in the Passaic valley (4. Y. B., 1913, | school children an idea of the workp. 306). At that time it was report- ings of the city department; and ed by the authorities in charge as third, to awaken civic pride among being three-fifths completed. them. It is reported that the plan has proved of great assistance to the department. Philadelphia.—An important sewage survey was made during the year by the Bureau of Surveys of the city of New York. The city of New York Philadelphia, somewhat along the has been at very great expense in the lines of the study of the Metropoli- past in disposing of its household tan Sewerage Commission in New refuse. It has been unable to make York City and with findings which a long-term contract sufficient to juscalled for the construction of an al- tify a contractor in putting up a dismost equally elaborate system of sew-posal plant and the municipality has age disposal works. The report rec- therefore been more or less at the ommends that "to protect health the mercy of existing contractors withcity should spend $5,000,000 annually for the next five years for the construction of the necessary works for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage." The plans formulated by the bureau divide the city into three districts, two of which are to discharge into the Delaware River and one into the Schuylkill River. It is proposed to treat sewage by combined process of screening and sedimentation. The bureau estimates the total cost of carrying its plans into effect at $34,600,000. out the ideas of the city authorities was ultimately defeated. Portland, Ore.-By a vote of 13,186 to 20,507, the voters at a special election in May defeated a proposition for the installation of a munici out the opportunity for any real competition. During the year the city made an active campaign before the legislature to secure the right to contract for 15 years for garbage disposal. The mayor stated that this would mean a saving of at least $1,400,000 to the city. The matter was strongly opposed before the legislature by a number of interests who objected to contracts of this nature and who alleged that the plan involved certain expenditures on the part of the city in the matter of the erection Cleveland. The street-cleaning de- of disposal plants. The so-called partment of Cleveland has put into Lockwood-Perlman bill which carried practice an interesting experiment in the matter of securing volunteer assistance for the work of the department. In coöperation with the principals of public schools in certain congested districts it has organized the students of the upper grades into ju-pally operated system of garbage colnior-order service leagues. The city department provides badges and furnishes the members of the leagues with copies of city ordinances and regulations governing the care of streets. Each district organization assumes responsibility for the streets in the district and the inspection of yards. Reports concerning conditions to be remedied are made direct to the commissioner of street cleaning. Volunteer-aide certificates are prepared by the department for the officers of the organizations. At the close of the school year a premium is to be given to the most efficient volunteer officer in the city. By the organization of these leagues the superintendent hopes to accomplish three things: first, the securing of cleaner streets and yards through the coöperation of school children; second, to give the lection similar to that in most of the larger cities of the country. Snow Removal.-The problem of clearing streets of large cities from accumulations of snow is a serious one in the United States. The various cities have been put to enormous expense in removing snow without securing satisfactory results. During the winter of 1915 important experiments were conducted in the cities of New York and Philadelphia in the matter of utilization of sewers for snow removal. In New York City Commissioner Fetherston of the Department of Street Cleaning claims that in this manner at least a million dollars annually can be saved in years of normal snow fall. He reports that the 1915 experiment was very satisfactory and did not result in the clogging of the sewers. XII. MILITARY AND NAVAL THE ARMY States," prepared by the General Staff by direction of the Secretary of War, 230,000 officers and men are given as the proper number of combatant troops, including the Coast Artillery. Proper numbers of staff troops and the Philippine Scouts bring this number to a total of 289,000 for the Regular Army. No recommendations regarding militia were made in this statement, except the repeal of certain laws referring to acceptance into the United States service. Recommendations were made with a view to providing an efficient reserve, composed of men from the Regular Army and trained civilians, bringing total forces at the beginning of any war to 1,000,000 officers and men. Administration.-The internal administration of the Army has been continued during the year 1915 by practically the methods authorized and directed in 1912 (A. Y. B., 1912, p. 292; 1913, p. 307; 1914, p. 300). Very little new legislation affected the service, although some special items in the Army Appropriation Act of 1915 are of sufficient importance to demand notice. The Act authorizes the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to transfer to the active list of the Army any officer retired for physical disability, under 50 years of age, with rank not above that of captain, provided such retired officer shall pass a satisfactory mental and physical examination. Officers so transferred are to Various plans will be submitted to take the rank they would have held Congress. At the end of the year if they had continued in active serv- there were three almost ready for ice, instead of being on the retired consideration. First, what is known list. It is understood that the ob- as the Administration plan contemject of this law is to make available plates increasing the Regular Army the services of retired officers who from 100,000 to approximately 141,have recovered from their disabilities. 000 rank and file, and the addition The Act authorized commutation of of about 790 extra officers for use in quarters at places where no public training the Continental Army and quarters are available, and provided the Militia; the raising of a Contialso for commutation of heat and nental Army of about 500,000 men, light. These changes will prove eco- by yearly increments of practically nomical, and will undoubtedly save 34,000, these forces to enlist for six much labor and prevent confusion. years and to receive training two Another clause in the Act provided months in each of the first three that captains of the Porto Rico Regi- years, going into the reserve for the ment should be recommissioned as next three; lastly, this plan provides captains of the United States Army. more Federal assistance for the OrDuring the year military prepared-ganized Militia. What is known as ness has received much public attention, and the condition and size of the Army and Navy have become one of the questions of the day. So far as relates to the Army, the matter has been the subject of thorough study by the War College and the General Staff. In a "Statement of a Proper Military Policy for the United the "Hay bill" makes very little increase in the number of enlisted men of the regular mobile forces, provides for 52 more companies of Coast Artillery without any officers, provides for a Continental Army, and for graduated pay for the Militia. The Hay bill also proposes to largely increase the numbers of officers in the 1 Under the act of Congress approved Aug. 24, 1912, the 6,000 authorized enlisted men of the Quartermaster Corps are not to be counted as part of the strength of the Army. 2 Includes 104 first lieutenants of the Medical Reserve Corps on active duty and 60 dental surgeons. Under the act of Congress approved Mar. 1, 1887 (24 Stat. L., 435), the enlisted men of the Medical Department (Hospital Corps) are not to be counted as part of the strength of the Army. The authorized strength of the Hospital Corps is 4,012 enlisted men. mobile forces, especially Cavalry and Infantry in the higher ranks, and an increase in the number of first lieutenants in the Coast Artillery. The "Chamberlain bill" would result, if passed, in material increases in all branches of the regular forces, with the necessary officers. The probabilities are that still other plans will be submitted to Congress, and no definite statement can now be made as to what results will be. (See also I, The Sixty-Fourth Congress.) War Department.-The Chief of Staff, Gen. Hugh L. Scott, was promoted from brigadier- to major-gen | eral on June 20, and Brig.-Gen. Gorgas, the surgeon-general, was made major-general on March 4. No other changes among the chiefs of corps and departments have occurred during the year. Distribution of Combatant Troops. -The First Division of the Regular Army, Major-Gen. Leonard Wood, is in the Eastern Department, with two companies of engineers, one company and a platoon of signal troops, one regiment of cavalry, four regiments of infantry, two ambulance companies and a field hospital. In addition to the forces mentioned, the North At lantic Coast Artillery District, Brig.- | thorizing the expenditure of funds for Gen. Harry F. Hodges, and the South the military service for the year endAtlantic Coast Artillery District, ing June 30, 1916. The appropriaCol. Stephen M. Foote, C. A. C., are tions were as follows: in this Department. Support of the Army... $96,519,195.87 Arsenals Military Posts and Mis cellaneous Total 1,069,813.37 5,440,000.00 6,060,216.90 653,600.00 570,924.99 $110,313,751.13 The Second Division headquarters are in the Central Department. The Division comprises the fourth and fifth brigades. In the Department are three regiments of cavalry, a field hospital and an ambulance company. The Department is temporarily commanded by Col. D. A. Frederick of the Infantry. Most of the troops are absent on duty along the Mexican border and in the insular possessions. The Southern Department, commanded by Major-Gen. Frederick Funston, has its headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In this Department there are the Cavalry Division, the 13th Cavalry (less one troop), two regiments and a battalion of field artillery, 12 infantry regiments, one company and a platoon of the signal corps, and two field hos-eral clashes have occurred between pital and ambulance companies. In the Western Department, headquarters at San Francisco, Cal., are stationed troops of the Third Division, in addition to the troops of the Pacific Coast Artillery District. Major-Gen. William H. Carter commands the Department and the Division, and Brig. Gen. William L. Sibert commands the Artillery District. The appropriations for 1916 are $1,430,434.82 less than the expenditures for 1915. In addition to the 1916 appropriations stated, further sums totaling $44,233,270.34 were authorized for expenditure by the War Department on civil matters, including rivers, harbors, public buildings, etc. The Regular Service. During the whole of the year a large part of the infantry, cavalry and field artillery of the Army has been on continuous duty along the Mexican border. Sev the troops and raiders from the Mexi- The The Philippine Department embraces all the islands of the Philippine Archipelago. The troops consist of two companies of engineers, two companies of the signal corps, a field hospital and ambulance company, two regiments of cavalry, one regiment of field artillery, four regi-ernment and several European counments of infantry, and sixteen companies of coast artillery. This Department is commanded by MajorGeneral Thomas H. Barry. tries, it is hoped that the necessity for the strong border guard will soon be a thing of the past. In November, 741 officers and 19,944 men were on duty along the border. In the Hawaiian Department is the First Hawaiian Brigade, commanded The Mobile Army.-No large maby Brig.-Gen. Frederick S. Strong; neuvers occurred during the year for the 2d Infantry, 4th Cavalry, 1st the same reasons that prevented them Field Artillery, one company of en- in 1914, namely, the absence of most gineers, one company of the signal of the regiments from their stations. corps, and nine companies of coast More stress has been laid than ever artillery. Brig.-Gen. John P. Wisser before on training in strictly milicommands the Department. tary lines, and to that end paper Appropriations.-The work at military posts has been re$104,489,662.90 was appropriated un- duced to the lowest possible limit, in der the various acts of Congress au-order that officers may devote most amount of of their time to the actual work of instruction. Camps have been instituted in various parts of the country for the wider dissemination of military knowledge. One of the most notable of these was the camp at Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y., for business and professional men. Large numbers of the leading men in the country took advantage of this opportunity and the value to the nation of this one camp cannot be measured in dollars and cents. There were three other similar camps. Four camps for the instruction of students from schools and colleges were held and were very successful. In the cavalry and infantry new methods are being tried out, and it is believed that there are no better troops of these arms in any army in the world. The public prints have had a great deal to say about the "inefficiency" of the Army. A better word to use would be "inadequacy"; | the small numbers of troops are utterly inadequate for the tremendous task which would be theirs in case of a war with even a second-class power, but they are remarkably efficient in all that pertains to their profession. The Coast Artillery.-The present war in Europe has demonstrated more thoroughly than ever before the axiom that well defended and well armed coast fortifications cannot be taken by naval attack. The forts on the Dardanelles have so far defied all attempts of the combined Allied fleets. As a natural consequence of this object lesson, our own coast artillery is brought prominently before the public eye. Practically the same conditions as to officers and men exist as in 1914 (4. Y. B., 1914, p. 304), that is, the present defenses require about 2,000 officers and 48,000 men, while we actually have about 1,150 officers and 26,000 men, of whom 441 officers and 7,000 men are militia. Five additional companies were sent to the Philippines, and six to the Canal Zone in the summer and fall of 1915. This made it necessary to reduce garrisons to the vanishing point at several coast forts in the United States. The Coast Artillery, in addition to training in its special technique, has received instruction and drill in field maneuvers as infantry, and drill and practice with field guns and howitzers; each fort is supplied with a certain number of such guns, for use in repelling attacks from the landward side of forts. Reports so far received indicate that the usual high standards have been reached in the year's target practice. The results of night practice with the heavy guns have been very good. The Quartermaster Corps.-In the Quartermaster's Department supplies and services have been kept up. and considerable work has been done on reserve stocks. Several appropriations have been consolidated into the appropriation "Supplies, Services and Transportation of the Army," greatly simplifying the work of quartermasters at posts and in the field. Construction work has been carried on in the Philippines, Hawaii, the Canal Zone, and at certain posts in the United States. The Ordnance Department.-Action has been taken by the Ordnance Department with a view to increasing the ranges of all seacoast guns, and toward providing heavy mobile artillery, such as is now being used for the first time in Europe, with the necessary transportation therefor. Supplies, ammunition and arms are being provided in as large quantities as funds furnished will permit. The Engineer Corps.—Organizations of the engineers have served in all sections of the country and in the Philippines, Hawaii, Alaska and the Canal Zone during the year. A camp for training the engineers of the militia was established at Belvoir, Va., and instruction was carried on there during the summer. The work of the Engineer Corps in river and harbor improvement is reviewed elsewhere in this volume (see X, Waterways and Harbors). The Signal Corps.-The Aviation School at San Diego has been in operation now for over a year. A thorough course of instruction is given, with the object of providing a large number of military aviators. In its other activities this corps handles the supply of communication lines and instruments, such as telephones, buzzers, telegraph and radio instalments; and trains telegraphers, radio operators, |