The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-16
WHY 1T WAS REFUSED.
The Reasons for Not Allowing Com
panies E, { and \ to Hold Fair.
ADJT.- .-GEN. DYER EXPLAINS,
Tho Armory Rents Are Paid by tho State
with the Understanding that no Fairs
VIII be Necessary-Gen. Dyer Could
Not Couscientiously Recommend II.

With regard to the Governors refusal
to grant the petition OF Col Moran aud
the officers of Companies f, f and ii,
Second Regiment. X. l. NJ. for pcrmis-
sion to hold fair In their armory on
Westminster street, the adjutant-general
wishes 1t understood that permission was
granted lost year only in view of the
heavy debt incurred by these organiza-
tions and that it was understood at the
time that he would be opposed to the
granting Of any such petition Ia the fu-
ture
On the Endorsement of petition dated
Sept. 4, 1891, Gen. Dyer says, after re-
commencing that the petitions be
granted: II have told the colonel COM
manding that this Office will not oppose
the granting Of this request under the
extraordinary circumstances, but would
oppose any subsequent request for SINH
lar purposes.
This seems to be clear enough and the
reason Is frankly admitted in the petition
OF the officers for reimbursement. dated
February, 1892, a clause of which says:
1--WE are prohibi and properly. from
using the armory for any source of profit"
referring to the tendency Of fairs and
entertainments to cause inefiiciency
among the troops.
In the resolution passed by the General
Assembly, May /, 1891. the first secured
by the adjutant general for armory rents,
this provision Is found Provided, how
ever, that the armories SO leased by the
State shall not be used for any other than
military purposes without the express
permission of the commander-in-chief."
Again at the January session when the
Adjutant-G General appeared and asked for
an appropriation of So, 700 for the housing
~ oil pieR i'm the hriOa1a l9
argued that the same provision should
govern the armories rs prevailed under
the previous appropriation and wnen
mention was made OF the fair which mad
been held the previons season he stated
the circumstances and gave his word that
ne would not recommend any such per-
mission being granted in the future.
The text of the endorsement which &C
companied the petition which Gov. Brown
saw fit to refuse is as follows: "kespect-
fully forwarded with the Information
that the State having made an annual APP
preparation OF 81 200 for the armory rents
OF Companies +. L and II, Second Regi-
ment, X. i. NJ, having also fitted up at
great expense the same in order that the
armory should bo at all times under
the control of the military author
tiles Of the State. and representa-
tions having been made to this
office from time to time in former vears
tertainments was the means Of prevent
ing sreater efficiency and usefulness Of
.se companies. this communication is
forwarded not recommended"
Thus it will appear that the above
mentioned militia companies knowing
that the Adjutant General could not
recommend the granting OF such a petit
tion, went ahead and got out their print
ing just rs il the permission had been
granted before they put in this petition.
OF course it was hard to refuse the de-
sired permission after the companies had
gone TO this expense, but the ex-
pense was needlessly incurred. Another
side to the matter is that with an applica-
ton for reimbursement already in the
possession OF the committee on militia of
the General Assembly. recommended by
the Adjutant General, it would have been
the proper thing to wait until it was
either granted or refused. The papers
and correspondence are all on file in Gen.
Dyer's office, and are available to any who
may wish to see them.