The morning call., 1894-10-28
NATIONAL GUARD.
Steps Are Taken Toward
Reorganization.
Colonel Macdonald Is Opposed to
Picnics at EnCampments and
Parades for Babies.

The first action tending toward a gen.
eral reorganization of the National Guard
of California was taken at q meeting Of
the officers of the Second Brigade in the
ofdcers' rooms at the armory, 1927 Market
street, last night. The officers, from Gen
eral Dickinsonidown, have been consider
ably stirred up by the report and recon-
mrndations of the court of inquiry, and it
has now been decided to do something 10
still the pubic clamOr and satisfy some
kind of a long-felt want, the exact nature
of which the officers do not know nor do
they believe the public knows.
Most of the officers of the Second L rig
ade were present at the meeting. General
Dickinson, however, was unavoida bly, ab-
sent and therefore Colonel William Mac
donald, being the next senior officer, pre-
sided in the generals stead. Nearly all
the officers of tne First. Third and Fifth
Infantry regiments, Light Battery a.
artillery, First Troop Cavalry and the
Signal Corps OF the Second Brigade were
in attendance. Some of them came in q
| little late, but were IN time for voting in
favor of the purposes for which the meet
| ing had been called.
The Second Brigade National Guard
Association was formally organized and
officers elected. 1t Will be an auxiliary to
the Officers State Association and will act
| with the latter and with auxiliary assoeia-
| tiDUS VI bu6 ObutI bItRduSo III ali AldllGIS
pertaining to reorganization and other ac-
/ tiuns for the future good and usefulne IS
| of the National Guard and the glory of
| California.
The officers of the newly formed organi-
zaton are: Colonel William Macdonald,
Second ARTILLERY, president; Colonel D. 3.
Fairbanks, Fifth lnfantry, first vice.
president; Colonel W. p. Sullivan, First
Iafaatry, second vice-presdent; Colonel
Thomas f. Barry, Third Infantry, third
vice-rresident; Captain A. a. Hanks of
the Signal Corps. Second Brigade, secre-
| tary.
In order that intelligent action may be
taken at an early day, a committee OF
seven was selected and instructed to enter
upon the duties set forth at once. The
members of this committee, singly and
| Jointly, shall receive suggestions from
whatever quarters attainabIe concerning
plans and methods for reorganization of
| the National Guard of this State, and
after joint deliberation and discussion the
committee shall report TO the association
at q meeting to be held Novem ber
II. The auxiliary will then outline
plan and present it TO the Of
i2ers' State Association. In this
manner it is hoped TO bring about new
ana better order of things among the
volunteer soldiers of the State, so that n
the future they shall not be called lin
| soldiers" or deemed snperfu0us as factors
in the universal economy. The committee
referred to is composed of the following
| officers: Colonel Thomas F. Barry, Lieu
| tsnant-Colonel Geary, Major g. r. Bur-
| dick. Major j. Z. Hayes, Major D. Z.
Miles, Captain II. L. Syme and Captain
Ohm NJ. Brunson.
| The gentlemen who had the movement
| of last night in hand did not feel very
much inclined to discuss the subject out
side of the meeting or talk for publication,
| but it was evident from remarks dropped
| here and there. now and then, that they
mean to bring about some kind of a
change, not because they think it is abso-
lutely needed. but because the public
! clamOr for it.
There is no doubt but that the National
Guard of this State needs reorganiziDg,"
| said Coloue Macdonald, when questioned
| on The subject. "At the same time there
are many points and intricate lines which
the people do not fully understand.
ADMIT that there are too many COM
| panies-far too many.
"The country militia works as drag
against us. There are number of COM
| psnies composed of only few men in in
| terror towns, a3d all have their full COM
plement of officers, just the same as IL they
were large companies. In Eureka there
are TWO companies, and they want to con-
stitutn brigade with all the field anu
staff officers that belong to such division.
| OF course all that Is absurd. Whenever
the active services Of national guardsmen
are wanted San Francisco is the center
| from which they are drawn. The San
Francisco boys have to do the work while
| the others do the parading.
81 am free 20 admit that there has been
% much play, too much make-believe, in
/ the past. For instance. at annual encamp-
ments L have seen baby carriages, babies,
| nurses and family picnics moving all about
on the encam pment grounds. Military
discipline was not enforced. Now. that is
all wrong, and | would like 10 see ii
| changed for the better 1t is my opinion
| that the guard Will be more concentrated.
! think instead of having six brigades, as
| Ne do now. there will be only three
| brigades, with headquarters at Sacrament
! TO, San Francisco and Los Angeles. For
! instance, the Eureka contingent should be
| attached TO San Francisco. This will do
away with the necessity for number of
staff officers that are now attached TO the
| guard. don't say there are too many,
J because that would not be true. They are
paid nothing for their services, and the
! more there are of them the easier it is to
| divide the work and make il light for each
| of them. There Is one thing l most de.
cidedly object to, aud that is all this hoI-
day p4rading for the edifcat!on of purses
and babes"
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