478 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
material furnished. It is also difficult to retain good workmen ‘ 
on the pay they receive—$15 per month. 
Then our cavalry of at least 12,000 horses, besides artillerv 
and quartermaster animals, of probably a much larger number, * 
are scattered over our vast domain, besides those in our new 
tropical possessions, with only fourteen regular army veterina¬ 
rians, and those without sufficient authority to have their wishes i 
or instructions respected. 
The station of the army veterinarian is at Regiment Head- I 
quarters, where usually only a portion of the regiment is located. 
Take, for instance, the 4th Cavalry before the recent war, its | 
headquarters at Walla Walla, Wash., with its veterinarian and j 
only two or three troops, while four troops of the same regiment | 
at the Presidio, Cal., and two in the Yellowstone Park, were far i 
beyond the reach of the regimental veterinarian, and this condi- j 
tion applies generally. For this reason alone we should not be 
regimental employees, but army ones. » 
The different stations of the army are visited annuallv by an j 
inspector, and all animals permanently disabled from this time 1 
till his next annual visit are foraged and cared for. Thy are | 
then presented by troop commanders for condemnation, fre- i 
quently without reference to the veterinarian, while neither the I 
inspector nor troop commander have any pretentions to veterinary j 
attainment. Then a large percentage of these condemnations is for j 
‘‘ unsteadiness in ranks,” “ won’t stand fire,” “ viciousness,” etc. | 
Now, after placing these different items as plainly as it was I 
possible for me to do, you will, unlike our critics, kindly relieve | 
us of the responsibility of their claimed immense annual animal i 
loss, and place it where it belongs, and not on the army veteri- | 
narians. i 
t 
We have now in the regular cavalry at least 12,000 horses. \ 
Those at $150 each, which is about the price paid by the pur- , 
chasing quartermaster iu peace times, amount to $1,800,000, 
and, presuming the 25 per cent, annual loss of our critics is j 
correct, $450,000 would be the amount each year. Then, we j 
have other public animals (artillery and quartermaster) of at j 
least the same number and value. Presuming the same annual 
loss iu those quarters, another $450,000, or a total annual loss ! 
of $900,000. ! 
It was but recently I had the honor of being connected with | 
a board of cavalry officers in purchasing remounts for my regi¬ 
ment. The price paid, $100 each, was an emergency one, as | 
suitable horses under ordinary conditions would not be worth ! 
