The soldier is justly entitled to all the bread that is necessary for his full subsistence, even if it takes all the bread that can be made from his ration of flour (18) ounces), after deducting the trifling quantity necessary to pay the expenses of baking. The trouble arises not from insufficiency in the ration of flour, but from the effort to make the post bakery a money-making machine, for purposes foreign to the soldier's subsistence-for support of bands, libraries, &c. It is believed that if properly managed, wholly in the interest of the soldier's subsistence, the 18 ounces of flour actually issued for him by the Subsistence Department would give the soldier all the bread necessary for his reasonable subsistence, and that, looking simply to the subsistence of the soldier, no increase is required in the flour ration. What is required is that the soldier's mess shall get the full benefit of the ration now issued for him by the Subsistence Department, and that no part of it shall be diverted from its legitimate purpose by the unjust contrivance called the post fund. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,. A. B. EATON, Commissary-General of Subsistence. REPORT OF THE SURGEON-GENERAL. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 1, 1881. Sir: I have the honor to submit the following statement of finances and general transactions of the Medical Department of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1881: FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department, 1877: Balance from previous fiscal year.... Disbursed during the year.. Medical and Hospital Department, 1878, and prior years: Balance from previous fiscal year.. Appropriated by act of March 3, 1881. Refunded during the year.... Medical and Hospital Department, 1880: Disbursed during the year... Balance June 30, 1881....... Medical and Hospital Department, 1881: * Balance June 30, 1881...... 47,251 62 2,413 52 49, 665 14 46,373 08 3,292 06 .200, 000 00 142, 894 57 57, 105 43 *This entire amount will be required to meet obligations for which contracts were made prior to July 1, 1881; $53,929.28 of which has been disbursed since June 30, 1881, in fulfillment of said contracts. |