ARMY VETERINARY LEGISLATION. 
767 
made by the Secretary of War, and the chief veterinarian shall report 
directly to that officer. 
“ For pay of officers of the Veterinary Corps, $33,500. ” 
Mr. Bingham. Mr. Chairman, I fully recognize that the 
amendment I have submitted (being word for word a part of 
the Senate bill as it came to the House) would go to confer¬ 
ence as soon as this bill passes, along with the other paragraphs 
of the Senate bill, and would be subject to consideration there. 
I think, however, at the same time, that this subject has been 
gone over so thoroughly that there is a conviction on the part 
of the House of the wisdom and necessity of the establishment 
of this additional branch of service, so as to be a part of the 
reorganization of the Army. 
This proposition, Mr. Chairman, was carefully considered 
in the Senate, a great deal of testimony was taken in refer¬ 
ence to it, and it passed that body and became a part of the 
bill which was transmitted to the House. There is nothing 
whatever in the report of the House Committee on Military 
Affairs, as I read it, that in any wise refers to crossing our or 
wiping out the paragraph in the Senate bill to which reference 
is made in the amendment. We have not been given any in¬ 
formation upon that subject. 
In the brief I hold in my hand, prepared by Senator Ken¬ 
ney, appears this amendment. The statement is made that the 
entire cost, under the amendment, will not exceed $6500. It 
is asserted in this brief that that is the entire cost over and 
above the cost of the civil employees now engaged in that ser¬ 
vice. It is also alleged that this will be more than compen¬ 
sated for by the organization of this veterinary corps which the 
amendment proposes. 
Under the rulings of the Department, as well as the judicial 
decisions, the present force of the veterinary surgeons is de¬ 
clared to be a force of civilian employees—so rated and so paid 
—$75 a month to one class and $125 a month to another. 
They hold no commissions and have no commissioned relations 
with the other branches of the service. It is claimed in this 
proposition, which has had the indorsement of the most effi¬ 
cient and careful officers of the Army, General Merritt, General 
Brooke, Major-General Wilson, and other high officers, as well 
as the approval of President McKinley, General Miles, Cotn- 
mander-in-chiet of the Army, Quartermaster-General Uuding- 
ton, and others high in rank, that the proposition is one for the 
best interest of the service, and that under the proposed organ- 
