The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-13
THE OFFICERS ANGRY.
Small Appropriation For the
Militia Condemned.
A POOR MEASURE OF ECONOMY
Lieut.. Inslin. Father of the Coon Bill,
Talks Plainly. and Col. Hat
field Does Likewise.


for the maintenance of the National
guard during the coming two years TO
$40 and aboiisfing commissioned OFF,
GERS. has resulted in much talk among
nnalitiamen I'm this city. The law has
been generally condemned by suardsmen,
and they uEite In saying that the meas
ure is merely AN indirect way of abolish
Ing the militia in the state. Lieut.. Fall
con Josiin, of E company. the father Of
the Coon bill in the present legis-
lature. and Lieut.. Col. j. A. Hat
field. who has been identified with
the militia since its organization. both
condemn the action of the Legislature in
unmeasured terms. Lieut.. Joslin said
yesterday:
II am not particularly opposed to de-
claring all commissioned Offices vacant
or course the law provides that the off,
GERS shall have certain qualifications and
necessarily some of them would be reap
pointed Immediately and the service
might not be materially impaired. But
the small appropriation is simply amaz-
Ing. When the legislature refuses TO ap-
propriate enough 10 keep the guard alive
II Is an indirect way of abolishlng the
militia. A number of the officers In this
city this morning telegraphed to Capt.
Coon TO concur in the senate amend
mcnt. but if the appropriation is net in
creased the whole militia must disband."
Who Is responsible for this ill-feeiing
against the militia" Lieut.. Joslin was
asked
1T is due chiefly to ineficiency and
extravaganza In the adjutant generals
Office under the workings of the old law"
Lieut.. Joslin. speaking of the Coon bill.
which Is now In conference, said that II
would be wise measure anyway. II
provides for the reorganization of the
militia. but OF course IL would be of no
effect II not enough money is appropri-
ated to keep the guard In the state alive.
Continuing. he said:
The Coon bill provides for twenty-five
companies all told. and each of them is
allowed an armory rent OF from So to $40
per month, or a total of about $4,000 a
year for armory rent alone. II this
money is not appropriated. the companies
will have to give up their armories and
the uniforms and guns will have to be
packed and stored away. II these uni
forms and guns are stored away for two
years and are not attended to the uni
forms would become useless and the guns
would be ruined with rust. Thus at the
end of two years the states property. ag-
gregating about S1oo. 900 or more, would be
totally worthless. This happy result can
be attributed 49, the niggardliness of the
present legislature. The actual expenses
under the Coon bill just passed in keep
ing the forces together will approximate
$4,000 a year. or less than one-half the
amount required under the old law. and
less than the appropriation of any other
state for similar purposes. The Cali
fornia law allows each company 500 a
month for armory rent, while the Coon
bill only allows an average of $3.50 The
expenses of maintaining the guard under
the workings of the Coon bill will be
about one-third less than the appropria-
tions of other states.
THE annual expense of maintaining a
National guard as a police force of the
state. not considering the question Of
maintenance for the purposes of general
military instruction. will be about 10000.
Compare these figures with those of Seat
tie. In maintaining the police force here
for one year. and see the difference.
In 1923 IL cost Seattle just $685.
sT.5s. and In 1894 Slices. A
single strike such as occurred at
Franklin when moro than 1000 men were
in pitched hattie and which was prompt
~ suppressed by the militia. would cost
the citizens of the state more In one week
than would be necessary to support the
National Guard under The Coon bill for
three years. The fact that public senti-
ment has been outraged by the extrav-
agance In the adiutant generals office is
no reason why we should not have a good
and wise law. and the legislature. having
passed the law. should certainly provide
sufficient to carry IL into effect"
The lieutenant further said regarding
the extravaganza of Adjutant General
OBrien: THE extravaganza in past years
is not altogether the fault of the adjutant
generals office. for II must he remember
ed that the guard has been established
within the past four years and has been
fully equipped and AZ the present time an
efficient force could he summoned AT an
49,
army of 1850 men with arms. uniforms
and field equipments. The equipments
now in the possession of the companies
will represent large part OF the expen-
dlturcs so that II can he seen the states
money has not been wholly squandered:
hut the money now invested In these
equipments will certainly he squanderei
" no sufficient appropriation is made 10
preserve the property which. as I said
before, represents 500 90 or more
Col. Hatfield made no attempt to con-
ceAs his wrath. and said:
'fThc action OF the legislature in grant
ing the guard but s.. 30 for the militia
during the coming two years means that
the guard viii he Gisbandei. for that sum
of money won't even pay the rents II
has been said by some parties that they
had done away with tbs Pfukertons and
when they had done away with the Ma
tienai Guard they would have things
their own way. These remarks were
made by persons who represent n certain
political element in the present iegiSla-
ture, | do not understand the motive in
cutting of the official heads az the militia
men. hut IL the officers were all cut OF
IL would he Just as we'll 20 abolish the
quart. for II would ". some time before
the newly appointed or elected officers
would become familiar with the work and
/ reach a degree of efficiency.