords and tassels are not articles pertaining to a band, and should be inspected, if unserviceable, without the action of a board of survey (surveying officer) required for band instruments. (Q. M. G., Oct 1., 1901; 12070, I. G. O.) 261. Typewriting machines. Authority of the QuartermasterGeneral must be obtained for the submission of old and unserviceable typewriting machines to the action of an inspector. (Cir. 6, Q. M. G. O., Feb. 15, 1906.) Subsistence supplies. 262. Inventory and inspection reports. Separate inventories will be made for "subsistence property" as distinct from "subsistence stores." (Directions on Form 1, I. G. D.) In the case of rapidly deteriorating subsistence stores, inventories will be prepared whenever necessary, and one copy will be forwarded to the commander having authority to appoint an inspector. (A. R., 912.) Also see par. 983, post. Medical property. 263. Damaged or unserviceable medicines, medical books, surgical or scientific instruments and appliances, pertaining to the Medical Department, will not be presented to an inspector for condemnation until authority for so doing has been obtained from the chief surgeon of the division or department. (A. R., 1505.) NOTE. The supply tables published in Manual for the Medical Department give lists of surgical and scientific instruments and appliances. 264. Medicines. In a case of certain deteriorated drugs and medicines inspected and recommended to be sold, the Acting Secretary of War, April 2, 1908, authorized their destruction upon the following recommendation of the Surgeon-General: "It does not seem good morals for the Government to sell medicines that are unfit for use as such, in the absence of complete power to control their ultimate application, even in cases where such sales are not within the prohibition of the Food and Drugs Act. Authority to destroy these goods is therefore requested." (9724-H, 1, I. G.O.) See par. 213, ante. Engineer property. 265. Electrical and mechanical installations and appliances.— Electrical and mechanical installations and appliances furnished to the Coast Artillery Corps by the Engineer Department and forming part of the permanent seacoast defenses, will not be presented for the action of an inspector without the authority of the Secretary of War. (A. R., 921.) Such property not to be on the same inventory and inspection report with other property. (Directions on Form 1, I. G. D.) 266. Electrical machines. When a part of an electrical machine is condemned, it will be preserved and turned over to the nearest district engineer officer for repairs or renewal, and will not be thrown overboard or destroyed. (Chief of Eng., approved by Sey. War, April 11, 1901; 6310-A, I. G. O.) 267. Information for inspectors.-Officers will inform the inspectors-general, who regularly inspect their disbursements and accounts, when they have property requiring the action of an inspector, where it is located, and the best way to reach the respective places. This notice should be sent a reasonable time prior to the probable date of the inspector's regular visit, which can be readily approximated. (E. R., 375.) 268. Inventory and inspection reports. Inventory and inspection reports will show the class of works to which engineer property pertains, whether to rivers and harbors, to fortifications, etc. The items on any inventory and inspection report should not pertain to more than one property return. (E. R., 389.) 269. Reconnaissance instruments.-Reconnaissance instruments issued by the Engineer Department under the provisions of G. O. 73, W. D., 1907, that have become damaged or worn out in the service and that an inspector has recommended to be 58078-09-5 |