ARMY VETERINARY LEGISLATION. 
778 
into account nothing for allowances), making $30,000. It will 
thus be found that the total amount of pay for this corps under 
this amendment will be $64,000. In addition to that, officers 
who have been in this service for fifteen years as veterinarians, 
would receive longevity pay and other allowances. The cost 
for pay and allowances, saying nothing of traveling expenses, 
would be about $100,000. 
I think, as the chairman of the committee has suggested, 
that it would be perfectly fair to let this matter go to confer¬ 
ence with the other provisions of the bill. In that way we 
could arrive at a much better conclusion than, I think, can be 
arrived at by undertaking to act on this subject here and now. 
While this amendment at the beginning would simply call for 
a colonel and a major at the War Department headquarters, 
mark my words, inside of five years the number of field officers 
will be materially increased, as well as the expense. 
Mr. Sulzer. The gentleman says let this go to conference. 
Why not adopt the amendment and then let it go to conference? 
Mr. Steele. If we adopt the amendment, there can be no 
conference, so far as this provision is concerned. 
Mr. Sulzer. The gentleman is mistaken. 
Mr. Steele. I beg the gentleman’s pardon. This is a pro¬ 
vision of the Senate bill, and if the House and the Senate agree 
upon the proposition there will be nothing to confer about. 
Mr. Parker of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, many of my 
friends are veterinary surgeons. We should have the very best 
talent in that service that the United States can afford, and the 
most experienced surgeons should be found and honored in our 
Army. But I cannot accept the proposition which is now be¬ 
fore the House as an amendment to the pending bill; and I beg 
the House to bear with me a moment and to understand with 
me what that provision is. 
As has been pointed out by the chairman of the Committee 
on Military Affairs, it is not a question whether veterinary sur¬ 
geons should have rank or pay or honor, but whether they 
should constitute a new and separate staff corps. It is whether 
we should accept this particular provision for such a corps with¬ 
out recommendation by the War Department or the Army, 
without the opinion of that Department, and without oppor¬ 
tunity under the rules to perfect this proposition. We are asked 
not to accept surgeons as officers, but to establish a new corps. 
What does that mean ? 
What is a corps? It is an independent branch of the Army. 
