Show I PAY1SU THE ARMY General Smith MaRes Some Important Import-ant llccoinniendsitionJ Washington Nov 15Paymaster General Smith in his annual report to the secretary of war calls attention to the fact the soldiers deposits have increased in-creased 79582 during the year a gratifying increase in view of the fact the deposits had been falling off in preceding pre-ceding years and of the further fact that a soldier with a deposit account rarely leaves the service Without an honorable discharge The expenditures on account of pay of the army show an increase of 275 653 over the preceding year due in part to the fact that the unlisted force was more nearly kept at its maximum I limit The fact that the expenditures Ion account of pay of Vi c le rs was 493653 less than last year is taken a an indication that these claims are being exhausted The paymaster general gen-eral questions the beneficial effect of the system o withholding a portion I of the soldiers pay until the is discharged dis-charged The travel allowance of the soldier is ample to take him home when discharged and i is not necessary to I withhold pay for that purpose Any I system which makes the soldier a dependent de-pendent detracts from his manhpjd and efficiency Many men enlist being told their pay will be 13 per month only I to find that through reductions on account ac-count of clothing and withheld pay two Ior I three months must elapse before he can I receive any pay He regards this as a breach of contract and deserts Therefore i is recommended that the I system wnich is cumbersome compli cated and obsolete be abolished I is I alsO recommended that there be butt but-t one common pay check for the army j I and that all disbursements made I rough the bonded officers of the pay corps Instead of being divided up be j I tween nonbonded disbursing officers l who last year distributed half jfl the army appropriations |