Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-29
THE MILITIA STRENGTH.
ANNUAL REPORT OF CAPTAIN TAYLOR ON
THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT.

An Apparent Decrease Explained Through
Lack of State Reports-Re commencing
Reserve Cavalry Force and a Horse
Census-Field Guns for the States.
WASHINGTON, November 2S-Captain
D. NJ. Taylor, Ordnance Department, who
is charged with the supervision of supplies
issued to the militia, IN his annual report to
the Secretary of War, says that the in
creased interest in militia affairs caused by
the passage of the act of February II, 1887,
has not been apparently maintained, as
numbers show. The militia force of 1890
was 10s,292 as against LOG, ,5O6 in February.
1889, but this apparent decrease, it is
thought, is deceptive, owing to the lack of
reports from some States known to possess
an organized militia. Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Dakota and w ashington, which
were unaccounted for in the report, are
known to possess G, TT militia, which would
make the grand aggregate in 1890 109, 469 or
an increase of 2, 1868 in one year.
Captain Taylor strongly urges the passage
by Congress OF the pending bill to promote
the efficiency % the militia. Captain Tay-
lor also calls attention to the disproportion
In numbers between the cavalry and the in
Iantry. He says that cavalry is one OF the
most difficult arms to improvise, and some
steps should be taken to encourage the
formation of new and to foster existing cav
airy organizations in the National Guard.
He recommends that Congress authorize and
appropriate for the placing in each State
which has more than 5000 regularly organ
lied militia, at such place as the Governor
may indicate and where stables and
forage shall be provided at the
expense of the State, of sufficient horses,
not to exceed IS for each State, to mount
troop of cavalry, with a detachment of
regular cavalry soldiers to care for them
and with such non-commlssioned officers as
may be competent TO act as instructors in
riding and in tactics.
In Austria and in France, when the land.
wehr is not in active service, the horses are
loaned by the Government to farmers to
keep and produce when needed, and after a
certain number of years they become the
property of the farmers. This course of
action in country districts, or the one above
suggested, says Captain Taylor, would
produce gratifying increase in the number
and efficiency of cavalry militia. Captain
Taylor also touches upon the feasibility of
q horse census, and of legislation to
prevent the country being depleted of
the animals which will be urgently needed
in the event of war. At present there is
nothing to prevent foreign agents from hav-
ing all our available animals, and un-
doubtedly at different times large numbers
have been shipped out of the country.
The difficulty OF obtaining suitable cavalry
horses has alarmingly increased in the past
Is years, and the establishment OF a horse
reserve and of Government breeding stations
would seem to be matters of first Importance
when the possibilities of war are regarded.
Captain Taylor also urges the passage of
the bill to issue to the States and Territories
field guns, to encourage the formation of
artillery companies.